SMB

Managed Services

Infoblox adds new MSP consumption-based pricing model for DDI and DNS-based security solutions

September 6, 2018 Mark Cox Comments Off on Infoblox adds new MSP consumption-based pricing model for DDI and DNS-based security solutions
Infoblox already has a significant number of MSP partners, and their focus has been primarily on the enterprise, but the new consumption-based pricing option is much more attractive if they are also pushing downmarket into the midmarket and the SMB.

Managed Services

Proofpoint adds anti-phishing capabilities to automated email protection solution with new CLEAR solution

September 5, 2018 Mark Cox Comments Off on Proofpoint adds anti-phishing capabilities to automated email protection solution with new CLEAR solution
The new capabilities come from the Proofpoint acquisition of Wombat Security earlier this year, and significantly beef up what had been Proofpoint’s TRAP automation platform.

Computers

Dell adds new PC-as-a-Service with up to 300 units for SMBs

August 27, 2018 Mark Cox Comments Off on Dell adds new PC-as-a-Service with up to 300 units for SMBs
Dell also rebrands the PC-as-a-Service offering they introduced last year as PC-as-a-Service for Enterprise, and also announces a new Dell Provisioning for VMware Workspace ONE service that is also available through both the SMB and Enterprise PCaaS.

Data Centre

Dell EMC Canada Commercial President Connolly takes stock of progress – and challenges

August 16, 2018 Mark Cox Comments Off on Dell EMC Canada Commercial President Connolly takes stock of progress – and challenges
Kevin Connolly talks with ChannelBuzz about the recent performance of Dell EMC Canada Commercial, and their progress in resolving alignment issues which still have some presence even through the formal integration between Dell and EMC is long past.

Computers

Lenovo North American president Matt Zielinski talks strategy in Toronto visit

August 14, 2018 Mark Cox Comments Off on Lenovo North American president Matt Zielinski talks strategy in Toronto visit
Growth in the consumer market is a critical part of the Lenovo strategy Zielinski laid out, but channel reinvigoration, particularly in the SMB space, is also vital.

Backup

Quantum sees breakthrough product in first converged tape appliance for Veeam

August 14, 2018 Mark Cox Comments Off on Quantum sees breakthrough product in first converged tape appliance for Veeam
The rise of ransomware has made tape, which is offline and can’t be directly hit by ransomware, more attractive. The new Quantum converged tape appliance, a first of the kind in the industry, helps make Veeam more friendly to tape environments.

Channel Programs

EFSS vendor FileCloud reaches out to MSPs at ChannelCon event

August 7, 2018 Mark Cox 2
FileCloud has been selling their Enterprise File Sync and Sharing Solution mainly direct, and through larger MSPs who do their own hosting. However, they just launched a partner program for smaller MSPs looking to resell a service that FileCloud hosts, and are looking – selectively – for additional partners.

Channel Programs

SAP partners seeing strong success with partner-packaged solutions initiative

August 3, 2018 Mark Cox Comments Off on SAP partners seeing strong success with partner-packaged solutions initiative
SAP launched this new component in their cloud strategy this March, and have already had 450 partner solutions qualified – with between 700 and 800 more in the pipeline.

Cloud

Intermedia growing channel business with new UCaaS offering and stronger partner enablement

August 3, 2018 Mark Cox Comments Off on Intermedia growing channel business with new UCaaS offering and stronger partner enablement
The Intermedia messaging to the channel at this year’s CompTIA ChannelCon event emphasized the UCaaS opportunity around their Unite offering which came out in February.

Printing and Imaging

Brother channel development shifts from recruitment to engagement

August 2, 2018 Mark Cox Comments Off on Brother channel development shifts from recruitment to engagement
Brother has completed its transformation from a purely direct dealing vendor to a 100 per cent focused channel player targeting SMBs, and has built up its channel to the point where they don’t have to pound the pavement for more partners. The perception that they are a consumer brand? Well, they continue to work hard to change that.