"2008 gloomy or bright – who’s right?"
By Diane Krakora, President & CEO
With gas at nearly $5 per gallon at the pump in some areas, a housing crash upon us and the weakest dollar most of us have seen in a lifetime, how can anyone think that the economic outlook in 2008 is bright? Still, it seems no one has told our IT industry leaders the bad news. We hear a constant stream of technology industry success news mixed in with these poor economic indicators. John Chambers, CEO of Cisco, projected strong (but lumpy) revenues. EMC and Juniper are both reporting increased profits. Apple and HP are showing robust growth.
View the replay of "This Year in the Channel: A Wrap up of 2007's Most Prominent Channel Trends & Topics Including a Discussion on What's on the Horizon for 2008" webinar
Did the channel contribute significantly to technology vendors’ growth and profitability this year? Undoubtedly. The proof? Arrow’s sales are up. Synnex and Tech Data both beat the street’s estimates. With the consolidation in technology vendors and in the channel itself, will the channel future continue to be bright? I could wax nostalgically about the good, bad and exciting channel turns and developments in 2007 that shape our outlook on 2008 – things like Arrow acquiring rivals Agilysis and Alternative Technology, Dell’s re-entry to the channel and CMP’s changes to the publications and the obliteration of their experienced staff – but I think looking forward to the challenges and opportunities in 2008 is more productive.
There are three trends we’re hearing from solution providers and vendors a like that we expect will shape the channel success and profitability in 2008.
Read on»
Introducing New Partner Intelligence by Amazon Consulting
PartnerG2
Goal:
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Program launch is scheduled for January of 2008!
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2008 State of Partner Programs Study
Wednesday, Jan. 30th
11am - 12pm Pacific Time
In this live online webcast you will hear what leading vendor?s top partner program objectives are for 2008, how their priorities have changed over the last 12 months and where they plan to increase spending in the coming year. What do your channels and alliance colleagues consider their biggest partnership opportunities and challenges for the coming year? Log in to this free webcast highlighting the findings of our 2008 Partner Programs research and find out!
Register now.
ZD's 2008 Channel Summit
Feb. 7th, 2008
Dallas, TX.
Join Amazon Consulting at the 2008 Ziff Davis Enterprise Channel Summmit.
The 2008 Ziff Davis Enterprise Channel Summit series is designed to strengthen the channel community by bringing together leaders in business and technology to share mission-critical ideas and must-know business strategies for the building of profitable partnerships.
Register here
"Partner Development Consultant"
Amazon Consulting helps technology companies design, implement and automate partner models. Reporting to the director of the Amazon Consulting Implementation Practice, the Partner Program Consultant will be responsible for executing and managing channel sales and marketing programs and developing tools and communications to engage and empower our clients’ partners.
To apply for this position, click here.
Everything Old Is New Again: A Fresh Look at the State of Distribution and Strategies for Leveraging your Two-Tier Relationships
Many of the largest and most successful high tech manufacturers have longstanding and highly collaborative relationships with their two-tier distributors on a global basis. Others remain committed to a direct sales model, or sell to and support their resellers directly. In any scenario, every leading high tech vendor has had to address what role, if any, distributors should play in their channel strategy. Download.
Fuel for Your Feedback: 2008 Partner Program Survey
Would you find it valuable to know what your peer's top partner program objectives are for 2008? How their priorities have changed over the last 12 months and where they will be increasing spending in the coming year?
Results from our second annual State of Partner Programs survey of the IT industry's top 100 channel executives reveal the latest in best practices, innovative initiatives and more.
The first 100 participants will receive a $20 Chevron gas card.
Take Survey Now.
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