Wireless Editor’s Notebook

  1. Don't Miss This Opportunity 3/20/2009
    It's no secret that times are tough. With the economy in rough shape and sales slow, now is the time for you to leverage every resource you have at your disposal. One often-overlooked resource many VARs have access to is product training from vendor partners. Indeed, oftentimes this training is free and can even ...
  2. Can You Ignore The Economy? 3/9/2009
    Hey, here's a fact: out of all the VAR's I've interviewed in 2009, only one expects to have a down year. So, why all the doom and gloom and negativity? I think the mass media is partly to blame. That's what prompted to me to write the article "Ignore the Economy" that appeared in our March issue. When we ...
  3. Quick Tip #3: Connect Branch Offices With Hosted VoIP 2/19/2009
    As POSitive Technology.com opens 32 new branch offices across the United States in the next three years, having good communication throughout the company will be imperative. According to Brett Bennett, CEO of POSitive, the VAR recently has implemented technology to virtually connect all aspects and branch locations of ...
  4. University Deployment Hailed As Largest 802.11n Network To Date 2/12/2009
    An interesting aspect of wireless deployment is the need for expertise in myriad technologies. VARs need to understand the network needs as well as resolving clients monitoring and management needs, just to name a few factors in a successful wireless installation. An interesting news release from Entuity showcases the ...
  5. Quick Tip #2: Hold Your Vendor Partners Accountable 2/12/2009
    One aspect of our recent Best (and Worst) Channel Vendors survey that truly suprised me was the number and quality of the responses we received. We collected nearly 18,000 votes and amazing anecdotes! It's obvious that our audience cares about the channel and its relationships with its vendor partners. Makes sense...
  6. Overcoming Price Objections 2/8/2009
    In past articles, I’ve mentioned the need during today’s economy for data collection VARs to stress the ROI of their solutions. Indeed, showing a quick return/payback might be enough to warrant investing in your solution. Still, it might not be enough. Everyone in sales has to overcome a price objection at ...
  7. Quick Tip #1: The Value Of Relationships 2/5/2009
    A common thread between successful salespeople seems to be a knack for good old fashioned networking. In the May 2007 issue of BSM, I interviewed Terry Selkirk of VAR GENESIS (click here to read the article). Selkirk had some great advice regarding building relationships. While his expertise lies in selling Grocery...
  8. Mobile Printing: A Growth Technology 2/4/2009
    I recently came across some compelling numbers. Venture Development Corporation (VDC) estimates that the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of the mobile printer market through 2011 will exceed 10%. Within the various mobile printing vertical submarkets, the fastest growing ‘outside the four walls...
  9. The Green Effect Of Rugged Mobile Computers 1/29/2009
    There are many reasons why companies choose to use rugged devices. Reliability is a common one. Another, often overlooked, reason is the lifespan of the units. Whereas many competing brands reach end of life in a few years, many rugged devices continue on. This potentially gives customers a new option when it comes to ...
  10. Can You Upsell With Mobile Device Management? 1/9/2009
    If you're a VAR that sells mobile workforce solutions, you know that technology has evolved to allow mobile workers constant communication and access to company resources. Companies are deploying these solutions to gain efficiencies — to enable mobile workers to complete tasks with a mobile device instead of...