Opinion

Opinion

Salesforce Management

• Fundamental principles for channel business success

  Steven Santini, UK&I channel director of Schneider Electric, shares his thoughts around just what underpins a winning approach  Continue Reading

• Covid-19 pandemic highlights a crisis of data

  Paul Evans, CEO of Redstor, shares his views about why he feels the ‘new normal’ offers unprecedented opportunities  Continue Reading

• How can technology businesses make a safe return to business?

  Miriam Murphy, senior vice-president at Tech Data Advanced Solutions, shares her thoughts about how we can start to get back to more normal working practices  Continue Reading

• Four disciplines for maintaining staff productivity to meet service level agreements in pandemic

  Datto’s vice-president of engineering for remote monitoring and management, Ian van Reenen, shares some views about productivity during the current crisis  Continue Reading

• Building the workplace of the future

  Technology has evolved in the office, but are companies prepared for the next step?  Continue Reading

• All to gain: Unlocking the potential of a diverse and inclusive workforce

  We look at the business benefits of opening the doors to a diverse workforce  Continue Reading

• What if we could learn IT skills at the speed of hackers?

  IT training is not a marathon, but maybe it is a Skill Sprint, writes Nick Booth  Continue Reading

• Channel relationships really matter

  The chief executive and founder of security distributor e92plus, Mukesh Gupta, shares his thoughts about the help his firm can deliver right now  Continue Reading

• Covid-19: Let's get through this together

  The channel has always been about people at its heart, and as we all struggle to get through the coronavirus crisis, let's not forget to look out for each other  Continue Reading

• Beware of falling for the hype machine

  With more companies resorting to hyperbole to sell products, Billy MacInnes warns of the necessity to see past exaggeration and look at the true effectiveness of products and technology  Continue Reading

• What’s in a name? Inside sales versus telesales

  Inside sales seems much the same as telesales, only dressed up for the modern age. What's brought the change about and is it really so different from what we already know?  Continue Reading

• Westcoast and iland present a tale of two disties

  Talking to just a couple of distributors reveals the evolution and determination from those firms to remain ahead of the market  Continue Reading

• How to train channel staff

  Having trained staff leads to better growth for your business and is something the channel needs to focus on – but how to go about it?  Continue Reading

• How to make channel sales work

  To be effective in channel sales, you have to be a great project manager, able to influence without formal organisational power and operate effectively at every level in an organisation. Read on for advice on how to succeed  Continue Reading

• A bridge too VAR

  The expedition from VAR to MSP is not short of challenges but, equipped with the right map, ambitious companies can feel more confident in getting past first base. In the second part of his series, Predatar CEO Alistair Mackenzie takes a closer look...  Continue Reading

• Help us to help you – how the customer-first model helps you empower your business

  We are in the middle of the fourth industrial revolution, with technologies such as the internet of things, data analytics, artificial intelligence and cloud-based business management tools a regular talking point. But technology alone won’t solve ...  Continue Reading

• Insight 2019 technology predictions

  Michael Guggemos, CIO of Insight, shares his thoughts about what will be the key issues for the channel in the months ahead  Continue Reading

• Enhancing the role of the channel essential for the tech industry

  Ben Boswell, Vice President for Europe at World Wide Technology (WWT), discusses how vendors and the channel need to work together to ensure outstanding outcomes for customers  Continue Reading

• Does the IT industry think diversity and Dyslexia Awareness is just for one week in October?

  Amazon, the Prince’s Trust and Nuance all do their bit to make the IT industry more accessible. But is there really a diversity dividend wonders Nick Booth  Continue Reading

• The need to keep women from falling out of the IT world

  The discovery that women often fall into IT is one that got the attention of Billy MacInnes who hopes that more can be convinced to stay  Continue Reading

• Shouting over the gender gap

  Things are being done but the shouting over the gender gap is far from over says Billy MacInnes  Continue Reading

• Coming back to the channel: why it’s time to rethink reselling

  Neil Robertson, CEO of Compleat Software, shares the motivation for the firm's re-engagement with the channel  Continue Reading

• CAE and i-Storage have something to market

  A couple of British firms caught the eye of Nick Booth with both deserving recognition  Continue Reading

• If you hated GDPR you may like the African Continental Free Trade Area

  For those struggling with GDPR there is a new $2.5 trillion target market that Nick Booth thinks is worth looking into  Continue Reading

• GDPR: securing data is more than just a technology fix, it’s about understanding human behaviour

  Neal Lillywhite, VP EMEA Channel at Forcepoint, argues GDPR is about people and processes as well as technology  Continue Reading

• Women in Tech – How long can we wait?

  Inspiring the next generation into IT is clearly important, but says Zoe Cunningham, Managing Director, Softwire, the skills gap and gender imbalance will never be addressed without some radical thinking  Continue Reading

• The rise of the millennials

  The rise of millennials will drive disruption and innovation in the channel points out Steve Bailey, commercial director of Agilitas  Continue Reading

• Setting up a business is like jumping out of a plane at 12,000 feet

  When he decided to set up his own business the IBC Group it reminded Ian Birch of the feelings he had when skydiving  Continue Reading

• Innovate or die?

  The well worn phrase has Billy MacInnes wondering if it is still as popular as it once was in the channel  Continue Reading

• The price of happiness

  What happens when people are happy in their work? Or rather, what happens when too many people are too happy in their work?  Continue Reading

• The rise of the robots

  The robots are coming for jobs and Billy MacInnes wonders what that means for us all  Continue Reading

• Doing more by doing less

  We are not computers and perhaps need to work slightly shorter hours than we do at the moment to be more productive says Billy MacInnes  Continue Reading

• Health knowledge helps those trying to use IT to fix the NHS

  If you want to improve the way technology is used in the NHS then it makes sense to ask those who have detailed understanding of the system  Continue Reading

• Find your perfect partners in 2018

  The right partners could be right under your nose says Karen Oosthuizen from Aberdeen Group. But how can you find them and ensure they achieve their potential?  Continue Reading

• Don't fear the robots right now

  Visions of robots taking over might still be the stuff of science fiction with the channel finding a role to play helping customers use the AI and automation tools that are around now  Continue Reading

• A touch of simplicity in a complex world

  Karen Falcone, principal director of European channel sales and programs, Sungard AS has some advice for those looking to chart a course through an increasingly connected world  Continue Reading

• The diversity shame in the industry

  The recent views from a former Google employee have highlighted the work that still needs to be done around diversity with Billy MacInnes scratching his head over why the problem is still such a big one in IT  Continue Reading

• Bridging the channel’s future-proofing skills gap

  Dan Milo, head of SME strategy and IT consultant, Targus, discusses why training shouldn’t just help channel partners sell, but give them a vision of the future  Continue Reading

• UKFast takes the right steps to help the next generation

  The move by UKFast to help its graduates pay off some of their student loans has got the thumbs up from Billy MacInnes  Continue Reading

• Why wouldn't you support apprenticeships?

  The decision to reduce funding for firms providing apprenticeships has got Billy MacInnes scratching his head over the strategy  Continue Reading

• Will it be a Brexit through the gift shop for your EU competitors?

  Some fanatics are passionate about failure for the UK IT industry. Nick Booth wonders if they will be disappointed.  Continue Reading

• Getting the degree was the easy bit

  Life for graduates is increasingly difficult and Billy MacInnes discovers that some are starting to wonder if it's not better to just get involved with the IT industry at the earliest opportunity  Continue Reading

• Channel people still play a vital role

  Hearing that channel firms are growing is welcome news for Billy MacInnes and he wonders just what is driving that success  Continue Reading

• Let's have a meeting in the echo chamber

  There is a real danger, according to some research that has come to the attention of Billy MacInnes, that meetings are failing in their purpose  Continue Reading

• How to build a winning sales culture

  Mark Banfield, Autotask's senior VP International, provides five proven strategies that will help you strengthen sales culture in your organisation  Continue Reading

• Going for gold takes serious effort

  Gold medal winners put in years of preparation and the same is true of those leading the way in the channel  Continue Reading

• Living with skill shortages

  The world is suffering from IT skill shortages but that might just be something we all have to get used to concludes Billy MacInnes  Continue Reading

• Reducing staff turnover in IT and telecommunications

  Kim Lewin, VP sales and operations EMEA, WorkForce Software, provides some advice for keeping staff happy  Continue Reading

• If generation z wants change they better start voting for it

  Generation z has expressed high expectations about what they want from the workplace but Billy MacInnes argues that those ambitions should inspire more action  Continue Reading

• Settling the anti-poaching quarrel

  It has taken more than three years but finally arguments about poaching staff between Apple, Google, Intel, and Adobe have been settled  Continue Reading

• Learning innovation – driving revenue growth in the IT world

  Staff are already working as hard as possible so how can they be supported to work smarter? Ian Helps is a director of Consalia, and looks at the benefits of innovative thinking  Continue Reading

• Wearables – fad or function?

  Dr Peter Chadha, CEO of DrPete Technology Experts, argues that wearable technology is here to stay  Continue Reading

• Data that comes after a promise of responsibility

  Some of the firms that harvest user data and exploit it can give the recruitment industry a bad name but Nick Booth thinks he has found an exception that could change things  Continue Reading

• Managers need to get home working

  There are several theories why home working has not yet taken off more widely but Billy MacInnes thinks some of the answer might be to do with the management  Continue Reading

• The problem with meetings

  Beware filling staff diaries with meetings as very few will thank you for it says Nick Booth  Continue Reading

• ICT matters but don't forget the three R's

  Billy MacInnes is not too happy about the idea that somehow ICT now ranks above other subjects, including English and Maths  Continue Reading

• BBC was wrong to single out Apple in Panorama investigation

  The Panorama special accused Apple of not doing enough to look after workers in the supply chain. Sean McGrath argues that the investigation was flawed  Continue Reading

• Mind the gap and find the right skills

  Billy MacInnes looks back over some recent market coverage and exposes skills gaps at different ends of the market  Continue Reading

• Value your relationships and you’ll go far

  Christian Putz, Violin Memory vice president, EMEA channel sales, shares his views on just what makes a decent channel relationship  Continue Reading

• Myth conceptions about IT

  There are many myths and legendary figures in IT and as Nick Booth finds some are still around trying to pull their own sword out of the stone  Continue Reading

• When ten miles is just too far

  We are all being encouraged to work flexibly but as Billy MacInnes discovers a short move proved simply too much for Reddit's CEO  Continue Reading

• The rise of the millennial heralds a golden age of IT

  Todd Thibodeaux, CEO at CompTIA argues that, far from representing a threat, the rise of ‘Generation Y’ offers a golden opportunity for the channel to put IT at the heart of the HR function  Continue Reading

• It's time to split

  Billy Macinnes wonders just what it must feel like for those staff at HP and Symantec facing a future working for a split business  Continue Reading

• Miliband might want more IT apprenticeships but will he get them?

  The Labour Party leader Ed Miliband has called for more apprenticeships, particularly in the IT sector, but Billy MacInnes is doubtful changes will happen quickly  Continue Reading

• The channel needs the right blend of youth and experience

  Nick Booth believes that the emphasis on coding is a welcome move that could solve a looming skills crisis  Continue Reading

• Choosing the right vendors to accelerate a changing business

  Getting hands on the budget is becoming an increasingly complex task and requires having a portfolio of varied vendor solutions argues Eric Jorgensen, VP sales EMEA, Virtual Instruments  Continue Reading

• Can you really motivate the channel with boot camps?

  Stand by your beds! There’s a rash of military style training courses for the channel. But Nick Booth wonders if they work?  Continue Reading

• The flexible meaning of BYOD

  BYOD means many things to many people and that just might be the key to its success argues Billy MacInnes  Continue Reading

• Going commando on the sales pitch

  Billy MacInnes wonders just what makes a decent channel sales pitch  Continue Reading

• The costs of failing to provide training

  Overlooking training can have some pretty major implications as Billy MacInnes discovers  Continue Reading

• Managing North of the border

  How many channel firms have country managers for Scotland and could that situation change with a yes vote for independence wonders Billy MacInnes  Continue Reading

• Time for the channel to keep the language simple

  The channel might like to use its own terms to describe technology and processes but Billy MacInnes suggests that plain English might be a better idea  Continue Reading

• Landing a winner with the sporty staffer

  It's not just wicket keepers that the channel could start recruiting and Billy MacInnes has some other suggestions  Continue Reading

• Reseller view: channel challenges in 2014

  Sabio director Adam Faulkner talks about some of the challenges facing the channel in this year and argues that the time has come for action when it comes to some pressing issues  Continue Reading

• Welcome the Channel Dragons

  Although not too much of a fan of Dragons' Den, Billy MacInnes welcomes the channel version because of its focus on the two-tier world  Continue Reading

• Isn’t it time the IT industry’s evangelists learned to mind their language?

  Nick Booth finds that our techies could learn a lot from our decent English speaking contemporaries across the channel  Continue Reading

• Should we all wear jumpers to save energy bills?

  The government has advised people to wear jumpers to keep warm and reduce energy costs and Billy MacInnes wonders if the advice would work in the channel  Continue Reading

• The push and pull of sales

  Billy MacInnes shares some thoughts on marketing spurred on by Gartner's findings that the personal touch still matters in the B2B world  Continue Reading

• Failing to switch off

  Firms might be enjoying staff working more flexibly but many of those employees are finding it hard to switch off, finds Billy MacInnes  Continue Reading

• Don't answer that email you've just clocked off

  Billy MacInnes wonders what lessons the German Labour Ministry attitude towards work email might has for the rest of us  Continue Reading

• HR technology can benefit staff and the business bottom line

  Bridget Stidworthy, customer services director, Chorus HR, talks about how a little investment in human resources technology can help you improve your social reputation  Continue Reading

• So tired of waiting for technology

  Technology forces the average Brit to waste 24 working days a year, according to a survey by Crucial. Nick Booth says it’s up to the channel to manage expectations more realistically  Continue Reading

• Is channel conflict an inevitable result of innovation?

  Recent CompTIA research looked into the thorny issue of channel conflict with Vaughan Shayler, director, channel strategy, sharing the findings  Continue Reading

• Resellers: Here’s how you can take a stand

  Incentive and motivation advisor Graham James of AYMTM, explains how to, and why, getting vendor-reseller relationships right is key to standing out from the crowd and achieving success.  Continue Reading

• IT purchasing decisions: who really wears the trousers?

  Nick Booth gives his view on some new research into IT purchasing choices from Sungard Availability Services, and predicts good times for Britain's CIOs  Continue Reading

• Time for business to invest in skills

  As the CBI calls for more to be done to decrease the skills gap Billy MacInnes urges business to do more to remedy the problem itself  Continue Reading

• Resellers embracing social must get the balance right

  Billy MacInnes considers the value of social media to resellers and wonders how effective it truly is  Continue Reading

• On the train to personal success

  In the second of an exclusive two part series, Steve Waterman, sales manager at Microsoft partner Trinity Expert Systems tells us how investment in training helped him meet his goals  Continue Reading

• Training our way to success

  In the first of an exclusive two-part series, Caroline Harvey, head of marketing at Microsoft Gold Partner Trinity Expert Systems, talks about the importance of training to building a successful channel practice  Continue Reading

• A lesson for the channel from Fergie's Man Utd exit?

  Billy MacInnes reflects on how business users of social media platforms could learn from Twitter's reaction to the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson  Continue Reading

• C-View and Autotask expose the time wasting psychos

  How productive are your staff? Nick Booth looks at some new technology that could help you find out  Continue Reading

• Unravelling the case for BYOD making life easier

  BYOD is meant to save firms money, keep staff happy and be happening at an alarming rate but Billy MacInnes wonders if it will really keep costs down  Continue Reading

• The squeezed middle in the IT jobs market

  There has been a lot of talk about the squeezed middle over the past couple of years and as Billy MacInnes finds it is also an issue in the IT jobs world  Continue Reading

• The rotten reality TV at the heart of English Apprentice tribunal

  The real villain of the Apprentice employment tribunal is not Stella English or Lord Sugar, it's the rotten reality TV format, argues Alex Scroxton  Continue Reading

• In-flight answers to the skills crisis

  The idea that the answers to the tech skills problem could be found with a plane of experts is no April's Fool joke, as Billy MacInnes discovers  Continue Reading

• Hey, keep the noise down!

  Nick Booth wants to make your working environment an altogether more pleasant one  Continue Reading

• Somewhere over the Verizon

  Heard the Verizon story about the man who outsourced his job? Sounds a bit cheesy... Nick Booth investigates  Continue Reading

• The datacentre combover

  Are you recruiting a datacentre manager? You can tell a lot about them by their hairstyle, says Nick Booth  Continue Reading

• Keep taking the tablets: mobile dumbness isn't terminal

  New research suggests that tablets make our IQs lower. What a brilliant idea – there's no better way to keep the workers down than an electronic cosh, says Nick Booth  Continue Reading

• VARS called to the bar could be putting on the writs

  Lawyers, like meerkats, are ruthless, territorial and will readily eat their young to preserve their status. Now a new service, Compare Legal Costs, could make them less intimidating  Continue Reading