Many break-fix VARs tell me that they believe the as-a-Service model and more recurring revenue would be good for the health of their business, but they don’t know how to get started. Reading articles about established managed services providers can be overwhelming. We don’t assume the transition from break-fix is easy, but we do think it’s necessary, and so we strive to give you as much actionable information as possible on...  Continue Reading..

This morning I had a chance to browse through some of my notes from last week's RSPA INSPIRE. This event is always good for providing plenty of nuggets of wisdom, and business and personal takeaways. On my list this year: the need for industry benchmarking, the value of peer groups, leadership lessons, and more.  Continue Reading..

If you didn’t think you had enough competition or the POS landscape was confusing enough, Amazon recently announced its entrance into the point of sale game. Yes, Amazon. This news made its way throughout the RSPA INSPIRE conference today, with many wondering what Amazon’s solution would look like and how it would or could alter the retail landscape. Any time a company the size of Amazon makes a move, all retailers watch. However,...  Continue Reading..

Day 1 of RSPA INSPIRE Thought Leadership Summit education kicked off today with a unique twist for those in attendance. Typically, the RSPA brings in a speaker or author to lead the three days of thought leadership education. This year, the keynote and education (sponsored by Discover) is being handled by the HTG Peer Groups, led by Arlin Sorensen. If you aren’t aware, HTG Group leads successful peer groups in the general IT/managed...  Continue Reading..

The healthcare industry stands yearly as one of the most lucrative markets for IT solutions providers and there’s no indication of that changing. Because the opportunities are so varied, I’m very excited to report that our March issue of Business Solutions is going to have a very healthcare-focused slant to most of the articles.  Continue Reading..

By now, you’ve probably heard about the credit card data breach that occurred at Target and other retail chains over the holidays. While Target hasn’t released all the details of what happened, malware was supposedly involved and many believe the culprit was a nasty bit of software known as BlackPOS. Some are also speculating that malware similar to BlackPOS, called Reedum, was to blame. Regardless of the questions being...  Continue Reading..

BSM's Jim Roddy reports two trends from  Retail’s BIG Show, hosted by the NRF in New York City last week: one, the top issue retailers care about today is enhancing the customer experience, and two, channel executives told me they believe more  than 90 percent of retail resellers aren’t helping their clients enhance the customer experience.  Continue Reading..

NRF wrapped up the other day in NYC’s Jacob Javits Convention Center. I’m sure every exhibitor on the floor could tell you how or why they have some new innovation that will reshape the industry. Most are just buying into their own marketing hype and are self-delusional. I was on the lookout for the information and news that would matter most to retail VARs. Following are some of my notes from the show.   Continue Reading..