Recent Articles
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HP’s Channel Plan: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
I am a big believer in companies having unified messages to their channel partners and end-user customers alike. Mixed signals from different parts of an organization breed contempt and confusion. And all good intentions can wash straight down the sewer if a company is sending different messages to its VAR base. This, in my view,…
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Secrets to Hiring Technical Talent
The following is a list of hiring tips to help channel employers looking for solid technical skills: • Create a clear and complete job description for newspaper and online classifieds • Consider using an industry-specific recruiting Website • Tap existing employees for referrals and recommendations • Attend local user and industry association meetings • Develop…
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How To: Hiring Technical Staff
When hiring technical staff, channel employers may be tempted to focus only on technical knowhow. But they will be best served by also looking for business acumen and communication skills. “It is more important to have a well-rounded person, someone with not just technical competencies, but also good communication skills, an understanding of the business…
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VOIP Opportunities Still Pose Technical Problems
Despite what has been a long and inconsistent adoption curve, voice over IP, or VOIP, does have some big believers, especially in the channel, where it promises lucrative contracts and a shot at customers who have never been interested in traditional services. Zoltan Keve of Caleidoscope Communications Co. is one of those believers. The Vermont-based…
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Resellers Aim at R&D Role for Customers
Resellers have been lectured on the merits of solution selling for years, but some industry executives are pointing in a new direction: demand innovation. Traditional sales organizations typically enter into alliances with product suppliers and push solutions to customers. A demand innovator, in contrast, researches the market to determine customer needs and then tracks down…
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Ingram Micro, AMD Enter Global Partnership
Wherever in the world distributor Ingram Micro Inc. does business, so can processor maker Advanced Micro Devices Inc. The companies just entered a rare global partnership under which Santa Ana, Calif.-based Ingram Micro has authorization to sell AMD processors across its global distribution infrastructure. Typically, distributor/vendor contracts cover only specific regions. For Sunnyvale, Calif.-based AMD,…
