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Bring yourself up to speed with our introductory content.
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Bring yourself up to speed with our introductory content.
authorized service provider (ASP)
An authorized service provider (ASP) is an organization that a product manufacturer has deemed qualified to service products covered under the manufacturer's warranty. Continue Reading
How to get started in cloud service company transitions
The cloud computing business offers the potential for revenue growth, but channel partners will need to gear up to address a difficult business model transition. Continue Reading
Cybersecurity strategies: Best-of-breed or integrated security suites?
The cybersecurity discussion about best-of-breed point products vs. integrated security architectures is one of many enduring tech debates; this handbook aims to frame the dialogue. Continue Reading
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Cisco DNA: How should partners deploy it?
Channel partner companies should introduce Cisco DNA to customers on a step-by-step basis, according to the company. Continue Reading
Recruitment techniques for IT channel companies
Channel firms must rethink their recruitment techniques to win in today's competitive job market. Get tips for updating your channel recruitment strategy and retaining talent. Continue Reading
Software-defined storage solutions: A channel primer
Channel companies have an opportunity to help their customers deploy emerging software-defined storage technology, a pursuit that may also boost a partner's consulting revenue.Continue Reading
How to protect your clients from ransomware infections
Client education, advanced endpoint protection and image-based backups are some of the steps channel partners can encourage customers to take to thwart ransomware.Continue Reading
MSP marketing: Learn the fishing and farming methods
Many technical-savvy MSPs will readily admit that marketing is not their company's strong suit. At the MSPWorld 2017 conference, held this week in New Orleans, marketing expert Angela Leavitt aimed ...Continue Reading
share of wallet (SOW) or wallet share
Share of wallet (SOW) is a marketing metric used to calculate the percentage of a customer's spending for a type of product or service that goes to a particular company.Continue Reading
IoT managed services: How channel partners can get started in 2017
Channel partners can capture a slice of the growing IoT managed services market if they can overcome the steep learning curve.Continue Reading
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Cloud vendor management services see demand from SMBs
Cloud vendor management poses a difficult set of challenges for SMB customers, opening up opportunities for channel partners to act as liaisons.Continue Reading
How to sell your services in the public sector market
The government sector is a large vertical for channel partners, but companies targeting this market need to know what they are doing, writes Tony Stirk, president of Iron Horse.Continue Reading
IBM cognitive computing: Tips for starting a channel practice
At IBM's latest partner conference, platinum-level IBM Business Partners Perficient and Mark III shared the routes they took to build cognitive computing practices.Continue Reading
Channel company quiz: Recap partner program and alliance news
This month's channel quiz features mergers and alliances (and their partner fallout) along with emerging technologies, cloud computing and regulatory activity.Continue Reading
Amazon Chime: Channel execs see potential, room for improvement
Channel partners said Amazon's new Chime unified communications offering has the potential to disrupt the market, but may need additional features to boost its competitive stance.Continue Reading
Web data extraction: Custom, commercial offerings ease the task
The task of pulling structured data from the highly unstructured web is getting easier thanks to machine learning and the emergence of custom and commercial extraction tools.Continue Reading
Marketing strategy development: Partners ply social, traditional ways
Channel partners say they will use social media platforms and traditional marketing methods, such as trade shows and speaking engagements, as they roll out strategies in 2017.Continue Reading
Oracle cloud partner program aims to boost vendor's cloud sales
Oracle's year-old cloud partner program has certified some 2,000 resellers as the company looks to bolster its cloud business and catch up with rivals.Continue Reading
Video game industry: A hyper-converged infrastructure market
InData, a virtual and physical IT infrastructure partner, has discovered a hyper-converged infrastructure market in the video game industry.Continue Reading
HIPAA business associates can expect more penalties ahead
HIPAA business associates can expect more compliance penalties in 2017. MSPs should take steps to ensure they are meeting the requirements.Continue Reading
Partners: Citrix hyper-converged tech opens VDI to midrange clients
The Citrix Ready HCI Workspace Appliance Program, coupled with the company's Citrix Cloud, will open VDI opportunities among midmarket customers, Citrix channel partners said.Continue Reading
Channel: Cost, speed among benefits of hyper-converged infrastructure
Channel partners active in hyper-converged infrastructure see an expanding set of use cases, although mission-critical applications may lag behind other HCI candidates.Continue Reading
IT solution
An information technology (IT) solution is a set of related software programs and/or services that are sold as a single package.Continue Reading
NLP technology inspires customer interaction projects in key verticals
Natural language processing is opening opportunities in customer service, but channel companies must understand the technology's architecture and build alliances to succeed.Continue Reading
Quiz: Recap vendors' 2016 channel partnering moves, restructuring
Vendor realignment, consolidation and restructuring made news in 2016. This quiz covers the highlights of the larger IT providers and their impact on the channel.Continue Reading
IoT business opportunity in 2017: Are channel partners ready?
As channel partners mull over business moves for the upcoming year, many executives may consider IoT as a potential play -- and for good reason. "There is so much demand for IoT within SMBs [small ...Continue Reading
cloud services
Cloud services is an umbrella term that may refer to a variety of resources provided over the internet, or to professional services that support the deployment of such cloud-based resources.Continue Reading
Machine learning projects fuel new lines of channel business
Machine learning projects are creating a 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity' for partners. Get ready with the right range of skills and experience to take part.Continue Reading
Blockchain technology, applications spark channel opportunities
As more enterprises consider blockchain technology, IT services firms and consultancies have an opportunity to discuss adoption strategy and deployment options with their clients.Continue Reading
RPA technology is ready to change how companies manage operations
RPA tools are poised to spread their influence in the enterprise as cognitive automation finds its way into back-office, front-office and rule-driven IT operations.Continue Reading
Channel events listings for 2017
When making 2017 travel plans, refer to this list of channel events -- including conferences hosted by IT vendors, distributors, industry organizations and vendors that cater exclusively to VARs and MSPs.Continue Reading
Managed mobility services market: Complexity fuels channel growth
The complex nature of enterprise mobility opens service opportunities for channel companies, but also makes for a challenging and competitive environment.Continue Reading
SD-WAN: Providers could see strong growth, but face hurdles
The SD-WAN market beckons with high-growth potential, but channel partners must confront incomplete feature sets, training requirements and market consolidation.Continue Reading
Tips to align cloud computing strategies with clients' business goals
Many organizations remain puzzled about how cloud computing should integrate with their overall business objectives, creating an opportunity for cloud providers to step in and help.Continue Reading
Requirements for HIPAA compliance: The key channel partner challenges
Customers with HIPAA obligations raise pressing issues for the channel partner. Austin Justice, vice president at Justice IT Consulting, describes the top challenges.Continue Reading
The financial vertical: Big investments yield big prospects for MSPs
Financial vertical specialization is a potentially rewarding pursuit for managed services providers willing to make the investment.Continue Reading
The latest on IT channel partner strategies and programs
This month's channel news quiz covers developments in channel partner strategies and programs, cloud computing, technologies affecting the channel and service provider business strategy.Continue Reading
MSP ticketing system: Autotask's new UI draws round of applause
Autotask's new ticketing system user interface ranked among the top developments at the company's annual partner conference. Channel companies tell why.Continue Reading
IT documentation as vital as backups for MSPs
IT documentation, explored recently in contributor Esther Shein's feature, has proven to be a vital yet sometimes neglected aspect of running a managed services business. For Jonathan Broyles, ...Continue Reading
Channel partnerships: How to form alliances with peers
Strategic alliances with your channel peers could be the key to expanding your business. However, it takes more than a handshake to create a successful partnership.Continue Reading
Ask the expert: How to navigate a law firm's IT committee
Pitching your services to a law firm's IT committee can be challenging, but there are ways to get your message across, according to Andrew Harrover of Matrix Computer Consulting.Continue Reading
Salesforce telehealth system lets channel add real-time video, audio
Salesforce's telehealth tool, built on top of its Health Cloud platform, offers partners the ability to add real-time video and audio to their healthcare vertical offerings.Continue Reading
Take this quiz to catch up on IT partnership news
This month's channel news quiz takes a look at a range of topics, including cybersecurity, cloud computing, distribution, partner conferences and the copier market.Continue Reading
MSP documentation: Why it's essential to scaling your business
In the past, IT service managers might have gotten away with storing important info in their brains; today, having solid MSP documentation is essential to growing your business.Continue Reading
What does the role of CDO mean for channel companies?
Chief digital officers may hold the keys to many of your customers' decisions, and, just as importantly, to your own company's evolution.Continue Reading
IT security assessment services: The M&A angle
IT security assessment services may find a new niche in merger and acquisitions as buyers look into the cybersecurity postures of M&A targets.Continue Reading
IT security strategy: Help clients build these three pillars
User education, access management and data backup are the three pillars of a sound security strategy that partners should build and reinforce for their customers.Continue Reading
Cloud verticalization: How to tailor offerings to an industry
Experts share insight into cloud verticalization, a process for adapting cloud offerings to an industry's unique IT requirements and business problems.Continue Reading
Monetizing data: In search of the virtuous circle
Channel partners can help customers monetize their data. Read on for insight into the distinct data monetization paradigms that can help them get started.Continue Reading
State procurement model reform a boon for channel partners
As state CIOs modernize their approach to IT procurement, channel partners may discover unprecedented bidding opportunities.Continue Reading
Cloud services: Market opportunity bypasses many channel companies
While the cloud reaches critical mass among customers of all sizes, many partners don't offer cloud services or have yet to make cloud services a major revenue contributor.Continue Reading
IT channel partners: Catch up on trends with this quiz
This month's channel news quiz focuses on market research developments, regulatory compliance, automation trends, cloud computing and channel partnering strategy.Continue Reading
Niche apps: Channel companies benefit from specialty software
Niche applications aren't just for consumers: Channel partners are leveraging specialized software to tackle a range of challenges in fields from AI to EDI.Continue Reading
Partner-to-partner: Teaming with peers to grow a channel business
Partner-to-partner collaboration can help channel companies deliver more complex offerings and address customers' pressing business problems, according to Tiffani Bova.Continue Reading
Software robots: Enterprises ask for RPA technology on new services contracts
Robotic process automation is making its way into new outsourcing contracts and playing a role in reinvigorating existing deals, according to industry executives.Continue Reading
HIPAA compliance services a double-edged sword
Before MSPs take on HIPAA compliance work, experts advise they understand the regulatory framework they're subject under, obtain certifications and mitigate the risks.Continue Reading
Remote monitoring and management tools: Some assembly required
Managed service providers use custom integration to unify monitoring tools in a bid to simplify what otherwise could become out-of-control automation.Continue Reading
Building a partnership: How to link up with other service providers
Partnering with your fellow IT service providers can help expand the services you offer clients without incurring the cost of hiring and retaining talent.Continue Reading
Partner portals aim to strengthen vendor-channel relationships
Technology vendors are launching or reworking channel program portals, offering partners the ability to register deals, receive training and obtain marketing materials online.Continue Reading
Microsoft WPC 2016: A quizzical recap of the channel partner event
This month's channel news quiz focuses on the recent Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference, which highlighted cloud opportunities for the company's channel partners.Continue Reading
Workspace as a service offers channel partners DaaS alternative
Channel executives contend workspace as a service offers the ability to support BYOD environments and provides a less jarring shift to the cloud than desktop as a service.Continue Reading
IT RFP: How to influence the bid as a channel partner
Channel partners may find the formal RFP process challenging, but they can influence the bid in advance -- and boost their chances for success -- through digital marketing.Continue Reading
MSP security portfolios: How to offer security awareness training
Expand your MSP security portfolio by offering security awareness training, an important layer to clients' overall security initiatives.Continue Reading
IT services providers: Quiz yourself on tech and channel trends
This month's channel news quiz runs the gamut from mergers and acquisitions to managed security services. Take the test to catch up on current events.Continue Reading
IT hardware sales endure as channel partner business
Industry executives say hardware remains a key part of a channel partner's business mix, even with the rise of monthly recurring revenue from service sales.Continue Reading
Software defined networking projects: Channel can expect more work
SDN projects are hindered by complexity and a lack of client skills, but those factors could also help channel partners land consulting gigs with customers seeking expertise.Continue Reading
Channel: Lack of cloud governance framework complicates adoption story
MSPs and IT service providers say some customers lack a coherent strategy, while others face EBITDA challenges as they grapple with cloud adoption.Continue Reading
Managed IT security services firms resell cloud-based offerings
Managed service providers are reselling security as a service offerings from third-party providers to expand their service portfolios in the IT security arena.Continue Reading
IT security service provider taps Kaseya to deliver cloud offerings
Internet & Telephone, a managed service provider, is offering its customers cloud-based IT security services through Kaseya's IT management platform tech.Continue Reading
Cloud-based security helps channel partners cut client costs
Channel partners are helping their customers adopt security in the cloud, which executives say provides cost-effective protection compared with on-premises technology.Continue Reading
K-12 market: Channel takes on networking, storage, security projects
Students are heading for vacation, but K-12 sector projects in networking, storage and security are getting underway for channel partners with an education focus.Continue Reading
Startup tech companies seek savvy channel partners
Early-stage companies participating in the 2016 MIT Sloan CIO Symposium's Innovation Showcase are pursuing relations with channel partners that can incorporate their products into broader offerings.Continue Reading
Channel partner programs: Quiz yourself on new developments
This installment of the channel news quiz covers developments in partner programs, recent conferences, data center technology and robotic process automation.Continue Reading
Software robots transforming IT services industry
IT service providers, particularly large, global outsourcing firms, are helping customers deploy robotic process automation and also using the technology internally.Continue Reading
RPA software: Service firms automate customers, themselves
IT service providers pursue differing robotic process automation projects, while navigating the technology's cognitive developments and labor considerations.Continue Reading
IT security market: The cost of building a cybersecurity practice
Expanding into IT security services can be a costly endeavor for channel firms, requiring investment in new processes, talent and partnerships.Continue Reading
Disaster recovery certification: Must have or nice to have?
Channel partners have a number of options for disaster recovery training and certification, but some execs see greater value in certifying in specific DR technologies.Continue Reading
Role of distribution changes with accent on services
Distributors are offering channel partners an expanding range of services, including network assessment, managed services, hosted offerings and IT asset disposition.Continue Reading
Vology's transition toward an integrator business model
Vology has used a combination of acquisitions and organic growth as it transitions from a product-oriented approach to an IT services provider business model.Continue Reading
IT industry certifications boost morale, grow partner revenue
IT services companies that follow an industry certification plan can create a positive work environment and offer clients a greater number of valuable services, writes Amy Kardel.Continue Reading
Channel business model: Transition time for IT partners
Partners may pursue a number of business model transitions over the course of their business lives, including resell to services, services to managed services and MSP to cloud.Continue Reading
'Compliance as a service': How to stay out of hot water
Before leaping into IT compliance services, MSPs must make sure they're following best practices. Some mistakes could potentially cost them their businesses.Continue Reading
Cloud marketplaces: Can channel partners make money?
Channel partners can take advantage of many cloud marketplace options as part of their go-to-market strategies. Here's what you need to know to get started.Continue Reading
Current on cloud and managed services? Take the quiz
There's always a lot happening in the cloud and managed services sector. Take this new quiz to see if you're up to speed on the latest regulatory, vendor relations and market development trends.Continue Reading
Channel marketing plan a must for partners
A well-honed marketing plan provides insight into who your customers are, what they need and how you can help them with what you know and what you sell, Jennifer Anaya writes.Continue Reading
Channel partner marketing: Offloading the work to specialists
Channel partners, who have long bemoaned the challenges of marketing themselves, turn to outside specialists for help optimizing their website design and content.Continue Reading
Five MSP marketing tactics to boost growth
Scott Lindars, a former Citrix senior alliance marketing manager and now director of technology markets at Merit Mile, an interactive agency in Boca Raton, Fla., outlined MSP marketing tactics at ...Continue Reading
application rationalization (AR)
Application rationalization is the process of identifying which business applications should be kept, replaced, retired or consolidated across an organization to improve business operations.Continue Reading
Moving clients to a hybrid cloud model
Businesses increasingly see the value of moving to a hybrid cloud model, with more flexibility, scalability and data deployment options being just a few of the potential benefits. However, hybrid cloud environments can pose technical, organizational...Continue Reading
BPM platforms unlock channel partner opportunities
Channel partners say business process management offers greater opportunity today in light of lower BPM platform costs and increased awareness of what the tools can accomplish.Continue Reading
Retail health clinics set to emerge as channel partner market
Healthcare-oriented channel partners should keep tabs on the emerging retail health clinic space, which could harbor systems integration and consulting opportunities.Continue Reading
IT migration case study: Partner helps downsize data center
HighVail, an IT consulting and professional services firm, helped Empire Life downsize its data center, migrate business applications and create a new disaster recovery site.Continue Reading
Marketing on the cheap: Pointers for channel partners
Channel partners can minimize their marketing expenditures by focusing on their existing customers, according to author Joseph Jaffe.Continue Reading
Hammering out an MSP sales and marketing plan
Chances are you didn't get into managed services because of a passion for sales and marketing. Unfortunately, if your goal is to scale up your managed service provider, or MSP, business, you're going to need much more than customer referrals to ...Continue Reading
Cybersecurity services: MSPs look to expand portfolios
MSPs are pushing beyond traditional services such as patch and firewall management as they look to stand out from other companies offering managed IT security services.Continue Reading
Cloud management tool strategies: Channel weighs hybrid options
Automation is a must for managing a hybrid cloud environment. Channel partners are tapping commercially available products and homegrown capabilities to get the job done.Continue Reading
Chief customer officers find home among cloud providers
Channel partners offering cloud services see value in appointing a chief customer officer to strengthen relationships with customers in a complex and competitive market.Continue Reading
Hybrid cloud technology: A channel partner overview
The hybrid cloud model offers a flexible way to meet clients' IT needs. But there are several factors channel partners should consider when building a hybrid cloud environment.Continue Reading
Sales and marketing strategy: Tips for MSP partners
MSPs need sales and marketing in order to grow a company beyond the startup stage. Industry executives provide their views on how to build such capabilities.Continue Reading
IT security tutorial: Channel partner tips for new tech
In this IT security tutorial, we outline security concerns and mitigation strategies for software-defined networking, hyper-converged infrastructure and the Internet of Things.Continue Reading