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Bring yourself up to speed with our introductory content.
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Bring yourself up to speed with our introductory content.
IT consultant
A consultant is an experienced individual in a given field who provides expert advice for a fee. Consultants typically work as independent contractors and are hired on a short-term basis. A consultant may also be an employee at a consulting firm. Continue Reading
sales lead
A sales lead is a potential sales contact, individual or organization that expresses an interest in your goods or services. Continue Reading
channel partner
A channel partner is a person or organization that provides services or sells products on behalf of a software, hardware, networking or cloud services vendor. Value-added resellers (VARs), systems integrators (SIs), consultants, managed service ... Continue Reading
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2019 channel partner events to mark on your calendar
When making 2019 travel plans, refer to this list of channel-focused events and conferences hosted by IT vendors, distributors, industry organizations and vendors that cater to VARs and MSPs. Continue Reading
Tactics for selling MSP backup services
A sales approach that illustrates the potential of ransomware threats to disrupt small business operations could help managed service providers sell backup and recovery offerings. Continue Reading
Ensure a smooth M&A process with these channel partner tips
From approaching an acquisition target to dealing with snags at the eleventh hour, M&As are intensive journeys. Experts share their top considerations when buying channel firms.Continue Reading
systems integrator
A systems integrator is an individual or business that builds computing systems for clients by combining hardware, software, networking and storage products from multiple vendors.Continue Reading
break/fix
For IT services companies, break/fix is a method of providing IT support to customers. Services are generally fee-based and rely on a customer contacting the IT services company when repairs and upgrades are needed.Continue Reading
Managed security services market beckons as SMB attacks grow
MSPs must revamp their business models and security approaches to keep up with modern SMB threats. Get insight into the MSSP market and top security tools.Continue Reading
hosted services
Hosted services are applications, IT infrastructure components or functions that organizations access from external service providers, typically through an internet connection.Continue Reading
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Blockchain: Oil and gas emerges as consulting market
Blockchain opportunities in the oil and gas sector are beginning to surface, attracting the attention of consulting firms and integrators such as Accenture, Deloitte and Quisitive.Continue Reading
ISV (independent software vendor)
An ISV (independent software vendor) makes and sells software products that run on one or more computer hardware or operating system (OS) platforms.Continue Reading
deal registration
Deal registration is a common feature of vendors' channel partner programs in which a channel partner, such as a value-added reseller (VAR), informs the vendor about a sales lead.Continue Reading
VMware Partner Network
The VMware Partner Network is a global channel partner program with benefits and support to provide VMware's virtualization and cloud technology.Continue Reading
market development funds (MDF)
Market development funds (MDF) are a resource that a vendor grants to its indirect sales channel partners to help the channel with sales and marketing programs.Continue Reading
4 tips for MSPs building a cloud backup services business
Getting started as a cloud-based backup services business requires a grasp of the target market, a solid mix of backup vendors and a sound pricing formula.Continue Reading
How to develop IT services for healthcare vertical opportunities
When it comes to vertical markets, healthcare offers a wealth of opportunities for MSPs. IT services providers share tips for building a healthcare-focused practice.Continue Reading
Cloud storage resellers, MSPs take on latest storage trends
Channel partners face an array of storage options. Cloud storage resellers and MSPs must deal with hyper-converged products, online storage offerings and flash technology.Continue Reading
channel strategy
A channel strategy is a vendor's plan for moving a product or a service through the chain of commerce to the end customer.Continue Reading
OEM (original equipment manufacturer)
OEM, or original equipment manufacturer, is a broad term that describes a web of relationships among IT hardware vendors, hardware component makers, software vendors and channel partners such as resellers and distributors.Continue Reading
partner program
A partner program, which may also be referred to as channel partner program or alliance program, is a business strategy that vendors develop to encourage others to work with the vendor and sell its products or services.Continue Reading
partner account manager (PAM)
A partner account manager is a job title within a vendor organization that uses channel partners to sell its products or services.Continue Reading
managed hosting
Managed hosting is an IT provisioning model in which a service provider leases dedicated servers and associated hardware to a single customer and manages those systems on the customer's behalf.Continue Reading
distributor agreement (distribution agreement)
A distributor agreement, also known as a distribution agreement, is a contract between channel partners that stipulates the responsibilities of both parties.Continue Reading
reseller
In information technology, a reseller is a company that typically purchases IT products or services from a product manufacturer, distributor or service provider and then markets them to customers.Continue Reading
Security questionnaires: How to prepare your SMB clients
SMBs working with regulated clients may need to complete detailed security assessment questionnaires. Managed service providers can help with data security tools and capabilities.Continue Reading
Containerization technology market emerges for channel partners
As interest in containers grows, clients are turning to partners for help deploying and managing the technology. Get insight into consulting and management opportunities.Continue Reading
Business continuity solution: How should MSPs price an offering?
A backup offering, when packaged as a business continuity solution, can pique your customers' interest and provide attractive margins if positioned and priced appropriately.Continue Reading
Cloud migration planning: Assess workloads now to avoid trouble later
Organizations that take the time to assess workloads, identify dependencies and educate themselves on cloud security tools can set a smooth path for a public cloud deployment.Continue Reading
Expect 5G infrastructure to generate new wave of channel opportunities
It's time to think about 5G. The widespread rollout of 5G infrastructure is likely to create new prospects for channel-provided solutions and services, industry experts say.Continue Reading
A cybersecurity self-assessment helps IT teams, partners flag risks
IT teams, partners and vendors can benefit from an internal checkup when it comes to reducing the risk of a cybersecurity breach. This approach can help document security efforts.Continue Reading
MSP security essentials for every IT service provider
Getting a cybersecurity practice up and running is no easy task. In this guide, we show how MSPs can build security practices and protect their clients from an array of threats.Continue Reading
channel conflict
Channel conflict is a situation in which channel partners have to compete against one another or a vendor's internal sales department.Continue Reading
Apple Authorized Service Provider (Apple AASP)
An Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) is a business that provides repair services for Apple products.Continue Reading
Digital transformation business: Procurement ripe for revitalization
As the digital transformation business moves into back-office operations, systems such as procurement may be among the candidates for renewal.Continue Reading
professional services automation (PSA)
Professional services automation (PSA) is a type of software application suite that provides a service business with the functionality it needs to manage core business processes.Continue Reading
Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN)
Oracle PartnerNetwork, also known as OPN, is a channel partner program that provides resources and benefits for value-added resellers, independent software vendors and other businesses that want to collaborate with Oracle.Continue Reading
Dell and EMC merger poses a challenging transformation
The Dell and EMC merger presents a multitude of opportunities for market domination -- if the integrated companies can modernize a highly complex portfolio.Continue Reading
Gamification techniques for your financial services clients
Here are three tips for channel companies looking to help financial services and insurance clients adopt gamification as part of their overarching digital business strategies.Continue Reading
Recruitment techniques for IT channel companies
Channel firms must rethink their recruitment techniques to win in today's competitive job market. Get tips for updating your channel recruitment strategy and retaining talent.Continue Reading
Software-defined storage solutions: A channel primer
Channel companies have an opportunity to help their customers deploy emerging software-defined storage technology, a pursuit that may also boost a partner's consulting revenue.Continue Reading
How to protect your clients from ransomware infections
Client education, advanced endpoint protection and image-based backups are some of the steps channel partners can encourage customers to take to thwart ransomware.Continue Reading
share of wallet (SOW) or wallet share
Share of wallet (SOW) is a marketing metric used to calculate the percentage of a customer's spending for a type of product or service that goes to a particular company.Continue Reading
Channel company quiz: Recap partner program and alliance news
This month's channel quiz features mergers and alliances (and their partner fallout) along with emerging technologies, cloud computing and regulatory activity.Continue Reading
Partners: Citrix hyper-converged tech opens VDI to midrange clients
The Citrix Ready HCI Workspace Appliance Program, coupled with the company's Citrix Cloud, will open VDI opportunities among midmarket customers, Citrix channel partners said.Continue Reading
IT solution
An information technology (IT) solution is a set of related software programs and/or services that are sold as a single package.Continue Reading
IoT business opportunity in 2017: Are channel partners ready?
As channel partners mull over business moves for the upcoming year, many executives may consider IoT as a potential play -- and for good reason. "There is so much demand for IoT within SMBs [small ...Continue Reading
cloud services
Cloud services is an umbrella term that may refer to a variety of resources provided over the internet, or to professional services that support the deployment of such cloud-based resources.Continue Reading
Machine learning projects fuel new lines of channel business
Machine learning projects are creating a 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity' for partners. Get ready with the right range of skills and experience to take part.Continue Reading
Managed mobility services market: Complexity fuels channel growth
The complex nature of enterprise mobility opens service opportunities for channel companies, but also makes for a challenging and competitive environment.Continue Reading
SD-WAN: Providers could see strong growth, but face hurdles
The SD-WAN market beckons with high-growth potential, but channel partners must confront incomplete feature sets, training requirements and market consolidation.Continue Reading
Salesforce telehealth system lets channel add real-time video, audio
Salesforce's telehealth tool, built on top of its Health Cloud platform, offers partners the ability to add real-time video and audio to their healthcare vertical offerings.Continue Reading
IT security strategy: Help clients build these three pillars
User education, access management and data backup are the three pillars of a sound security strategy that partners should build and reinforce for their customers.Continue Reading
Partner-to-partner: Teaming with peers to grow a channel business
Partner-to-partner collaboration can help channel companies deliver more complex offerings and address customers' pressing business problems, according to Tiffani Bova.Continue Reading
Building a partnership: How to link up with other service providers
Partnering with your fellow IT service providers can help expand the services you offer clients without incurring the cost of hiring and retaining talent.Continue Reading
Microsoft WPC 2016: A quizzical recap of the channel partner event
This month's channel news quiz focuses on the recent Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference, which highlighted cloud opportunities for the company's channel partners.Continue Reading
IT RFP: How to influence the bid as a channel partner
Channel partners may find the formal RFP process challenging, but they can influence the bid in advance -- and boost their chances for success -- through digital marketing.Continue Reading
K-12 market: Channel takes on networking, storage, security projects
Students are heading for vacation, but K-12 sector projects in networking, storage and security are getting underway for channel partners with an education focus.Continue Reading
Channel partner marketing: Offloading the work to specialists
Channel partners, who have long bemoaned the challenges of marketing themselves, turn to outside specialists for help optimizing their website design and content.Continue Reading
application rationalization (AR)
Application rationalization is the process of identifying which business applications should be kept, replaced, retired or consolidated across an organization to improve business operations.Continue Reading
IT security tutorial: Channel partner tips for new tech
In this IT security tutorial, we outline security concerns and mitigation strategies for software-defined networking, hyper-converged infrastructure and the Internet of Things.Continue Reading
MDF funds: How MSPs can get their cut of the marketing money
Market development funds are there for the asking. Learning the details of individual programs -- and demonstrating sales and technical strength -- can help you get your shareContinue Reading
sales motion
A sales motion is the particular sales method an organization uses to deliver a product or a service to its customers.Continue Reading
VMware's NSX: Integrator deploys SDN tech at CBOSS
CBOSS, a payment processing service provider, hired integrator AdvizeX to deploy NSX, the VMware network virtualization platform, as part of a software-defined networking project.Continue Reading
The legal vertical isn't for every IT services provider
The legal services market isn't every service provider's cup of tea. Learn about one company that embraced the vertical and another that decided to walk away from it.Continue Reading
Partners: Big data software revs data warehouse projects
Channel partners find revenue -- and a fair bit of complexity -- at the intersection of big data and traditional data warehouse systems.Continue Reading
Managed services business model relies on careful client acquisitions
When it comes to customer acquisitions, MSPs have to be particularly selective. Learn best practices to steer clear of bad clients and wasted time.Continue Reading
Five pitfalls in the merger and acquisition process
Channel partners working through the merger and acquisition process must deal with cultural, financial and personnel issues before the ink is dry.Continue Reading
The tradeoffs of partnering with managed mobility services providers
The increasingly complicated world of enterprise mobility spells opportunity for channel partners, and partnering with a large managed mobility services provider may be the best way to overcome the high barrier of entry.Continue Reading
Vendor relationship management: Best practices for solution providers
Vendor relationship management is no less important than customer relationship management for solution providers looking to unlock business growth. Learn best practices and why small solution providers especially should make VRM a top priority.Continue Reading
Microsoft managed partner designation: What it takes, what it's worth
A Microsoft managed partner designation can get you a warm body within Microsoft whose job it is to help you. Get info on how partners are selected.Continue Reading
Understanding the cloud service broker model
Cloud service brokers have become essential for many customers and providers. Learn more about brokers' role, strategies and growth potential.Continue Reading
How to sell a small business in the IT services, VAR space
Get advice on how to sell a small business in the MSP and VAR space, including determining the business valuation and finding a potential buyer.Continue Reading
IT distributor
An IT channel distributor is a business that acts as an intermediary between vendors and value-added resellers (VARs) or system integrators (SIs) in the distribution of software or hardware.Continue Reading
Windows Server 2008 R2 editions and Hyper-V licensing FAQ
Knowing the capabilities of all Windows Server 2008 R2 editions and how they pertain to Hyper-V licensing will prevent issues from popping up when selling Windows Server 2008 R2.Continue Reading
CISSP quiz: Business continuity and disaster recovery
This CISSP quiz, which is a part of the SearchSecurityChannel.com CISSP Study Guide will test your knowledge of business continuity and disaster recovery best practices and help you pass the CISSP exam.Continue Reading
Cloud computing networks: True or false?
A basic understanding of the cloud computing model ensures that the cloud computing services you offer will be top notch. Test your knowledge of cloud computing networks in this true or false quiz.Continue Reading
Snort Tutorial: How to use Snort intrusion detection resources
In this Snort Tutorial, you will receive advice from the experts on Snort rules, installation best practices and unified output. You will learn how to use Snort, how to test Snort and how to upgrade to different versions of the intrusion detection ...Continue Reading
SAS-2: Benefits and drawbacks of the newest Serial Attached SCSI version
Learn about the latest version of Serial Attached SCSI, SAS-2, including which segment of the market it holds advantages for, how it compares with Fibre Channel and SATA, and its key drawbacks.Continue Reading
The director switch: Basic SAN switch, plus scalability and high availability
One director-class switch can supplant multiple SAN switches and deliver scalability, high availability and a number of advanced features for Fibre Channel SANs.Continue Reading
Defense Acquisition Regulatory Council (DARC)
The Defense Acquisition Regulatory Council (DARC) is a group composed of representatives from each Military department, the Defense Logistics Agency, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration... (Continued)Continue Reading
Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)
Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) is the body of laws that govern the U.S. Federal Government's procurement process. These laws are prepared, issued and maintained under the joint auspices of the Secretary of Defense, the Administrator of General...Continue Reading
Using Windows PowerShell scripts for task automation
Solutions providers will find that executing Windows PowerShell scripts for task automation will make jobs, such as creating virtual machines or consolidating old servers, easier.Continue Reading
VSphere virtual machine migration tools: vCenter converter
Using virtual machine migration tools such as vCenter Converter will make converting customers' virtual machines to vSphere a smooth process for solutions providers.Continue Reading
Troubleshooting Windows 7 errors
Use this FAQ when troubleshooting Windows 7 to get answers to commonly asked questions on Windows 7 errors and dealing with hardware problems.Continue Reading
Resolving a Windows 7 crash or freeze
This FAQ helps solutions providers give users the best assistance when Windows 7 issues arise, such as the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), crashes and random freezes.Continue Reading
FAQ: Windows 7 system maintenance tools
Our expert answers commonly asked questions about maintaining Windows 7 using Remote Assistance, determining which maintenance tools are most useful and how often they should run.Continue Reading
FAQ: Windows 7 hardware requirements and compatibility
Use this FAQ to learn about Windows 7 hardware requirements and notebook compatibility factors, and find out when you should recommend 32-bit vs. 64-bit architecture.Continue Reading
What should be included in a managed services agreement?
A well-written managed services agreement should provide a common understanding of the services to be performed by the managed services provider for the client. Learn why the managed services agreement is often the first step taken by MSPs, the ...Continue Reading
freemium
Freemium is a way of promoting services by offering the basic features at no cost, charging a premium only for supplemental features. The term, which is a combination of the words 'free' and 'premium,' was coined by Jarid Lukin of Alacra in 2006 ...Continue Reading
Network IDS/IPS vendors
Before deciding on a network intrusion detection or intrusion prevention system (IDS/IPS), check out this Partner Program Directory. Use these checklists to compare partner programs of network IDS/IPS vendors.Continue Reading
How to install a certificate on a Windows Vista client
Learn how to install a certificate onto a Windows Vista client after downloading the certificate from the enterprise certificate authority.Continue Reading
What are the tangible deliverables of the security assessment?
Learn what standard deliverables are for a security site assessment and how to tailor them to the expected audience.Continue Reading
What is the scope of the assessment?
Before beginning a security assessment on IT systems, service providers should discuss the scope of the assessment. Learn why it is important to decide the scope of an assessment before its execution.Continue Reading
What is the client's IT budget for the network design project?
While all clients have expectations for their network design projects, not all have allocated the money needed to accomplish their objectives. Learn why asking about IT budget will help you and your customers get more clarity about what can and ...Continue Reading
How many different types or levels of vendor certification are there?
Learn about the different types and levels of vendor certification.Continue Reading
Cisco Systems Partner Program Checklist
Value-added resellers and service providers interested in reselling Cisco networking hardware and software can learn the benefits of becoming a Cisco Systems partner with this standardized checklist. Compare Cisco's reseller partner program with ...Continue Reading
What kind of incentives and partner programs does VMware offer to its resellers?
Learn about VMware's three reseller partner levels: Professional, Enterprise and Premier. These levels increase in both the commitment expected from the reseller and benefits offered by VMware.Continue Reading
When should orgnizations use ASIC-based network firewalls?
Even though ASIC-based network firewalls are often much faster than their software-only counterparts, learn why deploying them within some network environments is a bad idea.Continue Reading
What are the disadvantages of iSCSI?
Deploying iSCSI in mission-critical situations isn't a risk-free proposition. Customers may have to cope with higher latency and performance issues in mixed networks after an iSCSI implementation.Continue Reading