Lenovo and Scale Computing have been working together for some time, but have now formally announced both a strategic partnership and a joint solution designed for the edge and suitable for organizations with many locations in highly distributed environments.
Square has built a big business around providing support to microsellers who were too small to interest credit card companies, or who found their services too expensive. While this market is still their core, they have moved upmarket as well, with larger sellers, assisted by strategic partnerships with companies like SAP. The new channel program is designed to support partners in this upmarket transition.
HP made its first announcement of a consumer product family at a channel event, as it expects the channel will sell almost all of these new rigs, and while much of it will go through etailers and retailers, there is a VAR channel play here as well.
The new Extreme Networks retail offering is a location-based platform that gives retailers real time analytics data about customers, and lets them manage associates’ interactions with them as well.
Square, which built its business on simple point-of-sale solutions for microbusinesses, is moving upmarket, and partnerships like their new integration with SAP are putting them in touch with an integrator channel for the first time.
Arcserve also says out a roadmap to have, within twelve months, a midmarket disaster recovery offering based on a fusion of the two technologies that overcomes today’s pricing, complexity and efficiency issues.
While monitors still make up 70 per cent of their business, falling prices has also led ViewSonic Canada to scale back its retail business and put more emphasis on the B2B market.
These machines, targeted mainly at standard retail outlets, have met with a strong initial response, selling more units before launch than other Zebra phones typically sell in 3-5 months.
Bill Conner, best known as the CEO of identity-based security product vendor Entrust, takes over as SonicWall’s CEO, and talks with ChannelBuzz about the company’s plans going forward.
SAP Anywhere formally launched in the U.S. this week. But while demand for the small business-focused CRM solution is strong, a change in SAP’s SMB applications strategy has led to the Canadian launch being put on hold for now.
The distributor is expanding its presence in the unlocked smartphone market, to give solution providers more options, and to keep them well positioned in the event of a shift away from major carrier solidarity on the subsidy model and its phone plans.
In addition to its new HP RP9 Retail System, HP is also highlighting its HP Pro Tablet 608, which provides an eight-inch screen version of a product HP has offered for years in a ten-inch form factor.
SAP’s new HANA-powered CRM solution for SMBs, which will hit general availability in both the U.S. and Canada in 2016, is drawing lots of interest. ChannelBuzz takes a look at why.
ACCEO continues its drive into the retail space, following up its June acquisition of Multipost with a larger deal in which they acquire GSI, which has many large retail chain clients, and whose solutions are targeted to that larger type of chain retailer.
Star’s strength in mobile printing in particular will enhance ScanSource’s ability to provide total POS and retail solutions to their reseller partners.
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?
The Québec-based solution provider continues its strategic acquisitions by buying Markham ON-based Multipost, which makes POS software for smaller retailers. ACCEO also indicated that more acquisitions are coming in the next few weeks.
Dell’s proactive support services have been a big hit in the channel, but this particular product is designed as a retail play, rather than for solution providers.
EMC Canada’s Michael Sharun also stressed that channel partners (and sales people generally) need to do a better job of adding backup and recovery to their storage sales.
These are ESET’s flagship consumer products, but they are also sold by the channel, typically as an add-on in a commercial sale. They also preview the new features coming in the next commercial refresh.
