Peter : On Rad's Radar?
Peter
| Peter Radizeski of RAD-INFO, Inc. talking telecom, Cloud, VoIP, CLEC, and The Channel.

VAR

VAD's Becoming CSB's

May 28, 2013

I just like using acronyms. A VAD is a value added distributor like Tech Data, SYNNEX, Arrow, Ingram Micro and Insight. Like Dell and Microsoft, these companies have to shift their business model to adjust for a decline in hardware and software sales. Everything is going Cloud.

Interesting Links for Your Consideration

May 14, 2013

There have been some interesting articles lately. I can't get to all of them, but here are some good reads.

Death of the Telecom VAR in 2013 - How an entire sub-industry will be wiped out in the next 24 months by Jeff Hawkes. "Traditional telecom VARs or value-added reseller businesses- those that derive the majority of their revenue from the sale of on-premise PBX equipment to business customers- have ridden one of the longest product life cycle waves in recent technological history and combined with an emerging threat from hosted phone providers and a professional background that leaves most ill-prepared to run a business larger than a few employees is threatening to wipe-out or dramatically alter an entire sub-industry in the next 24 months." He writes like me.

Business is a Thinking Man's Sport

May 9, 2013

When I heard Mark Sanborn call business a thinking man's spot, it made me smile and then think. Oddly, most of these news items have all fallen in my lap today. It made me re-think how the value added distributors (VADs), like Tech Data, were going to morph.

Tech Data is the 2nd largest VAD at $26 Billion after Ingram Micro (at $37.8 Billion in sales), but TD is located in Tampa Bay, where I reside.

Thoughts on the Channel in 2013

April 16, 2013

There is this article with four opinions about the Channel in 2013. Reading them, I am almost certain that they are not only viewing the channel from differing sides but that they are discussing different channels.

I do like the statement from Ian Moyse, "We are seeing the same swathe of change as we have seen in other industries with providers who ignored the changes in customer buying choices (take Kodak, Blockbuster Video and the big record shop chains such as Tower Records and HMV). This change will be a contributor but not the only cause to the start of a new re-shaping and re-sizing of the channel with resellers facing new competition from Telco's, Xsp's and a new breed of reseller and potentially vendors themselves."

Selling Direct is Different Than Channel Sales

April 16, 2013

I make this statement often: Selling Direct is Different Than Selling via The Channel. You would think it was obvious, but it is not.

When a company sells direct, the messaging is aimed at the end user. The sales channel is pursuing customers.

Channel Shifts, Moves, Adds and Changes

April 9, 2013

There is a lot of noise coming out of the channel. Personnel changes left and right and center. Who's leaving, who's joining, who just signed an agreement. Bzzzzzzzz It's just noise for the most part.

Are You Channel Ready?

February 27, 2013

I am at Channel Partners Expo in Vegas (speaking tomorrow at 9 AM). It is all about cloud and the channel here. It makes me ask: Are you Channel Ready?

Do you have a service offering that is channel ready?

Pieces of the Partner Puzzle, Part 1

February 22, 2013

To have a successful partner program, you have to have great channel managers.

Channel Managers are the whole conduit to the partner channel - and vice versa. Channel Managers are the conduit to the company for the partner.

Channel Managers have quota (boy, do they have quota).

Everything is Changing, No One is Happy

January 25, 2013

Belkin is buying Linksys from Cisco, who is exiting the consumer business. What are they doing with the Scientific Atlantic set-top boxes?

Logitech is dumping some of its product lines as it re-vamps.

Andy says that Yahoo! Voice is shutting down.

We Start the Year With Mergers

January 2, 2013

Two Tampa companies merge "to create a Hybrid SuperVAR" (whatever that is). Vology acquired Bayshore Technologies. Vology is a hardware reseller. Bayshore Tech is systems integrator and will provide professional services for the combined company.

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