channel chief

In The Channel

Okta rebuilds its channel program: the Partner Accelerator brings three tracks and a services-first bet

September 29, 2026 Robert Dutt Comments Off on Okta rebuilds its channel program: the Partner Accelerator brings three tracks and a services-first bet
Okta has unveiled the Okta Partner Accelerator, a ground-up rework of its Elevate partner program, at Oktane 2026. Laura Padilla, Okta’s head of partners, walks In The Channel through the three-track structure, the customer-outcome metrics that gate the elite tier, the expansion of partner-delivered professional services to every deal, and the AI agent security opportunity she thinks partners are still early on.

In The Channel

Plugable CEO Lynn Smurthwaite-Murphy on bringing Amazon-tested peripherals to the IT channel and introducing modular AI hardware

September 2, 2026 Robert Dutt Comments Off on Plugable CEO Lynn Smurthwaite-Murphy on bringing Amazon-tested peripherals to the IT channel and introducing modular AI hardware
Plugable CEO Lynn Smurthwaite-Murphy joins In The Channel to discuss the company’s evolution from a consumer favorite on Amazon to a channel-focused peripherals vendor, the strategic value of its recent Acer Gadget investment, and how its new Thunderbolt 5 AI enclosure offers MSPs a modular approach to local artificial intelligence.

Podcasts

The Buzz: KnowBe4 names Kurt Mills channel chief, CBTS launches Forge Agents, and Sublime Security integrates with CrowdStrike

September 1, 2026 Robert Dutt Comments Off on The Buzz: KnowBe4 names Kurt Mills channel chief, CBTS launches Forge Agents, and Sublime Security integrates with CrowdStrike
Today’s Buzz covers KnowBe4’s new channel chief, CBTS’s push to put AI agents into production, and Sublime Security’s CrowdStrike integration, plus counter-tariffs on U.S. tech, browser security, and research on why internal AI SOC builds fail.

In The Channel

Is technology expense management the MSP practice you haven’t considered?

August 27, 2026 Robert Dutt Comments Off on Is technology expense management the MSP practice you haven’t considered?
Technology expense management doesn’t show up on most MSPs’ radar – but according to Jason Wieser, SVP of channel sales at Calero, it probably should. In this episode, Wieser makes the case for TEM as a genuine recurring revenue practice, and explains why SaaS sprawl has become the front door into the conversation.

In The Channel

Red Hat’s Kennedy on why the swim lanes are gone – and what the partner program looks like now

August 26, 2026 Robert Dutt Comments Off on Red Hat’s Kennedy on why the swim lanes are gone – and what the partner program looks like now
Red Hat’s Kevin Kennedy says the era of clearly defined partner swim lanes is over – and the company’s partner program has had to fundamentally rethink how it rewards partners to match the way business actually gets done.

In The Channel

Coro CEO Joe Sykora on the case against Frankenstein security stacks

August 18, 2026 Robert Dutt Comments Off on Coro CEO Joe Sykora on the case against Frankenstein security stacks
Coro chief executive Joe Sykora talks platform consolidation, automated alert remediation, and the agentic AI question reshaping how MSPs should think about their security stacks.

Podcasts

The Buzz: Blumira launches universal AI security command center, Vistera brings AI professional services to Canadian SMBs, and CrowdStrike warns on ransomware targeting MSPs

August 13, 2026 Robert Dutt Comments Off on The Buzz: Blumira launches universal AI security command center, Vistera brings AI professional services to Canadian SMBs, and CrowdStrike warns on ransomware targeting MSPs
Blumira unveils a universal AI command center for security tools, Vistera launches a Canadian-built professional services platform for SMBs, and CrowdStrike warns that Punk Spider ransomware attacks on MSPs are up 134 percent. Plus ConnectSecure expands M365 security, GTIA warns on AI adoption gaps, and Verizon channel chief Mark Tina departs for Humana.

In The Channel

Exabeam rebuilds its MSSP commercial model to fix the economics of managed SIEM

August 11, 2026 Robert Dutt Comments Off on Exabeam rebuilds its MSSP commercial model to fix the economics of managed SIEM
Exabeam says it used to treat MSSPs like regular resellers, with deal-by-deal discounts that made margin predictability nearly impossible. Global channel chief Craig Patterson and senior director of service provider alliances Peter Stratis join In The Channel to explain what changed – and what it means for Canadian service providers building managed SIEM practices.

In The Channel

Chris Fabes brings three-sided channel view to TD SYNNEX Canada

August 6, 2026 Robert Dutt Comments Off on Chris Fabes brings three-sided channel view to TD SYNNEX Canada
The new president of TD SYNNEX Canada talks about his transition from SHI, respecting Mitch Martin’s 35-year legacy, and why Canadian channel players should be “proud and loud.”

Podcasts

The Buzz: TD SYNNEX names Chris Fabes in Canada, Huntress flags Azure CLI password spray attacks, and MSSP retention moves beyond salary

July 21, 2026 Robert Dutt Comments Off on The Buzz: TD SYNNEX names Chris Fabes in Canada, Huntress flags Azure CLI password spray attacks, and MSSP retention moves beyond salary
TD SYNNEX appoints Chris Fabes as President of Canada, Huntress warns of massive Azure CLI password spray attacks targeting non-human identities, and MSSPs face an employee retention problem driven by invisible manual work.