Jessica Davis

Catalog and Web solution provider CDW, a giant in the technology reseller space, is reportedly in talks to be acquired by a private equity firm. The move to private equity ownership would spare the company from Wall Street’s laser-like spotlight and allow it to focus on increasing its margin—in contrast to the sales and revenue […]

Dell’s move to sell through Wal-Mart was a “creative choice” and the PC maker needs to be careful about balancing the message that choice sends, according to J.P. Gownder, a principal analyst at Forrester Research. Gownder has been watching the company’s moves into the retail space. “They are going for cost-sensitive consumers, and if there […]

Dell will make its first move into the retail channel starting on June 10, putting two of its Dimension desktop computers out to be sold through the world’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart. CEO Michael Dell hinted in April in a widely leaked memo that his company—known for its direct-only sales—would move into new channels, including retail. […]

Record sales were not enough to lift Tech Data Corp.’s profitability high enough to meet Wall Street’s expectations for the IT distributor’s first quarter, but CEO Bob Dutkowsky pointed out that the company’s recent moves have been designed for long-term profitability. “Underneath these earnings it is important to note that Tech Data continues to invest […]

Motorola is launching a channel partner program, complete with market development support and technical training, for its wireless broadband products in North America. Program partners will get access to solutions from the Motorola MOTOwi4 portfolio of wireless broadband solutions and services for IP networks together with sales, technical and customized marketing support, the Schaumburg, Ill., […]

Network security company Arxceo has launched an Ally Partner Program for VARs, offering Elite, Premier and Alliance levels of partner affiliation. Elite, or top-level, partners are those that offer complete solutions from pre-sales to delivery and technical support, and have dedicated security and security-related business focuses, Arxceo said in a statement. Click here to view […]

Lenovo plans to align its channel partner program around four “communities” as defined by end-user segments. The move is part of a continuing evolution of the channel program Lenovo inherited from IBM when the company acquired IBM’s PC business in December of 2004. “We used to be part of IBM Partner World, and now we […]

Business and analytic software maker SAS is expanding its year-old channel program geographically and is also enhancing the offerings partners in the Americas can offer to customers. SAS said it will expand its channel program globally. Previously focused just on partners in the Americas, the new program will first expand to Canada, the U.K., France, […]

Juniper Networks is offering a slate of new channel partner programs and a new suite of solution enablement tools that the company said are designed to make life easier and more profitable for partners. The networking company made the announcements during its J-Partner Summit in Las Vegas this week. The five new programs include an […]

Tom Miller has been keeping a close eye on Dell for years. The senior director of IT for Fox­Hollow Technologies, a cardiovascular health products company in Redwood City, Calif., Miller has been a longtime Dell customer. His company of about 600 employees is standardized on Dell servers and PCs. And Miller has watched as Dell […]

PayPal is not just for consumers anymore. The division of eBay is introducing a new partner program to help systems integrators win contracts to provide PayPal Express Checkout to their merchant customers. Under the new program, partners get integration-related technical support, integration best-practices information, and access to co-branded marketing materials in the form of templates […]

Looking to focus its market development funds on the best partners, Advanced Micro Devices has cut ATI’s channel partner ranks in half since it acquired the graphics chip maker less than a year ago. “Our marketing dollars were spread too thin,” said Matt Skynner, vice president of marketing for the graphics product group of the […]