We recently hosted our first Alliance Executive Roundtable discussion. We invited directors and vice presidents from about 50 high technology companies to network and share experiences with alliance colleagues. Our goal was to provide a forum for the exchange of best and next practices among people engaged in developing alliances and channels.

Moderator TC Doyle, Senior Executive Editor of VARBusiness kicked-off the event by commenting on the trend in high technology companies beginning to treat alliances as a science, instead of simply a series of relationships. Many of the 20 seasoned alliance executives in attendance, including Cisco’s Paul Mountford, reasoned this trend was due in part to the growing number of professionals who are choosing to build careers in alliance development and management. The result - more experienced and senior professionals creating structured programs and channel businesses. This trend reflects—what Amazon Consulting has long believed—that alliances play a critical role in creating strategic advantages and maintaining the success of high tech companies.

This group of high tech alliance executives, representing both established and emerging companies, discussed their driving challenges and concerns openly with each other, resulting in a lively exchange of best and “next” practices related to partnering. During the hour and a half breakfast roundtable sponsored by Mercury Interactive the discussion centered around six topics:

Click here to read the highlights of the discussion.

Established in 1988, MarketStar is the leading sales and marketing solution provider for companies in the Information Technology, Consumer Electronics, Telecommunications, Durable Goods, Office Supplies, and Packaged Good industries. MarketStar employs more than 2,000 full and part-time field representatives worldwide and has multiple work sites in the United States and abroad. MarketStar has worked for clients including Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, Office Depot, Whirlpool, APC, and Sony to design and implement flexible sales and marketing solutions that increase revenue and market share. Working separately or as an integrated extension of a firm’s sales and marketing force, MarketStar uses its expertise to drive sales in the retail, VAR, and direct channels.

Sales Channels are Changing. Are you ready?

Sales channels are changing. As a result of the information explosion brought about by the Internet and maturity of technology, end-users are assuming new roles in the selection, implementation, and maintenance of products and services.

Channel partners have adapted to meet their customer’s new needs, but manufacturers have been slower to change. Manufacturers who manage and measure their new channel by old metrics waste time, focus and money on programs that do not build revenue or market share. Worse, they miss opportunities for the new channel to promote, specify and sell their brand.

Moving Sales in the Channel

MarketStar works to bring clients closer to their customers at the moment of sale. Their channel efforts focus on owning and managing specific account relationships for clients. In this way, MarketStar sales managers empower key accounts to drive sell-through, remove sales barriers, and influence purchasing decisions.

Incorporating strategy, management and execution into each program, MarketStar is able to deploy a unique mix of field, phone, and web-based services at a compelling ROI. Whether you are targeting small and medium sized businesses, enterprise clients, retailers, end-users, or partners, they can help enhance your sales functions without adding headcount or management responsibilities.

MarketStar is part of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC), the leading marketing communications company in the world. Omnicom's branded networks and specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services. For more information on MarketStar, please go to www.marketstar.com