Editor's Notebook

  1. VARTECH 2014: 9 Social Media Tips For VARs 9/18/2014

    Do you recall the 1939 version of The Wizard Of Oz when a fearful Dorothy, played by Judy Garland, exclaims, “Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!”? Today, solutions providers — especially those old enough to remember the 1939 version of The Wizard Of Oz — are saying “Facebook and Twitter and LinkedIn, oh my!” as they face an avalanche of social media options.

  2. Lively Media Panel Opens VARTECH 2014 9/18/2014

    Value-added distributor BlueStar turned the tables on members of the channel media at its VARTECH conference in New Orleans Thursday. The day one general session opened with BlueStar Global Marketing Manager Dean Reverman asking publishing executives and editors questions about trends and best practices for solutions providers and IT vendors.

  3. Your Brand Is More Important Than You Realize 6/2/2014

    If there’s one area where IT service providers disagree, it’s on the topic of branding. I’ve mentioned in past articles that one of the most common forms of branding many channel companies still hold fast to is “word of mouth” or referral marketing. But, even among those with more formalized marketing programs, there are conflicting schools of thought about best practices.

  4. Dropbox' Move Into The Enterprise: Your Worst Nightmare Or Killer Opportunity? 11/19/2013

    While, in the past, MSPs sought to talk customers out of using Dropbox in place of more robust solutions, it seems that the company is poised to make a move into the enterprise realm. In fact, an article by Forbes claims that such a move is necessary if the company plans to hit the growth numbers investors have expected. 

  5. Recommended VAR Reading: The Challenger Sale 11/18/2013

    I read The Challenger Sale about a year ago and have been testing its principles and techniques whenever I can. I think the business-to-business sales methods taught in this book are the real deal and could have a significant impact on VAR organizations as they strive to be trusted advisors.

  6. 8 Channel Threats, 6 Opportunities For Solutions Providers 10/9/2013

    The panel discussion “Future Channel Opportunities & Threats” at the ASCII Success Summit in Austin, TX featured several excellent points and lots of give-and-take. Here are some highlights from the discussion.

     

  7. SYNNEX Keynote Herm Edwards Shares NFL Lessons That Resonate With Break/Fix VARs 10/4/2013

    I’ve been to my share of industry conferences and have sat through my share of keynote speakers. So, when I saw that Herm Edwards, ESPN analyst and former NFL coach and player, was speaking, I expected a speech filled with touching and humorous NFL stories tied to life lessons and motivational wisdom. Edwards delivered all that, but in a way that exceeded my expectations.

  8. HP Networking Sets Sites On Cisco 10/4/2013

    During the general session of the second day of SYNNEX' (NYSE:SNX) National Conference in Greenville, SC, Craig Hinkley, VP & GM of HP (NYSE: HPQ) Networking Americas shared his company's vision for the near future. Hinkley's message was repeated many different colorful ways, but what it boils down to is an aggressive focus on winning business away from Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) and giving it to SYNNEX VARs. Here are just a few sound bites from Hinkley's energetic presentation...

  9. GFI MAX Customer Conference 2013: Editors Notebook Day 1 9/23/2013

    Day 1 of GFI MAX’s Customer Conference is under way here at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. A quick look at the itinerary for today brought one word to mind: wow. GFI has today loaded with educational information from start (9:00am) to finish (5:45pm, which is when the pool party begins).

    While we’re only midway through the sessions, I stepped away to share just some of the notes I’ve taken from the event.

  10. 3 Tips Every Managed Services Provider Should Know 9/16/2013

    If you’re a reseller new to the managed services model or an established MSP looking to hit the next level of your business, Thomas Clancy Jr., partner and manager of sales and operations for Valiant Technology, says a simple formula has been instrumental to Valiant’s success. His lessons are to the point, actionable, and very relevant.