Channel catch-up: News in brief

The Canalys Channel Forum dominated most of the week, but other activities across distributors, resellers and vendors caught the eye and are worth mentioning before the weekend arrives.

Westcon-Comstor: The distributor has cut the ribbon on a white-labelled UiPath offering that will give partners the chance to deliver automation services without having to invest in building a practice. The distie has become the first in EMEA to bring a professional services solution to market in collaboration with UiPath.

“We’re enabling partners to stand out in a crowded market, build deeper customer relationships and unlock significant growth,” said Bart Scheffer, EMEA vendor business lead at Westcon-Comstor. “For every $1 spent on AI [artificial intelligence] automation licenses, there is a $3 to $5 return in professional services, representing a major margin opportunity for partners.”

Phoenix Software: The channel player has announced that Lewis Thomson, its Copilot & Microsoft programme lead, has become a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP). He is the second Phoenix staffer to gain the accolade.

“This recognition is incredibly meaningful to me,” he said. “It represents not only my dedication to Microsoft technologies, but also my passion for empowering others to harness the potential of AI and modern workplace solutions. I’m thrilled to be part of the inspiring global MVP community, and can’t wait to collaborate, contribute and continue learning from such talented professionals who are driving innovation and shaping the future of work.”

Allied Telesis: The firm has cut the ribbon on its global partner programme, the Allied Telesis Partner Network (APN), which comes into effect from the start of next year. The firm is launching communications now to provide a transition period to the end of 2025 to prepare partners for the shift to a model that is aligned to measurable outcomes. The vendor is holding briefings with partners to outline the benefits, easier onboarding process and requirements needed to unlock the rewards from the fresh offering.

“APN was built with partners, for partners,” said Chris Elliott, vice-president of partnerships and alliances at Allied Telesis. “We focused on clarity, predictability and speed so our ecosystem can deliver value to customers faster. This is a practical programme that rewards the work our partners do every day.”

Barracuda Networks: The security player has teamed up with financing specialist Capchase to be able to provide more purchasing options for customers through Barracuda Financial Services. The financing programme offers Barracuda customers flexible payment options for multi-year contracts, while ensuring resellers and distributors receive full payment upfront.

“Barracuda is known for being easy to buy, deploy and use – and this financing programme extends that same simplicity to the way our customers purchase,” said Geoff Waters, chief revenue officer at Barracuda. “We are removing any financial friction from the purchasing process and empowering customers to invest in critical security solutions with greater flexibility, while ensuring our partners benefit from immediate and predictable payment.”

Google Cloud: The web giant has started a campaign to promote its productivity and collaboration platform, Google Workspace, to UK small and medium-sized enterprises. The 10 Stories campaign will showcase how a selection of small businesses have used its tools to improve their efficiency.

“We built this campaign around authentic stories, but to celebrate the creativity and ambition of real people using Google Workspace with Gemini to turn big ideas into reality,” said Barnaby Voss, UK marketing director for Google Cloud.