Month: June 2015

Printing and Imaging

Ricoh Canada buys western Canadian VAR Graycon to accelerate managed IT services business

June 30, 2015 Mark Cox Comments Off on Ricoh Canada buys western Canadian VAR Graycon to accelerate managed IT services business
Ricoh, which is building up its services business to offset a decline in print volumes, sees Graycon as providing new capabilities for them in the west. The company also suggested they would be interested in a similar acquisition in the east.

[…]

Channel Programs

Quick Heal introduces loyalty program for enlisting successful channel partners

June 30, 2015 Mark Cox Comments Off on Quick Heal introduces loyalty program for enlisting successful channel partners
The Quick Rewards program, which begins in Q3, gives partners who refer other partners to Quick Heal a reward of six per cent of their sales for the first year and four per cent for the second – giving Quick Heal a cost-effective way of enlarging their channel.

[…]

Data Capture/Point of Sale

ScanSource beefs up mobile POS portfolio with new Star Micronics partnership

June 30, 2015 Mark Cox Comments Off on ScanSource beefs up mobile POS portfolio with new Star Micronics partnership
Star’s strength in mobile printing in particular will enhance ScanSource’s ability to provide total POS and retail solutions to their reseller partners.

[…]

Channel Programs

SolidFire adds specialization tiers to partner program

June 30, 2015 Mark Cox Comments Off on SolidFire adds specialization tiers to partner program
Four specializations are being announced, one of which is around OpenStack, which SolidFire believes is an industry first. .

[…]

Software

Condusiv V-locity 6.0 DRAM read caching enhancements triple performance

June 29, 2015 Mark Cox Comments Off on Condusiv V-locity 6.0 DRAM read caching enhancements triple performance
Condusiv engineers redid the DRAM read caching algorithm so that DRAM, which is small but very fast, focuses only the smallest, random I/O that causes the most problems.

[…]

Computers

Acer brings first Chrome All-in-One desktop with touch display to Canada

June 26, 2015 Mark Cox Comments Off on Acer brings first Chrome All-in-One desktop with touch display to Canada
Acer Chromebase DC221HQ series, which is coming to market in Canada through Acer’s commercial channel, has both touch and non-touch display options.

[…]

Storage

Intronis stresses better user experience with Summer Release ‘15

June 26, 2015 Mark Cox Comments Off on Intronis stresses better user experience with Summer Release ‘15
A new dashboard provides a macro-level view that did not exist before, and a new Executive Summary report generator provides customers with brandable and customizable snapshots which demonstrate the MSP’s value.

[…]

VMware Canada country manager Sean Forkan
Storage

Veritas Canadian leadership team for post-Symantec divorce now in place

June 25, 2015 Mark Cox Comments Off on Veritas Canadian leadership team for post-Symantec divorce now in place
Symantec’s Canadian GM, Sean Forkan, moves over to run Veritas in Canada – as well as the central U.S. Two other Symantec Canada execs join him in the move. All three are currently in their new roles, even though the two companies are still one. The new post-split leadership for Symantec in Canada has also been announced.

[…]

Channel Programs

How to build a successful channel organization

June 25, 2015 Mark Cox Comments Off on How to build a successful channel organization
Dell’s channel chief offers some suggestions how companies can effectively build or improve their channel programs.

[…]

Distribution

Tech Data Canada signs Apple

June 24, 2015 Robert Dutt Comments Off on Tech Data Canada signs Apple
Apple has added Tech Data Canada to its distribution ranks. What does this say about the direction Apple’s relationship with the channel is going?

[…]

Hardware

Paragon Software reworks tech license tool as multi-purpose utility for end users

June 24, 2015 Mark Cox Comments Off on Paragon Software reworks tech license tool as multi-purpose utility for end users
The new IT Essentials Toolkit, which handles virtualization, disk management and system optimization for servers and workstations, is a product many Paragon partners use themselves, but now it is also packaged in a SKU they can sell to their own customers.

[…]

Podcasts

Podcast: Epson’s BrightLink Pro, and the MSP journey with AVG Business

June 24, 2015 Robert Dutt Comments Off on Podcast: Epson’s BrightLink Pro, and the MSP journey with AVG Business
Epson’s Judy Burns discusses the company’s interactive projectors, and Marco LaVecchia of AVG Business talks managed services on this podcast.

[…]

Cloud

SAP Canada channel chief Rob Stevens lays out Canadian channel plans

June 24, 2015 Mark Cox Comments Off on SAP Canada channel chief Rob Stevens lays out Canadian channel plans
Stevens talked with ChannelBuzz about how both SAP and its partners can work smarter, emphasized the importance of the cloud to SAP going forward, and indicated that they will wait to see if partners are on the same page with SAP before they start recruiting new ones.

[…]

Managed Services

Toshiba signs on IT Weapons to take Toshiba-branded IT services to market

June 22, 2015 Mark Cox Comments Off on Toshiba signs on IT Weapons to take Toshiba-branded IT services to market
Having exited the consumer market in Canada, Toshiba is beefing up their B2B offerings, and has partnered with Brampton managed services provider IT Weapons to provide what will be a growing package of services and support.

[…]

David Bull, director of product marketing at Intel Security
Security

New Intel Security tool aims to encourage phishing conversation

June 22, 2015 Robert Dutt Comments Off on New Intel Security tool aims to encourage phishing conversation
Intel Security’s new phishing quiz tool looks to give partners a way to start a conversation with customers about the need for education on e-mail-based risks.

[…]

Channel Programs

Pure Storage adds Microsoft, Citrix to FlashStack CI reference architectures

June 22, 2015 Mark Cox Comments Off on Pure Storage adds Microsoft, Citrix to FlashStack CI reference architectures
New solutions for Microsoft SQL Server and Citrix XenDesktop, and a new FlashStack CI support program for resellers who don’t provide Level 1 and 2 support, will expand FlashStack’s partner reach. Pure is also looking to reach deeper into Canada, with two western road shows following up today’s announcement.

[…]

Channel Programs

Xangati eyes managed services partners in channel program reboot

June 22, 2015 Mark Cox Comments Off on Xangati eyes managed services partners in channel program reboot
The virtualized performance management solutions startup has made unsuccessful channel initiatives before, but now armed with personnel and resources to execute, they are looking to enlist Citrix and VMware partners with professional services practices – and for the first time, MSPs.

[…]

Channel Programs

D&H Canada and Cisco unveil joint partner enablement program

June 19, 2015 Mark Cox Comments Off on D&H Canada and Cisco unveil joint partner enablement program
While many distributor programs tend to be limited term and focused on moving specific products for vendors, this program, a first of its type for D&H, is long-term and focused on providing assistance to help resellers build up their Cisco practice.

[…]

Channel Programs

Unitrends looks to recruit smaller VARs with move to 100 per cent channel model

June 19, 2015 Mark Cox Comments Off on Unitrends looks to recruit smaller VARs with move to 100 per cent channel model
Unitrends only added a channel component to their business in 2013, and now are dispensing with direct entirely to give partners the confidence their vendor won’t poach deals from them, which will in turn encourage them to invest more in Unitrends.

[…]

Sukh Randhawa, vice president of business operations at Tech Data Canada
Cloud

Tech Data brings TDCloud to Canada

June 18, 2015 Robert Dutt Comments Off on Tech Data brings TDCloud to Canada
The Tech Data Cloud Solutions Store offers a one-stop shop for solution providers to sell cloud services, and an opportunity to bring new cloud services to market.

[…]