SMB

In The Channel

Dell moved 10k partners to distribution-led buying – and says they’re growing faster for it

May 21, 2026 Robert Dutt Comments Off on Dell moved 10k partners to distribution-led buying – and says they’re growing faster for it
Dell’s Anthony Tanoury unpacks the structural shift underway in how Dell goes to market through distribution – including a significant move to distribution-led buying, the promise of deal reg in hours instead of days, and why AI accelerator programs are the most underutilized resource in the channel right now.

In The Channel

Dell pre-sales leader on agentic AI, the AI Factory, and 13-to-1 server consolidation

May 19, 2026 Robert Dutt Comments Off on Dell pre-sales leader on agentic AI, the AI Factory, and 13-to-1 server consolidation
From putting an “AI supercomputer” on an SMB desktop to consolidating 13 legacy servers into one, Dell’s Alan Ashby breaks down the practical infrastructure opportunities for partners at Dell Technologies World 2026.

In The Channel

Lenovo’s two Taylors on simplifying the channel, the services shift, and life after Accelerate

May 15, 2026 Robert Dutt Comments Off on Lenovo’s two Taylors on simplifying the channel, the services shift, and life after Accelerate
Fresh off Lenovo 360 Accelerate in Austin, we sat down with Jeff Taylor, global head of partner ecosystems and programs, and Craig Taylor, Canada channel chief, to dig into sweeping changes to Lenovo 360 – including a 92 per cent reduction in active incentives – and what they mean for Canadian partners navigating a services-led future.

In The Channel

Top Down Ventures closes oversubscribed C$38M Founders Fund I, with a 5.3x agentic AI exit already in the books

May 12, 2026 Robert Dutt Comments Off on Top Down Ventures closes oversubscribed C$38M Founders Fund I, with a 5.3x agentic AI exit already in the books
Top Down Ventures has closed Founders Fund I at C$38 million, oversubscribed, as the first institutional VC fund focused exclusively on early-stage MSP software and AI. Managing partner Joel Abramson joined In The Channel on announcement day to unpack the thesis, the zofiQ exit, and the market shift that has the fund bullish on the decade ahead.

Podcasts

The Buzz: Canada ranks second globally for ransomware, Top Down closes $38M MSP fund, and Barracuda maps the new email threat landscape

May 12, 2026 Robert Dutt Comments Off on The Buzz: Canada ranks second globally for ransomware, Top Down closes $38M MSP fund, and Barracuda maps the new email threat landscape
Canada moves to second globally in ransomware attacks per Fortinet, Top Down Ventures closes its oversubscribed Founders Fund I at $38M Canadian, and Barracuda’s analysis of 3.1 billion emails maps where the threat is heading next.

In The Channel

Sustainability is now a procurement gating factor in Canada: HP’s Frances Edmonds on what that means for MSPs

May 5, 2026 Robert Dutt Comments Off on Sustainability is now a procurement gating factor in Canada: HP’s Frances Edmonds on what that means for MSPs
HP Canada’s Frances Edmonds has spent 30 years making the business case for sustainability. On this episode of In The Channel, she explains why Canadian MSPs and resellers are running out of time to treat it as optional.

In The Channel

Do or do not: SonicWall’s Michael Crean on what MSPs keep getting wrong on security

April 29, 2026 Robert Dutt Comments Off on Do or do not: SonicWall’s Michael Crean on what MSPs keep getting wrong on security
SonicWall’s 2026 Cyber Protect Report frames SMB security failures as seven predictable, preventable sins. In The Channel sat down with SVP Michael Crean – who built one of the early SOC-as-a-service MSSPs before SonicWall acquired it – to dig into what the framework actually means for partners.

Channel Programs

Cisco 360, three months in: Canadian partners are responding better than expected

April 24, 2026 Robert Dutt Comments Off on Cisco 360, three months in: Canadian partners are responding better than expected
Cisco Canada’s VP of Partner Organization and SMB Sales takes stock of the first quarter of the new Cisco 360 Partner Program – including the partner feedback that caught her off guard, what “Preferred” means now that Gold is gone, and why Canadian partners should start building their adopt-and-renew practices before the incentive structure forces them to.

In The Channel

Jennifer Roy on culture, scale, and what PE really looks like from inside a Canadian MSP

April 21, 2026 Robert Dutt Comments Off on Jennifer Roy on culture, scale, and what PE really looks like from inside a Canadian MSP
Jennifer Roy didn’t know what half the acronyms in the job description meant when she applied for her first role in managed services. Fifteen years later, she’s CEO of Nucleus Networks, operating across five Canadian cities, and one of the more candid voices in the Canadian channel on what people-first leadership actually costs you.

Distribution

From bank and warehouse to ecosystem orchestrator: A conversation with Frank Vitagliano

April 16, 2026 Robert Dutt Comments Off on From bank and warehouse to ecosystem orchestrator: A conversation with Frank Vitagliano
Every few years, someone announces the end of distribution. Direct sales was going to kill it. Then e-commerce. Then cloud. Then hyperscaler marketplaces. And yet here we are. Frank Vitagliano is CEO of the Global Technology Distribution