In Depth

In Depth

• Five-minute interview: Marc Botham, Jamf

  Marc Botham, general vice-president of channel and alliances at Jamf, shares personal insights into driving growth, building strong partner relationships, and his love for sailing  Continue Reading

• Adopting simple practices can boost sustainability and profit

  Integrating steps designed to reduce carbon emissions doesn’t have to be onerous or demanding but instead can grow business, with the circular economy providing the channel a route into sustainability  Continue Reading

• Rewarding the value add

  Partner programmes promise support and rewards but it’s a fine balance getting the incentives right to appeal to those channel players that will really be an asset  Continue Reading

• Reframing data resiliency: the ‘insurance policy’ pitch

  Clients often see pitches advocating for data resiliency as costly, complex, confusing – and something they don’t need. But frame it as an insurance policy in business terms they understand and you’ll soon turn their heads  Continue Reading

• Public sector IT projects: stupendous incompetence or bad luck?

  Recent National Audit Office report on failed government IT projects provides the channel with a roadmap to help drive success, but only if the public sector listens  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Richard Eglon, Nebula Global Services

  The latest to share some personal insights is Nebula’s chief marketing officer as he answers questions MicroScope has thrown at him  Continue Reading

• A year in review: How was 2024?

  With just days left in the year, Billy MacInnes canvases opinion across the channel about how the past 12 months have gone  Continue Reading

• What does 2025 have in store for the channel?

  In a look ahead to what next year will hold, Billy MacInnes asks some of the channel’s great and good for their forecasts for Q1  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Brian Lanigan from SentinelOne

  The latest industry figure to share personal details is Brian Lanigan, senior vice-president and head of partner ecosystem at SentinelOne  Continue Reading

• Can partners take off with Copilot?

  Copilot has been seen as the most tangible example of the channel selling AI, but how is it going for those that have got behind Microsoft’s offering?  Continue Reading

• Channel explainer: The attraction of AI-capable PCs

  Everyone is talking about AI, but what does it look like when it comes to pitching laptops and desktop replacements?  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Andie Dovgan, Creatio

  The latest channel figure to share a few personal insights is the chief growth officer at no-code specialist Creatio  Continue Reading

• Reasons why MSPs are the future

  The channel is increasingly relying on managed service providers due to a breadth of skill, talent and strong vendor relationships – but does the MSP model need to change?  Continue Reading

• Generative AI hits the channel – are partners ready?

  Just how is the channel using GenAI? Steve Bell asks a selection of the great and the good to find out  Continue Reading

• Channel explainer: How focusing on data will drive sales

  Security and storage have always been profitable areas for the channel, and both will continue to deliver for various reasons as the year progresses  Continue Reading

• Channel explainer: How to use the summer lull constructively

  With many of us sitting in deserted offices as colleagues head off to relax on beaches in far-flung places and the phones are not ringing as much, how can we spend our time wisely?  Continue Reading

• How the channel is embracing AI

  The two letters ‘AI ’are included in almost every conversation, but Billy MacInnes wonders what artificial intelligence means for the channel  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Steve Corfield, Salesforce

  The Salesforce staffer with responsibility for emerging products is the latest to divulge some personal and professional details  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Jon Lingard, Appian

  The regional vice-president at Appian is the latest to share some personal insights  Continue Reading

• How has the tech delivered by the channel changed student life?

  After a year at university, it’s clear how important the technology supplied by educational specialists across the channel has become  Continue Reading

• Is Windows 11 finally ready for take-off?

  Billy MacInnes looks at the progress made by operating system Windows 11 since its launch in 2021  Continue Reading

• Is it worth taking a risk in the channel?

  There may be hesitation in the channel when it comes to making risky decisions, but is risk needed if the channel is to grow? We ask a range of experts to weigh in on the topic  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Karin Pike, Okta

  The latest industry figure to share some personal insights is the director of channel partners and alliances for Northern Europe at Okta  Continue Reading

• The keys to ESG success

  Figures across the industry share some of their best practices to improve sustainability and diversity  Continue Reading

• Channel explainer: How apprenticeships can ease the skills crisis

  Is developing your own talent the answer to the growing skills gap? What are the benefits of working with young people? And what does success look like? This explainer tackles those questions  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Cristina Bentue, IriusRisk

  The latest to share some personal insights is Cristina Bentue, co-founder and chief operating officer of cyber security player IriusRisk  Continue Reading

• Channel explainer: Why sustainability matters

  Why is it important to have a strong green story? Where do you start, and who is going to help you? This explainer tackles those questions  Continue Reading

• Channel explainer: How to make money out of GenAI

  It’s tipped as the most important technology for a generation, but how are customers using it, can the channel make revenues from it and what are the risks?  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Ross Teague, Nebula Global Services

  The latest channel figure to share some personal insights is the founder and CEO of Nebula Global Services, Ross Teague  Continue Reading

• Why the channel can prepare for a positive 2024

  A tough 2023 is in the books, and focus now settles on a fresh 12 months where the narrative can be better across the channel  Continue Reading

• Top 10 channel stories of 2023

  It’s time to look back at what topics were making the news across the industry in the past 12 months  Continue Reading

• The top 10 channel themes of 2023

  What were the main areas of interest in the past 12 months? This handy list of the top 10 should jog memories, stir debate and garner some agreement across the channel  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Hayley Roberts, Distology

  The CEO of distributor Distology is the latest to share some personal insights in our five-minute interview profile slot  Continue Reading

• How was 2023 for channel partners and their vendors?

  With 2023 drawing to a close, it’s time to ask: what kind of year was it for channel businesses? And did 2023 live up to their expectations or did it fall short?  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Claudia Hebden, CrowdStrike

  The director of Northern European Alliances at CrowdStrike, Claudia Hebden, is the latest to share some personal insights  Continue Reading

• Getting the channel balance right

  The majority of IT spending will go via partners, but it is never as simple as that and proceedings will need to be handled right for a more opportunistic future  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Simon Godfrey, Secureworks

  The latest to share some personal insights is the sales and partner go-to-market lead across Europe at Secureworks  Continue Reading

• How has 2023 gone so far?

  Before we all gear up for the busy end of the year, some of the great and the good across the channel review the progress made so far in 2023  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Ken Tripp, Netwrix

  Ken Tripp, director of cyber security player Netwrix’s managed services programme, is the latest to share some personal details  Continue Reading

• The pressure to be cutting edge in the channel

  The industry is good at encouraging customers to buy the latest and greatest tech, but the channel often has to pick up the pieces when expectations fail to be met  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Marcus Harvey, Targus

  Revealing some fascinating details about himself is Marcus Harvey, regional director of B2B at multinational mobile computing accessories company Targus  Continue Reading

• Could simpler language improve security?

  Vendors and partners can be guilty of making data protection complicated, but Nick Booth wonders if life could be easier if explanations were more straightforward. He talks to Chris Meidinger, technical director for EMEA for Beyond Identity, about ...  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Emily Fallon, RingCentral

  The latest candidate for our profile series is Emily Fallon, regional vice president, international channel marketing & partner programs’  Continue Reading

• Managing the security estate

  The channel is increasingly being looked on as a source of help for customers aiming to reduce the number of security tools they use, and interest is only increasing with the pressure on budgets  Continue Reading

• Improving channel relationships: Listen more, talk less

  If a vendor wants to improve their relationship with the channel, it might be as simple as listening more  Continue Reading

• Five-minute interview: Steve Nurton, WithSecure

  We get the chance to find out a bit more about Steve Nurton, WithSecure's head of channel sales  Continue Reading

• 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