Brian Sherman Posts

The IT industry’s over HP’s announcement that the company will split in two, and Brian Sherman breaks it down in this week’s ChannelTrends.

There’s no better place to see collaboration in action than a gathering of solution providers, vendors, agents and other channel professionals. The combined sessions of the CompTIA Advisory Councils was a perfect example of teamwork as providers, master agents and a variety of vendors all shared their points of view and worked through various concerns. “Everyone was on the same page in the discussions instead of coming up with separate ideas and trying to reconcile them later,” said Joe Infante, president of Dynamic Strategies. “It forced us to validate the discussions.”

Small business owners used to buy and install adequate AV software packages themselves without major technical issues, but the threats and the complexity of the protection schemes have risen beyond their capabilities. IT security is no longer just an annual install or occasional update — it’s an ongoing responsibility.

Solution providers must adapt their portfolios and capabilities to sync with changes in the industry, from transformations in cloud, managed services and mobility to new demand for app development. CompTIA’s combined Advisory Councils met in Florida recently to discuss ramping up programs and tools that will help you successfully cross that chasm.

There are endless ways to work tablets, smartphones and similar technologies into your portfolio, but their real value comes from how you implement them in your clients’ workplaces. Check out the mobility solutions offered up at this month’s Super Mobility Week and read how MSPs are using smartphone and tablet technologies to complement traditional PCs.

Onboarding a new client is the perfect opportunity to both set and manage expectations while nurturing and developing your professional relationship early on. From a welcome gift to salient points about necessary hardware upgrades, give your new clients what they need to trust you and your services.

From Fortune 500 companies to mom-and-pop stores, every organization needs solid IT security specialists who can audit current systems and policies, recommend and implement proper upgrades, and monitor and support it all. Explore our related security resources — including a trustmark, executive certificate and quick start guide — and make sure your solution providing organization is up to the task.

Solution providers who want to get the most value from their alliances delegate partner responsibilities to their most capable employees: trustworthy and creative individuals who understand what customers need. Finding someone who can uncover and comprehend the objectives and concerns of their colleagues can be tricky business. It takes someone with good listening skills, problem-solving capabilities and flexibility.

The value of a sales playbook — the comprehensive action plan designed to help build a better dialogue with customers — is proportional to the effort you put into it. Use this article to tackle the five key points you should first address when you’re developing a new sales playbook, from the plays to the equipment to the position to the team.

The Federal Communications Commission’s new Open Internet Initiative focuses on three basic principles: transparency, blocking and unreasonable discrimination. While the proposal seems to be a watered-down version of the rules overturned earlier this year by the United States Court of Appeals, ISPs need to start thinking about investing in infrastructure to enhance services for their largest customers.