Direct reseller channel conflict

Websense gives partners more reasons to say “yes” to its program

One of the philosophies that I really appreciated out of former Intel Chairman and CEO Andrew Grove when he was still active was his staunch belief that investments in the future should not be sacrificed for the short-term good of a company’s stock price. This is not something that many high-tech vendors usually pay much attention to when the economy is all whacked out (like right now), so it’s refreshing when I hear about a company that subscribes to that notion, especially when the investments are focused on solidifying and supporting its channel relationships.

Continued »

Dell’s New Year’s Eve surprise

Dell Inc. launched a major reorg on December 31. The move “globalizes” operations around three major customer segments — large enterprise, public sector, and small and medium businesses (SMBs). The press release posted quietly on Wednesday morning, making the Dell just the latest tech vendor to attempt to bury major news that could be construed as negative, before a holiday. Or so it seems. (The consumer segment was already handled globally.)

Continued »

Whose cloud is it anyway?

Raise your hand if you’ve heard enough about the proverbial cloud yet.

Understood. The hypefest has been enormous. And the payoff? Not there yet. Continued »

Dealing directly with directaphobia

In my last entry, I provided some suggestions for keeping a deal from going direct, but despite your best efforts it is going to happen and I think the temptation will be even greater next year. So what do you do?

First, don’t lose your cool. Continued »

Dealing with large manufacturers

How many salespeople and sales engineers do you want your manufacturer partners to have? Before everyone yells ZERO, let’s think about that for a minute. Different manufacturers have different levels of resources in the field. We’re beginning a series of blog entries on which level makes the most sense for you, and that will vary based on the size and ability of your organization.

Continued »

Call it what you want, recommending green tech thing takes more than a superficial interest

The whole idea of green IT or sustainability isn’t something new to Patrick Ciccarelli, CEO of San Francisco-based Varsity Technologies. But what IS new(er) is Ciccarelli’s broader commitment to what he calls “the triple bottom line.” That is, Varsity is focused on delivering solid economic performance combined WITH environmental performance and social performance. They three are inextricably entwined.

Continued »

Could hosted services spur tension between distributor and partner?

San Diego — Ingram Micro CEO Greg Spierkel faced a funny question from partners at the VentureTech Network (VTN) conference here Thursday morning: “What do we do that drives you crazy?”

Spierkel’s answer?

“Buying from my competitors.” Continued »

CEO Thompson absent from Symantec partner show

WASHINGTON, D.C. — By now you know that outgoing channel chief Julie Parrish isn’t here at Symantec Partner Engage 2008, but there’s an even more notable executive absence.

CEO John W. Thompson isn’t here either. Word around the conference is that he had another meeting to attend.

Continued »

Man bites dog; VAR loves vendor

When a VAR gives an unsolicited testimonial for a technology vendor, it’s unusual enough to warrant attention.

While researching a storage-related story a month or so ago, I called this VAR who answered the questions posed and then started talking about how much he loved working with Compellent Technologies. “They really get it,” he said. He lauded the Eden Prairie, Minn.-based vendor for its 100% channel fulfillment model. Compellent is publicly traded and is facing a world of consolidating competitors — Dell/EqualLogic, Hewlett-Packard/LeftHand Networks.

Continued »

Vendors: Invest more in channel sales and less in operations, study says

If you’ve ever felt like the last thing you need from a vendor is yet another channel web portal, and what you’d really rather have is a darn good lead, you’re probably not alone.

A new report is attempting to make your point.

Continued »