Social media has emerged as one of the most disruptive trends in the technology industry in recent years. But what does it mean for the channel? In this CRN article, editor David Binning explores the relevance of social media platforms for business, and talks with Channel Dynamics' Moheb Moses about how best to get on board this runaway train.

Also in this article, David interviews Olivier Choron (CEO and Founder of purechannelapps) about socialondemand - a new content syndication application that helps partners leverage their vendors' content to increase their social media presence.

Socialomics: business opportunity or opportunity cost?

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With the unstoppable growth of Android SmartPhones and Tablets in the consumer and/or prosumer space, there is further pressure on the enterprise to get their Android BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) strategy right. The enterprise cannot afford to be reactive with BYOD, as there are a huge range of benefits (as well as risks) around BYOD, which have been well documented.

Following is a recent white paper I read on getting the Enterprise ready for BYOD, and while it is sponsored under the Webtorials site, I think it is an excellent guide for the IT manager looking to manage Android devices that will be appearing on their network, whether they like it or not. Putting on our channel hat, these are great ideas that can be leveraged by the channel to help their customers in a BYOD world, especially the 6 baseline requirements for managing Android devices in the enterprise.

Five Steps to Android Readiness   Read More

Author: Cam Wayland
I recently had the privilege to attend the ARN roundtable discussion where Dell and Intel were the key sponsors, and so much was discussed about the development Dell’s channel engagement and program.

While there was robust discussion amongst the participants about Dell’s (and other vendors’) engagement, the conversation actually began with the changes in customer behaviour and therefore what changes the partners had to adapt to.

Our core channel framework - the DynamicDSI model - reflects our belief that everything begins with the customer, and that a successful partner is a reflection of the needs of the customers they serve or are targeting.   Read More

Author: Moheb Moses
Look up the definition of “customer” in pretty much any dictionary and you’ll get a definition that goes something like “a person or organisation that buys goods or services from you”. But smart resellers understand that their customers include another definition, namely, “a person or organisation that SELLS goods or services TO you”.

I’m talking about Vendors.

Look at most successful resellers and you’ll see that, amongst other attributes, they have very strong vendor (and often, distributor) relationships.  Read More

Author: Moheb Moses
What a difference a year makes!

As channel consultants, we get a feel for the health of the industry by the type of projects we are asked to work on. And over the last twelve months we’ve seen a real shift from tactical, short-term return projects, to strategic, longer-term projects designed around building strong sustainable foundations with partners.

Last year, while the industry and general economy were still in the doldrums, most vendors only looked three months ahead, and the majority of our projects were focussed on increasing sales in the coming quarter. Many vendors established teams that had direct end-user touch, with the goal of driving business directly but still fulfilling through the channel.

Today, we see a very different (and much more positive) outlook. Projects are once again becoming more strategic in nature. There is growing recognition that simply using the channel for fulfillment is not very efficient and does not build channel profitability or loyalty. More vendors are realising that investing to properly enable partners means that those partners will be more loyal, and will play an active role in uncovering and bringing sales (especially complex solution deals) to fruition quickly and cost effectively.  Read More