In Depth

In Depth

• Five-minute interview: Erik Nicolai, Workspace 365

  Another candidate answers the questions and reveals a little bit more about themselves and their role in the channel. This time, we chat to Workspace 365 founder Erik Nicolai  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Mike Sheppard, Panasas 

  MicroScope gets the chance to find out a bit more about Mike Sheppard, director of channels and alliances at Panasas   Continue Reading

• The drivers in the storage market

  A number of factors are affecting the storage industry, and the channel can benefit from understanding the dynamics of the market  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Armin Neumaier, Cisco ThousandEyes

  The latest to share an insight into their career and life is the head of partner and channel sales EMEA at Cisco ThousandEyes, Armin Neumaier  Continue Reading

• The channel is key to plugging cyber skills gap

  If there is going to be one theme that continues from year to year, it is the desire by customers to work with channel partners to help solve security problems  Continue Reading

• Goodbye 2022, hello 2023: experts weigh in with channel expectations

  The year is just a few days old, so it’s a good moment to look back and ponder on what lies ahead given the experiences of the past 12 months  Continue Reading

• The themes of 2023 for the channel

  A fresh year is looming and it’s already clear what most of the major themes will be, including security, sustainability and hybrid working  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Charles Damerell, SolarWinds

  This time around, MicroScope speaks to the senior director of UK and Ireland at SolarWinds Charles Damerell about what makes him tick  Continue Reading

• What makes a good partner incentive programme?

  Everyone reacts to incentives, but they need to be thought through – and some programmes are better than others  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Helen Kelisky, Google Cloud

  This time around, MicroScope finds out a little bit more about Helen Kelisky, managing director for Google Cloud in the UK and Ireland  Continue Reading

• Prices are rising and maybe that’s not so bad

  Life is getting more expensive and many will look to cut costs and reduce prices where possible – but in the channel it might be OK to do the reverse  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Dominic Pierce, Cisco

  The latest to share more details about themselves is Cisco’s UK channel lead  Continue Reading

• May the fourth be with you as you enter the final quarter with cautious optimism

  The last three months of the year represent the busiest time for the channel as targets are aimed for and the year goes down as a success or failure  Continue Reading

• Can MSPs get cyber security ‘right’ for SMEs?

  The pressure is on for managed service providers to protect SMEs from cyber attack  Continue Reading

• The channel: Four decades of change

  To celebrate MicroScope’s 40th anniversary, we ask channel leaders to reflect on the changes seen over the past four decades – a shift to software, and the emergence of the managed service provider and the cloud are among the highlights  Continue Reading

• Where next for the channel?

  As part of our 40th anniversary, we look ahead to get a sense of where the channel will go in the years and decades to come  Continue Reading

• A history of MicroScope

  As MicroScope celebrates its 40th anniversary, we look back and tell the story of the publication itself, with some industry memories of what it has meant to its readers  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Roger Whittle, Jigsaw24

  In the latest profile interview, we find out a bit more about the CEO of Jigsaw24, Roger Whittle  Continue Reading

• Developing the subscription model

  Customers and channel partners are moving to a world where flexible monthly payments are the norm, but that has meant distribution has had to take steps to support that shift  Continue Reading

• How can the UK channel handle currency fluctuations, potential price rises and inflation?

  There are challenges in the market and the channel is having to deal with some difficult economic issues  Continue Reading

• Is there a need for sustainability-focused channel programmes?

  With growing attention around the ambition to get to net-zero carbon emissions, some vendors are introducing incentives and targets into channel programmes  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Tim Britt, Dropbox

  MicroScope talks to Tim Britt, Dropbox’s director of sales and channel for Central Europe, about what his thoughts on the channel and what gets him up in the morning  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Kit Kyte, Checkit

  MicroScope talks to Kit Kyte, CEO at intelligent operations platform CheckIt, to discover what makes him tick and what his opinions are surrounding remote working and technology  Continue Reading

• The slow journey to Windows 11

  Microsoft has been emphasising the positives of Windows 11, but users appear to be taking their time in migrating to the latest operating system  Continue Reading

• The importance of face-to-face

  The pandemic denied the channel the chance to see customers and each other and raised the question: how important is that in the digital age?  Continue Reading

• Increased risks mean SMEs must spend on security

  Facing growing threats and becoming even more frequent targets for criminals, the channel’s key customer base needs to improve its level of protection if it is to thrive  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Scott Walker, Illumio

  The senior director of channel and alliances, EMEA at Illumio is the latest to share some personal insights in our five-minute interview slot  Continue Reading

• How to reconfigure the IT industry

  Nick Booth catches up with Ciara Campbell, senior security engineer at Tenable. , to get her take on the changing world of the security industry  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Sam Linford, Deep Instinct

  This time around, the vice-president of channel and MSSP for EMEA at Deep Instinct, Sam Linford, takes the questions  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Matt Halsey, Cyren

  The senior director of sales for EMEA and APAC at Cyren gives us a bit more of an insight into his life  Continue Reading

• Why keeping it simple is a channel challenge

  The mantra from vendors is that they want to make life easier and make systems simple for partners – but that is not as easy as it sounds  Continue Reading

• Balancing the risks as an MSP

  There is a growing trend among partners in converting into managed service providers – but are there risks to this approach that the channel needs to be aware of?  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Anton Shelepchuk, Nakivo

  The vice-president of worldwide sales at the data protection and recovery software player shares some personal insights, including his teen dream of becoming a professional footballer and some investment advice that he was wise to ignore  Continue Reading

• What’s on the security radar?

  A selection of vendors share their thoughts about which technologies will be in demand this year  Continue Reading

• Change is a constant as the channel looks ahead

  Concluding our two-part look at what lies ahead this year, we find expectations of more consolidation and ongoing change  Continue Reading

• What’s in store for the channel in 2022?

  In the first part of a two-part look at what lies ahead this year, Billy MacInnes reveals what many expect will be the areas of interest in the next 12 months  Continue Reading

• 2021 review: The main channel themes

  A look back over the past 12 months, focusing on the top 10 themes that have affected the channel  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Michelle Seifert, ATTO Technology

  This time around, we put the questions to Michelle Seifert, international sales executive for ATTO Technology  Continue Reading

• How can the channel help fend off the ransomware threat?

  It's the security problem that keeps users awake at night and scares MSPs that might be targets, but there are things the channel can do to deal with the issue of ransomware  Continue Reading

• The value of the managed service provider

  Understanding value is not always a given, but as Billy MacInnes discovers, it is important for service providers to know their worth  Continue Reading

• What’s driving the data storage market?

  When it comes to storage, there are differing views about what the biggest drivers are in the current market, which gives the channel a lot to think about  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Toby Jones, WatchGuard

  This time around, Toby Jones, senior marketing manager for Northern Europe at WatchGuard, takes on questions of what motivates him and about the future of the channel  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Gavin Jones, BT Wholesale

  Answering the questions posed this time is Gavin Jones, channel sales director of BT Wholesale  Continue Reading

• XaaS: Always at your service

  One of the themes of the year is the idea that customers want, and resellers need to be able to offer, everything as a service – or XaaS. We investigate the current state of play  Continue Reading

• The endurance of the channel: Who are you calling doomed?

  Predicting the demise of the channel had become a well-worn mantra, but those days are gone and there are few signs of the end coming any time soon  Continue Reading

• Is having many partners always better?

  Microsoft has a sizeable global channel that raises the question of whether that is the model that all vendors should be aspiring to follow  Continue Reading

• Why should you choose a channel career?

  As a teenager embarking on A-levels, I am wondering what to do with my life. The question is whether or not this industry is something to get excited about  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Fiona Doak, Appgate

  The latest to give MicroScope an insight into their life and career is Fiona Doak, director of channel sales EMEA at Appgate  Continue Reading

• Five minute interview: Neill Burton, F5

  The latest channel figure to share some details of his life and career is director of channels and alliances for F5 in the UK and Ireland, Neill Burton  Continue Reading

• The lasting impact of Covid-19

  Life is slowly starting to move back towards a more normal footing, but will things ever be quite the same in the channel?  Continue Reading

• Time to take it to the edge

  Edge computing is growing and is dominating more conversations – so just what is the play here for the channel?  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Jose Pena, Digital.ai

  Jose Pena of Digital.ai shares his insight and experiences surrounding the channel in this latest five-minute interview  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Steve Santini, Schneider Electric

  In the latest five-minute interview, Steve Santini, channel director of APC by Schneider Electric, takes some time to field the questions  Continue Reading

• Digital transformation or digital evolution?

  There is no doubt that customers are changing and moving to a more digital world – but perhaps this is better described as an evolution rather than a transformation?  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Nick Offin, Dynabook

  Dynabook’s Northern Europe division leader, Nick Offin, is the latest to share some personal insights  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Matt Nicholson, Trustwave

  Matt Nicholson, EMEA channel manager at Trustwave, tells MicroScope about his early start in the channel but reveals he’s not a natural early riser  Continue Reading

• The channel opportunity around 5G

  This was always meant to be the year that 5G arrived and changed the world. We look at what that means for those trying to sell and support the technology  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Dean Porter, F-Secure

  Dean Porter, UK and Ireland country sales manager for corporate sales at F-Secure, reveals his passion for Chelsea FC and his appreciation for hip hop  Continue Reading

• Service providers should ask more questions

  Nick Booth catches up with Barracuda and hears how it wants its channel to ask much more about the everyday stuff of life  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Gerry Sheldrick, Exclusive Networks Ireland

  Exclusive Networks Ireland’s country manager, Gerry Sheldrick, tells MicroScope about his career and ambitions, as well as some insight into what makes him tick  Continue Reading

• 2021: Security market predictions

  Home workers remain vulnerable, IoT devices need to be better protected, ransomware will remain a problem and customers want help to consolidate security tools  Continue Reading

• 2021: What the channel thinks is coming next

  This year has been a strange one, and the pandemic is going to linger into the next, along with Brexit and other unknowns, but the channel is ready for whatever comes  Continue Reading

• 2021 predictions: Cloud, comms and remote working

  There are reasons for the channel to feel optimistic about the year ahead on numerous technology fronts  Continue Reading

• 2020: A year of accelerated change in the channel

  A look back over some of the main themes of a year that will be long remembered thanks to the pandemic  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Emanuel Salmona, Claroty

  MicroScope speaks to Emanuel Salmona, vice-president of global partnerships at Claroty, to find out some details on his work and life  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Olen Scott, Aryaka Networks

  In this interview, MicroScope asks Olen Scott, senior vice-president of worldwide channels at Aryaka Networks, about his life, career and inspirations  Continue Reading

• Reasons to be positive about 2021

  Optimism across the industry about the year ahead remains good thanks to the ongoing digitisation trend  Continue Reading

• The challenge of solving the partner programme puzzle

  Getting relationships with the channel is critical and many look to make that simple – but achieving it is a complex ambition  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Todd Carothers, CounterPath

  This time around, our probing questions are posed to Todd Carothers, chief revenue officer at CounterPath  Continue Reading

• Digital transformation doesn’t mean pain, say Apstra and Deloitte

  Nick Booth hears some advice from some of those trying to make digital transformation easier for customers  Continue Reading

• Coronavirus puts security at the heart of the agenda

  Securing mobile workers has been key to getting through recent months and the security channel is far from finished when it comes to protecting people in the emerging ‘new normal’  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Darren Laurie, Versa Networks

  It’s time for another channel executive to share some details about their life and career  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Jan Ursi, Rubrik

  MicroScope asks another channel executive a series of questions designed to help you get to know them that little bit better  Continue Reading

• Buying and selling: this time, it’s personal

  People buy from people, so the saying goes, and the coronavirus pandemic has tested the channel’s ability to do just that  Continue Reading

• Is the channel missing the ‘human touch’?

  Research from Kaspersky suggests vendors need to improve their relationships with channel partners, with experts weighing in on how to develop a closer bond through programmes and education  Continue Reading

• What will the ‘new normal’ look like?

  With thoughts starting to turn to a post-coronavirus world, the channel is trying to work out what changes made in the past few months will stick  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Remco Postma, Tufin

  Remco Postma, director, channel sales EMEA at Tufin, takes the questions and reveals what gets him up in the morning and shares his ice-skating credentials  Continue Reading

• Channel starts considering the legacy of the coronavirus

  As lockdown starts to ease, considerations are turning to what the “new normal” will look like, and how it will impact the channel  Continue Reading

• MSPs have shown their value

  In this time of crisis, the response of managed service providers has been strong as they have stepped up to support customers  Continue Reading

• Interview: Bob Bailkoski, CEO of Logicalis

  The recently appointed chief executive of Logicalis, Bob Bailkoski, discusses coronavirus and his vision for the business  Continue Reading

• Coronavirus: How Covid-19 kick-started a shift to home working

  Lockdown has forced people to work from home and turn to the channel for help in supporting the ‘new normal’  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Jason Skelton, Acxiom

  Through a series of questions we find out a little bit more about another channel executive, this time Jason Skelton, Acxiom’s platform alliances head  Continue Reading

• Coronavirus: It’s time to support partners

  Vendors have started to respond to the challenges that partners are facing with more flexibility and support  Continue Reading

• The channel and sustainability

  There is no doubt that the climate change crisis has put the issue in the spotlight and resellers are being asked to not only help customers but show their own credentials around sustainability  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Ian Ashworth, Netwrix

  MicroScope puts its questions to Ian Ashworth, channel director for EMEA and APAC at Netwrix  Continue Reading

• Cloud tops the menu in 2020, with helpings of HCI, security and 5G

  We ask the channel what technologies and trends they see dominating in 2020 – cloud tops the list, with hyper-convergence, security and 5G also featuring  Continue Reading

• Channel faces another year of evolution

  Distributors, vendors and trade associations share their expectations for the year ahead, with the need to embrace change a key part of the message  Continue Reading

• Channel predictions: Opportunities in AI, hybrid cloud, edge and security

  Some of the great and the good in the industry have shared their predictions for what they expect in 2020  Continue Reading

• Five minute interview: Alex Walsh, Manager of Channels UK&I at Veeam

  The recently appointed UK channel chief at Veeam shares his thoughts on his favourite band and the movie he wish he hadn't seen  Continue Reading

• Aligning managed services with needs of SMEs

  We look at how managed service providers can ensure they make the most of the SME opportunity and how prepared they are to support SMEs as they shift spending to managed services  Continue Reading

• UC roundtable part 2: Unified comms and channel support

  In the second part of the UCC roundtable the discussion moves on to the voice and contact centre world and the vendors share how they are supporting partners  Continue Reading

• UC roundtable part 1: Digital transformation, CX and MSPs

  In the first part of our coverage of the MicroScope roundtable covering unified communications and collaboration the discussion centres on the current market landscape and the increasing interest from MSPs  Continue Reading

• How to improve customer experience

  Billy MacInnes questions experts on what they’re doing to digitally transform the customer experience and asks what advice they have for channel partners  Continue Reading

• Q&A: Angela Whitty, managing director, UK&I partner organisation, Cisco

  Cisco’s UK channel chief shares some views on the year ahead and the progress made in the 2019 financial year  Continue Reading

• SD-WAN: How channel can make net gains

  How prepared are channel partners to take advantage of the rapidly growing SD-WAN market?  Continue Reading

• What to expect in Q4

  AI, contact centres and security are among the areas where the channel might gain in this quarter, according to industry figures  Continue Reading

• Cyber security and the channel

  Leading lights in the industry give their assessment of where the cyber security market is headed in the second half of 2019  Continue Reading

• How to help businesses reach their digital goals

  With digital transformation a hot trend in IT right now, the channel’s ability to help organisations hit the sweet spot in this pursuit could attract a lot of attention from potential customers  Continue Reading

• Control or shift – channel’s role in the move to business-led IT

  What impact could the shift to business-led IT have on channel partners’ role with customers and the relationships they have grown and developed within customer organisations?  Continue Reading

• Interview: Simon England, Nuvias CEO

  With the first quarter of his tenure completed the boss of Nuvias shared his thoughts about his role leading the distributor  Continue Reading