ARTICLES BY JOHN ONCEA

• The State Of VARs, 2019: Security And Education

  12/27/2018

  A coworker was telling me he hasn’t seen a Top Ten Films of 2018 list that doesn’t include Roma. That same concept can be applied to 2019 VAR predictions: try and find a list that doesn’t include security and education in some way, shape, or form at or near the top. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

• BlueStar Introduces ISV Connect

  10/27/2016

  The following is an edited transcript of Business Solutions’ Editor in Chief Mike Monocello’ s Q&A with Jason Firment, Director of Point of Sale and Director of VARCOM for BlueStar which took place at ISV IQ Live! held October 6 in Philadelphia.

• VARCOM 101 For ISVs

  10/27/2016

  The following is an edited transcript of Business Solutions’ Editor in Chief Mike Monocello’ s Q&A with Jason Firment, Director of Point of Sale and Director of VARCOM for BlueStar which took place at ISV IQ Live! held October 6 in Philadelphia.

• Recruit, Hire, And Compensate With The Best

  10/17/2016

  Established managed services providers walk you through the hiring process: from finding candidates, to selecting the right one, to properly compensating them.

• Do You Know Your Customer's Internal Trigger?

  8/3/2016

  Using the Hook Model, you can create customer habits which could lead to supercharged growth, higher customer lifetime value, and increased defensibility against competitors who prey on your customers.

• CompTIA's Vision Of The Future

  8/3/2016

  What does CompTIA CEO and president Todd Thibodeaux think needs to happen to make sure the future of the industry remains bright? Hint —you may not be able to get a certain Whitney Houston song out of your head when you find out.

• Payment & Data Security: Lessons Learned From The Front Lines

  6/15/2016

  According to a Business Solutions’ EMV and payment security survey, VARs take a hands-off approach to security despite increasing threats. These solutions providers need to change their thinking or risk being the partner of a customer with a front-page breach.

• Payment Innovation: Sorting Through The Hype

  6/15/2016

  In the payments industry, there’s real innovation and there’s hype. Three industry leaders gathered to discuss what is truly worthy of your interest.

• Learn The Secrets Of POS-As-A-Service Pros

  6/15/2016

  Three solutions providers share their secrets on not just playing in the POS-as-a-Service space, but winning it.

• Surefire MSP Strategies For Pricing, Bundling, And More

  6/2/2016

  Switching from the break/fix model to managed services isn’t easy, but it certainly is worth the effort. That was the message delivered by participants of the Surefire MSP Strategies For Pricing, Bundling, & More panel held as part of the Channel Transitions VAR/MSP Executive Conference held June 2 in Philadelphia.

• What A “Hippie Rock Guitarist With Top Secret Clearances” Has To Do With Managed Services

  4/28/2016

  Jeff “Skunk” Baxter wasn’t involved with any bombs during his days as a founding member of Steely Dan or his five-year run with the Doobie Brothers, however — at least since the mid-1980s — his life has been filled with them. Wait, let me explain. Baxter, 67, closed the ASCII Success Summit held in Milwaukee, WI by discussing his transition from Doobie Brother to national security expert. That’s right; the long-time musician with eight platinum records to his credit (he’s been performing since 1968) has become one of the national-security world’s most well-known counterterrorism experts. In this role, Baxter helps both policy makers and defense contractors better understand the way terrorists think and plan attacks.

• From ASCII Milwaukee: Continuity Is Key To Selling Backup

  4/28/2016

  Datto Vice President of Business Development Rob Rae said to forget about acts of God and focus on continuity if you want channel success during his presentation at the ASCII Success Summit in Milwaukee, WI. “Backup means fires, floods, tornados, and hurricanes,” Rae said. “Most people think acts of God won’t happen to them, so stop selling backup and start selling continuity.”

• LOGICnow's O'Bray Provides State Of The MSP Market Address At ASCII Milwaukee

  4/28/2016

  “The MSP market is growing, changing from a first generation MSP to second generation MSP,” said Kelly O’Bray, Global Community Manager at LOGICnow, who presented expert market analysis before a packed house at the ASCII Success Summit in Milwaukee, WI. As a result of this growth, MSPs now have more predictability of service, budget reliability, and better control of resources.

• ConnectWise Partners Share Thoughts On The Cloud And More At ASCII Milwaukee

  4/27/2016

  Scott Dickinson, Community Specialist at ConnectWise, was joined by Jason Guinn, IT Director at WIZ Tech and Dave Stamm of Stamm Technologies for the ConnectWise Partner Panel at the ASCII Success Summit in Milwaukee, WI.

• Channel Transitions: Remote Monitoring And Management Is A Must For MSPs

  9/30/2015

  Jessica Schroder, community manager for MAXfocus and Chris Soutar, director of managed services for Entre Computer Solutions, explained the benefits of remote monitoring and management (RMM) at BSM’s Channel Transitions VAR/MSP Executive Conference held September 24 at the DoubleTree Chicago Downers Grove.