Salesforce

Managed Services

SupportBots looks to save MSPs money with AI-driven support bots

March 1, 2017 Mark Cox Comments Off on SupportBots looks to save MSPs money with AI-driven support bots
SupportBots launched a free trial period in February so MSPs can test them and provide feedback. For now, their main functionality is booking customers with available technicians, but the plan is to eventually do much more than that.

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Cloud

eSentire integrates cloud sources into its Managed Detection and Response service

February 28, 2017 Mark Cox Comments Off on eSentire integrates cloud sources into its Managed Detection and Response service
The addition of cloud visibility into the Managed Detection and Response service responds to the user vulnerability to issues like phishing and data exfiltration, and presents a strong new opportunity for partners.

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Channel Programs

Salesforce tweaks channel programs in tiering, training, specializations

February 21, 2017 Mark Cox Comments Off on Salesforce tweaks channel programs in tiering, training, specializations
Salesforce looks to improve its support of partners, as it looks to grow its consultant base tenfold over the next several years to meet projected demand.

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Cloud

Masergy sees new Cloud Contact Center solution as entrée to enterprise

February 13, 2017 Mark Cox Comments Off on Masergy sees new Cloud Contact Center solution as entrée to enterprise
The new offering complements Masergy’s established Unified Communication as a Service solution, and may also prompt some customers using that solution to switch to this one.

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Cloud

Sage People Human Capital Management solution launches in Canada

January 27, 2017 Mark Cox Comments Off on Sage People Human Capital Management solution launches in Canada
Sage sees the new offering, which is likely to be sold primarily, though not exclusively for the X3 platform, as a strong opportunity for channel partners.

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Cloud

Salesforce-focused solution provider Nubik turning new opportunities into rapid expansion

October 7, 2016 Mark Cox 2
In the last year, Montreal-based Nubik has both been deepening its relationship with Salesforce, and aggressively expanding into new markets.

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Channel Programs

Kingston ON-based Stantive building out its own channel for Salesforce-based CMS solution

October 7, 2016 Mark Cox Comments Off on Kingston ON-based Stantive building out its own channel for Salesforce-based CMS solution
Stantive, which had a long relationship with Salesforce as a customer before becoming a business partner during the past decade, is now building out its own channel for its CMS solution and seeing strong results.

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Channel Programs

Becoming easier for partners to do business with remains multi-year journey: Salesforce

October 6, 2016 Mark Cox Comments Off on Becoming easier for partners to do business with remains multi-year journey: Salesforce
Salesforce has implemented new programmatic initiatives for partners, including the final architect solutions and Salesforce DX. The big change, updating the company’s infrastructure to effectively serve its growing army of partners, is underway, but is a long term project.

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Channel Programs

Salesforce stresses that rebranding of ISV program articulates partnering philosophy

October 5, 2016 Mark Cox Comments Off on Salesforce stresses that rebranding of ISV program articulates partnering philosophy
Salesforce is now calling its ISV partners App Innovation partners, and explained in some detail why new conceptions of customer value make the distinction important.

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Cloud

AI and collaboration innovations beef up next-gen Salesforce Customer Success Platform

October 4, 2016 Mark Cox Comments Off on AI and collaboration innovations beef up next-gen Salesforce Customer Success Platform
The new enhancements come from the internal work of Salesforce Einstein, on the AI side, and the recent acquisition of collaboration vendor Quip.

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Channel Programs

Sage continues strategy to build up channel business

July 28, 2016 Mark Cox Comments Off on Sage continues strategy to build up channel business
Sage continued on the more channel-friendly course laid down last year after Stephen Kelly took over as CEO, and while the strategy itself is not new, the company believes it made some major steps this year towards meeting its goals.

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Cloud

Sage looks to disruptive product strategy to leapfrog competition

July 27, 2016 Mark Cox Comments Off on Sage looks to disruptive product strategy to leapfrog competition
At Sage Summit, Sage has outlined to partners a much more detailed roadmap than it has ever done before, in order to get the partners to understand fully where things are going, to buy into the changes, and engage closely with Sage on them.

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Cloud

StorageCraft enters cloud backup market

July 12, 2016 Mark Cox Comments Off on StorageCraft enters cloud backup market
The on-prem specialist announces it will make a belated entry into the cloud backup space, to allow existing partners to get both their on-prem and cloud products from a single vendor, and to expand their partner base among MSPs.

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Mobility

BlackBerry enhances workflow capabilities, integration into business-critical apps

June 8, 2016 Mark Cox Comments Off on BlackBerry enhances workflow capabilities, integration into business-critical apps
BlackBerry leverages the WatchDox security technology it acquired last year into three related offerings, BlackBerry Email Protector, BlackBerry for Salesforce, and an enhanced Outlook plug-in for version management in collaboration.

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Channel Programs

Salesforce deepens partner training, specializations

June 6, 2016 Mark Cox Comments Off on Salesforce deepens partner training, specializations
New partner initiatives the company is working on include deepening technical and product training in their face-to-face training programs, and developing the concept of being trusted advisors together with partners to their joint clients.

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Richard Steranka, vice president of global channel operations at McAfee
Channel Programs

Intel Security to revamp program, incentives around new strategy

May 12, 2016 Robert Dutt Comments Off on Intel Security to revamp program, incentives around new strategy
Intel Security’s channel chief tells partners the company will focus incentives around its new platform approach, winning new customers and expanding business with existing customers.

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Cloud

Salesforce unveils major elements of Lightning ecosystem

February 5, 2016 Mark Cox Comments Off on Salesforce unveils major elements of Lightning ecosystem
Significant enhancements to Sales Cloud and a new field Service component for Service Cloud will be available in new Lightning versions available this spring, in Salesforce’s second quarter.

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Channel Programs

Salesforce outlines progress on new partner readiness, partner experience initiatives

January 25, 2016 Mark Cox Comments Off on Salesforce outlines progress on new partner readiness, partner experience initiatives
New Salesforce certifications are scheduled for March and April, while both the self-service Trailhead modules and the face-to-face Partner Fast Forward continue to progress to schedule.

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Cloud

Sage sees three-way synergies with Salesforce in new Microsoft partnering deal

September 17, 2015 Mark Cox Comments Off on Sage sees three-way synergies with Salesforce in new Microsoft partnering deal
Sage sees the tighter integration with Microsoft platform as good news for Sage partners, and for Microsoft partners looking to benefit from Sage Live’s innovation.

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Channel Programs

New training initiatives highlight Salesforce partner announcements at Dreamforce

September 17, 2015 Mark Cox Comments Off on New training initiatives highlight Salesforce partner announcements at Dreamforce
Salesforce introduced many exciting new solutions at Dreamforce, but for specifically partner-focused announcements, the big ones were all about training. And there were a lot of them.

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