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Welcome to the ChannelNext Solution Provider Central 2011 Post Event Pages
With 33 vendors and 80 VARS, the central event was the largest ChannelNext event to date. It was brimming with incredible value for the delegates.
A newcomer to ChannelNext Central, Radiant Communications, chimed in on helping the VARS understand their role in Cloud computing. Radiant Communications VP of Sales, Dale Neilly, presented on the role of Cloud Computing and the opportunities it presents to the VAR channel. They offer two strong portfolios to their partners: cloud and broadband connectivity services. We believe that the cloud is here to stay and will be a key part of most IT solutions. By providing a 100% Canadian solution with natural diversity via their Vancouver & Toronto data centres and high speed connectivity to access them, Radiant can help complete a partner’s solution. They are seeking partners to work with their organization and help companies with their move to the cloud. Their partner program offers a flexible series of partnership arrangements and remuneration from a simple referral model to a full resale/'white label' option, backed by a company that is large enough to deliver and small enough to care.
Microsoft's Andrea Van Leeuwen and Rob Rae of Level Platforms together with Jay McBain of Autotask sat in on the panel discussion on helping VARS to grow their business in the Cloud and Managed Services.
Disaster recovery was another high-interest topic for the VARS as they saw a live demonstration of StorageCraft's solution. Shawn Massey challenged the VARS to get their clients to think about how much it would actually cost them in lost business for each hour that their data was inaccessible. The research results that he presented were “eye opening” for the VARs.
VARS can finally make money from recycling e-waste in Ontario. MyGreenITDay and Recycle Electronics presented a great green program for VARS and showcased examples of how VARS are taking advantage of this great opportunity today! One reseller's MyGreenITDay event collected and recycled over 20,000 pounds of e-waste and generated $1,600 (see video on www.ecntv.ca).
Kaspersky presented the top Internet security concerns for 2011 and showed VARS a road map to help them protect their clients. Mobile devices pose one of the biggest security threats as their use proliferates in the office environment.
Lenovo showcased a set of tools (including their latest ThinkCentre offerings) that help their channel partners transform their businesses, earn additional dollars and increase their value to their customers. The latest ThinkPad X1 was also introduced at the show – simply an amazing notebook!
FrontRow presented a great CRM mobile app for all smart phones that can dramatically increase the user adoption rate with a simple and fast reporting process. A sales rep can submit complete details on an activity in less than 30 seconds! Version 9.0 of ibiz10 e-commerce solution showed VARS how they can save three hours in time every day, maximize their fulfillment rates and always buy at the best price. HP expanded on their SMB opportunity for VARS and featured their top 3 ways in which HP helps VARS to grow their business profitably. VARs took back a lot of valuable knowledge that can easily help them improve their business immediately!
Another newcomer, TechSmith, showcased a fantastic software application to help companies quickly produce powerful training videos for just about anything with easy-to-learn skills. KyoceraMita presented their eco-friendly printers and lower total cost of ownership - two great value-adds for any businesses. The Dymo label printer is a great add-on for just about any business. The device will do the obvious tasks such as printing labels, but it can also support valuable business solutions like visitor registration and badge production.
To learn more about what happened at ChannelNEXT Central, check out the messages below from the participating vendors and the videos on www.ecntv.ca