November December 2012 Tech Times

2 November/December 2012 www.techdata.ca

www.techdata.ca November/December 2012 3

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We’re in fall, on the cusp of winter, and as we prepare for the changing season and imminent holiday celebrations I invite you to take a moment to review all that we’ve accomplished in 2012, and look ahead at the opportunities in the coming year.

Reflecting on the past year, it has been an exciting time for the channel with data centre, cloud and BYOD opportunities. In this issue, we focus on some recent knowledge and training events designed to support resellers in maximizing your success through face-to-face networking and channel enablement activities. Partnering with HP we brought a group of resellers to a technical conference in Houston, Texas and in Montreal we brought together top network security resellers for Fortinet’s annual XTreme Team meeting. You’ll have to read our entire issue to learn about all of our exciting events!

Also inside this issue we talk about digital signage and share some tips on ‘closing’ the deal. In our AIS section you’ll find an article focused on the benefits of certification with strategies to help you stay current to create high value for you and your customers. As well, we talk about software renewals and how Tech Data’s SBU (Software Business Unit) can help you improve profitability.

Looking forward, Tech Times will continue to focus on delivering informative articles on channel trends, Tech Data services and partner news to help you succeed. Now you can view Tech Times anytime, anywhere by linking to techtimesmagazine.ca to view our current and back issues.

Thank you for reading Tech Times magazine and have a fun, safe holiday season.

Ann Cain, Manager, Communications

[email protected]

facebook.com/techdatacanada

twitter.com/techdata_canada

Celebrate the Season


6 Executive Address Achieving (and Redefining) Value

10 Fortinet XTreme Team Experience XTreme speed

12 Visualize the Total DS Solution Seeing is believing

16 6th Annual Houston Technical Conference Everything’s bigger in Texas

18 Get off the Fence! McAfee channel chief’s message to partners

23 BBT 2012 Canada Tour A better way to build your business

26 Knowledge Plus One Step Ahead with Cisco and Tech Data

28 TechSelect Member Profile Triware Technologies on the rock drives Atlantic success

30 TechSelect Fall Partner Conference Focusing on channel enablement

33 Lenovo 2012 Tech Tour EXTRAordinary tour with Lenovo, Intel and Tech Data

36 Colour Your Senses Are you ready for adventure?

38 TD13 Vendor Partner Awards Reaching new heights!

41 MS IMPACT Award Winner 2012 TD wins ‘Distributor of the Year’ award

42 Voice of the Vendor James Nicholson of Microsoft Canada on launching Windows 8

EditorAnn Cain

Art Direction and DesignJulie MacAulay

Contributing Writers and EditorsIrene Buchan, Ann Cain, Robert Dutt

Project ManagerRalitsa Naydenova

Tech Times is published and distributed six times per year to channel resellers across Canada.

©2012 Tech Data Canada Corporation. Prices, promotions, offers & terms and conditions of sale subject to change without notice. Errors and omissions excepted. All manufacturers’ names are registered trademarks of their respective corporations.

This publication comes to you free from Tech Data Canada Corporation. We received your mailing address from your Tech Data customer account information. To make changes or to unsubscribe, please contact your Tech Data sales team at 800.668.5588 or notify us at [email protected].

Comments, suggestions?Tell us what you think!Have your questions or

comments published in the next Tech Times!


What started out as our pursuit to deliver value add, ultimately resulted in redefining our value proposition. The question, “How can we offer resellers the benefits of both a broad line distributor and a VAD?’ inspired our “Shift to Value” back in 2010. At our Vendor Summit two years ago we launched our Technology Services Group and our expanded footprint in our Advanced Technology Solutions Centre (ATSC). We reached higher, achieving more and shifted perceptions to redefine value within distribution. At this year’s Vendor Summit I had the privilege of sharing our results, and we’ve come a long way. The success of our AIS division has grown exponentially thanks to the knowledge, skills and vision of our Technology Services Group. I also presented some examples of how we are consistently delivering value add to our vendor and reseller partners. The biggest challenge was picking just four stories to highlight because there are so many. Sometimes we lose sight of the value we deliver because it is part of what we do every day, but when I step back and take a look from a customer perspective it is truly remarkable. I guess that’s why our partners have selected us as the top distributor for the fifth consecutive year!After some deliberation, I decided to talk about our vendor certification and trainings delivered through our ATSC, and also about our vendor marketing educational retreats and conferences that give our reseller partners a competitive edge. I shared the benefits of working with our ATSC and technical specialists to help “close” the deal with end-customers simply by being able to show them how a server or client virtualization solution would work in their unique end-user’s environment. And as I already touched upon, our AIS division continues to provide service excellence

through the delivery of complex, custom configuration orders enabling our partners to access our services and sell them as their own through our private delivery service to their end-user customers. And we offer all this without resellers giving up control and without allocating their own resources and capital.Today, our customer relationships go beyond price and fulfillment. We offer the best of services you would expect from a broad based distributor with the values you traditionally find with a VAD.It’s Tech Data’s privilege to be your trusted channel partner and we look forward to helping you make this year your most profitable yet. We’ve got the products, resources, events and services to make that happen.

Greg Myers

Vice President, Marketing, Tech Data Canada

Exec

utiv

eAdd

ress Achieving (and Redefining)

Value

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In concert with Tech Data and Fine Tec, Fortinet Canada hosted 34 partners from across the country for the 2012 meeting in Montreal. The XTreme Team is an exclusive collection of Canada’s best and brightest engineering minds who have demonstrated a long-term commitment to Fortinet technical excellence. Gathering annually to share best security practices, live demonstrations, hands-on labs and in-depth training, the XTreme Team Training is the premier technical event of the year! This year’s theme was XTreme Speed, and speed they did! XTreme Awards were handed out to those who embody the spirit of XTreme Team values. Precicom Technologies and ACSI took home the award for XTreme Partner of the Year. XTreme Engineer of the Year went to Jason Maynard from Scalar Decisions Inc., Robin Stuart from ACSI, Stephane Toupin from Precicom Technologies, and Russ Doucet from INSA Corp. The XTreme MVP award went to Russ Doucet from INSA Corp., for the second year in a row.

October 1-4, 2012 at the Hotel Omni Mont Royal

in Montreal

There has never been a better time for resellers to capture digital signage opportunities. The majority of digital signage installations today are IP-based, underscoring the evolution of digital signage away from static advertising.

Seeing was believing at this fall’s Digital Signage Showcase held at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga, Ontario. “The event was attended by a diverse group of customers. Vendors had an opportunity to talk with large and small resellers who had requirements for digital solutions in retail, healthcare, government, education, finance and office/condo developments to name a few of the applications,” says Gabriel Pawchuk, Product Sales Champion at Tech Data Canada.

Over 50 resellers visited Tech Data’s Digital Signage Showcase event where resellers had an opportunity to see product solutions and speak one-on-one with vendors.

“I think this year’s show was a complete success, as a result of having some very diverse vendors as part of our portfolio, and a few exclusives, that really help distinguish Tech Data as a go-to-shop for Digital Signage (DS),” says Pawchuk.

Feedback from reseller attendees at Tech Data’s Digital Signage Showcase has been nothing short of fantastic, largely because of the interaction between the vendors and themselves. Pawchuk goes on to explain the door was opened to

more opportunities in the near future. “The products presented by our vendors allowed for hands-on interaction and the ability to see DS in action as it relates to the end-users our customers are dealing with in real world environments. I think that’s part of a successful deployment strategy when getting into the world of DS; ‘Getting hands-on early in the project’.”

“There are many resellers out there who don’t even know where to begin when it comes to DS and this showcase demonstrated that all their needs can be covered by Tech Data and its diverse offering,” says Pawchuk.

Tech Data has a dedicated Digital Signage Sales Champion who is ready to field any requests for Digital Signage opportunities resellers might have, call Gabriel Pawchuk, at 905.286.6860 or drop him an email at [email protected].

Visit tddigitalsignage.ca or tweet us @TDCanadaDS.

Tips for Selling Digital Signage SolutionsThe use of digital signage is always based on the value it adds by improving communications or achieving marketing goals. Before your customer gives you a purchase order you have to close the deal. Typically, some planning and review of how content might achieve business goals takes place before an organization is ready to purchase their digital signage technology elements. 1. Share case studies that illustrate similar uses and best practices. Point out the benefits that other organizations have experienced such as increased awareness and revenues, and reduced costs.

2. Facilitate a planning discussion focused on possible and intended communication outcomes with key representatives of the prospect organization to define the system’s goals, possible content and how the network would be operated, budget and timelines.

3. Host a tour where the prospect can see a similar digital sign in action.

4. When proceeding to a proof of concept include analytics of outcomes achieved and viewer perception because these will drive future investment.

5. Planning is key to project success.


Visualize the Total Digital Signage Solution


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Customer Best PracticesHP and Tech Data’s annual event centers on customer service and building closer business relationships. Resellers have a unique opportunity to interact with HP’s Enterprise Group in a collaborative environment and focus on technical and high-level solutions. Participants enjoy two full days of hands-on training at the HP Customer Experience Centre in Houston, Texas.

“The whole event was like nothing I have ever been to. Right from day one, I knew I was in for a real treat. The Poker was fun, the meals were very swanky, the hotel was beautiful, and the people… great company.”

Jeff Huzarski, PureLogic

“I just wanted to take a minute to thank you very much for the great event last week in Houston. I really enjoyed the time down there, and it was great to interact with all of the different folks and groups from HP. Thank you very much for all of the effort you put in to make this trip such a success!”

Rob Huehn, DNR

“It was a great learning experience for me. I learned something new in each session. Thank you so much for the once in a lifetime experience!!”

Melanie Pauze, Compu-Solve

“… thanks for a great experience here at Houston. A lot of information to go back home with.”

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McAfee’s channel program has seen some pretty significant changes over the last 18 months – the introduction of a whole new program focusing on SMB, the new Profitability Stack channel compensation model, and a new channel chief, with Gavin Struthers taking the reins of the security vendor’s channel program from his longtime predecessor Alex Thurber.

So it’s a bit of a change of pace when Struthers took the stage for the company’s annual Global Security Alliance Partner Summit, held in concert with its McAfee Focus 12 in Las Vegas at the end of October, and proclaimed essentially that no news is good news.


“I’m pleased to say there’s not a lot of change today, I’m not here to announce a lot of new red shiny toys,” Struthers tells partners. “The strategy remains the same from what we announced over a year ago – increasing the relevancy of McAfee to you, and of you to McAfee.”

Struthers started off with some high points, statistically-speaking. The company, he said, has paid out 30 per cent in terms of MDF, rebates and rewards in 2012 more than it did in 2011, he said, meaning that “we’re growing with you.” Struthers also detailed efforts to make the company’s certification programs more efficient -- with the time required for channel accreditations taking significant dips as a result of methodology changes – sales certifications now come in about 30 per cent less time and effort for channel professionals, while technical certifications take about 50 per cent less time. Meanwhile, the company’s top partners are growing north of 30 per cent year over year.

Bet on McAfeeAppropriate for Las Vegas, Struthers’ first big point with channel partners was to ask partners to double down – and he asked them to bet on McAfee red.

“I believe there are too many partners sitting on the fence. If you double down to working with a handful of vendors that give you the coverage you need, that’s a good decision to make,” Struthers says — and that’s the decision he sees the company’s fast-growing top 25 partners making.

Struthers suggested that go-to partner should be a larger vendor “who’s going to be in it for the long haul,” who can innovate, and who can show partners profitability. “And most importantly, I want to deal with people that I like, people that I trust, people who are smart,” he added.

Second on Struthers’ agenda – focus. While many channel chiefs governing multi-product vendors tend towards the “better together” cross-sell message, Struthers said that in an area like security, it’s important for partners to “pick your

swim lanes,” a few technologies at which they want to truly excel, with supporting growth opportunities – or as Struthers put it “a few cash cows, and a couple of rising stars.”

Likewise, he said he’d like to see partners focus more on vertical and horizontal market segments, most notably SMB, where McAfee is “investing more heavily for 2013, and we’re looking for partners to go to battle with us.”

Stern words from co-presidentStruthers was joined on stage by McAfee co-president Mike DeCesare, for a one-on-one interview. And while a top executive being grilled by his own channel sales boss might make for some comfortable questions, it did not necessarily make for comfortable answers, as DeCesare didn’t shy away from offering candid assessments of McAfee’s strengths and weaknesses.

Too often, DeCesare said, his company has “put ourselves in a position where we try to use you as little as possible, and pay you as little as possible.” But that has to change, as the top executive said he wants to see partners take more of an active role earlier in the sales cycle, including demand creation and proofs of concept. “If you’re doing things that take cost off of us, you deserve to make more for that,” he said.”

The company is seeking “to figure out how to get closer to fewer partners,” DeCesare said. While all will still be welcome to offer McAfee products, “the goal is to have a large base, and then work more closely with a select few, most notably the people in this room.”

Scary prospects, positive outlookIn his opening keynote for the broader end user-focused Focus 2012 conference, DeCesare offered a presentation best described as a tale of two keynotes.

For the first half of his presentation, DeCesare effectively showed off just how scary malware in 2012 can be, including detailed dissections of big attacks like Flame and Operation High Roller can be, as well as a live demonstration of using Shamoon to “brick” a Windows PC, a

McAfee co-president Mike DeCesare featured scary realities, but optimism for the future.

continued on page 21>

McAfee global channel chief Gavin Struthers predicts security market consolidation as a result of customer demands for more integrated solutions.


Mac, and an Android tablet.

But if he sought to scare the audience of security professionals and channel partners with the first half, he sought to build them back up on with the second half, offering a sunny view of why the future will be better in the security market despite the ever expanding number of threats and growing complexity of attacks.

DeCesare’s optimism comes from a number of recent developments, he said:

• Legislation – although no major bills have passed, security-conscious legislation on the table in the U.S. shows that lawmakers are aware of the challenges and are building on it.

• ISPs are working together to wrestle the challenge of botnets, as well as other “public/private and private/private” partnerships emerging to tackle security challenges at an industry-wide level.

• More executives are “security-obligated,” meaning that the board of directors is increasingly aware of malware threats. Add to this DeCesare’s assertion that “nearly every organization has had some advanced threat that was significant enough that the board was aware of it.”

• Improvement to computing platforms – DeCesare said he

believed Windows 8 will be the most secure operating system Microsoft has delivered to date, and offer similar praise to Apple and Google for their work on making their respective computing and mobile platforms more secure.

• More awareness of key infrastructure security issues – DeCesare earlier in his presentation said that he believed that within our lives, we’ll see an attack that could take down a key infrastructure resource (the power grid, etc.) But he balanced this threat with the awareness that almost all governments around the planet are “putting a lot of effort into making [critical infrastructure] more safe.”

Expect more from the cloudMany organizations make “the mistake” of expecting the same security standards they run in-house of their cloud service providers, DeCesare told attendees. Instead, DeCesare suggested, companies need to hold their cloud providers to a higher standard when it comes to security best practices.

DeCesare describes it in financial services terms – an individual is expected to make reasonable and serious efforts to protect their own money and assets.

But the bank that holds the assets for many thousands or even millions of customers? They’re expected to do a

whole lot more to keep those pooled resources secure.

So too, businesses running applications (or facilitating applications running) in a massively multi-tenant environment should shoulder a greater security burden than should the average business.

It’s not the cloud providers’ fault – too often, DeCesare suggested, companies approach the transition of the cloud by looking at their on-premise security best practices and asking for those to be replicated in the new cloud environment. And he’s quick to point out he’s no less guilty of this than anyone else – McAfee made the exact same mistake, initially, after a “pretty rigorous process” in deciding to move McAfee’s CRM solution to the cloud.

“We fell into the same mistake,” he said. “We looked at our policies internally and said ‘can you match these!” As we move more into the cloud, it comes on all of us to make sure that the security of these cloud providers is up to snuff.

In his keynote, McAfee CTO Mike Fey suggested that big cloud providers, with their size and scale, are big targets for attacks, but also have the resources and abilities to deploy strong security of the type that IT departments simply can’t afford on a company-by-company basis.

Robert Dutt is Owner and Chief Blogger at ChannelBuzz.ca

McAfee offered this bold proclamation to Focus attendees arriving at Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport.

< continued from page 19


Tech Data’s marketing and sales teams have wrapped up the Business Builder Tour for another successful cross Canada technology tour. In May, the tour started in Ottawa and then hit Montreal, Quebec City and Toronto. After a summer break, the tour finished up with a bang in Western Canada stopping in Calgary and Vancouver. Hundreds of resellers had an opportunity to meet with vendors and Tech Data sales reps for valuable face-to-face networking and a look at the latest products in 2012.“Tech Data BBT is the most valuable event. Turnouts are high and the value of 1:1 meetings, seminars and table tops generates a lot of leads for Cisco. The 45 minute, 1:1 meetings are valued especially for out of town partners because Cisco doesn’t often get an opportunity to visit out of territory partners,” says Philip Ma, Sales Specialist from Cisco.“BBT is just as important for resellers as it is for vendors to participate in,” says Frank Haid, Vice President of Sales, Tech Data Canada. “Even in today’s social media environment nothing is more significant than talking with your customer face-to-face.” This year BBT reached close to 700 resellers nationwide. Tech Data’s goal is to increase that to 1,000 in 2013. Thank you to our vendors and VARs for making BBT 2012 a success! See you in 2013.


BBT is a great opportunity for resellers to see all the new products and technologies in one location. It provides a chance to share knowledge, discuss strategy and talk one-on-one with vendors and your Tech Data team.


Resellers attending BBT 2012 enjoyed great food, entered to win fabulous prizes and most importantly networked face-to-face. It’s a must-attend event! See you next year.


Through Tech Data and Cisco’s ‘One Step Ahead’ 2012 program, partners who joined the Cisco and Tech Data Executive Exchange in San Francisco opened yet another window of opportunity.

This year’s event brought together executive leaders from our elite partners where they were able to engage and hear from Tech Data executives and worldwide Cisco leaders.

‘One Step Ahead’ Canadian partners visited Cisco’s state-of-the-art Executive Briefing Centre in San Jose, California taking part in live demonstrations of both current and emerging technologies, and gaining a firm understanding of Cisco’s strategy and vision as a company, along with Cisco’s leading architecture pillars:

•BorderlessNetworks•DataCentre•Collaboration

Partners of the ‘One Step Ahead’ Exchange of course also enjoyed a good mix of leisure engagement activities unique to San Francisco. From a night at the AT&T Park watching the newly named divisional champions, the San Francisco Giants (who then went on to become the 2012 World Series Winners!), to a private sail of the San Francisco Bay on California’s largest schooner watching the America’s Cup racers as they practiced for their qualifying races for the 2013 America’s Cup, our attending partners enjoyed San Francisco to its fullest!

Thank you for your continued partnership with Cisco and Tech Data. Stay tuned for new and exciting programs designed to enable you in the development of your strategic Cisco plans for 2013!

Remember . . . you are always One Step Ahead in your Cisco business with Tech Data!


Tell us a little about your organization. Triware Technologies Inc. is a leading Newfoundland-based information technology consulting and support firm, with public and private sector clients throughout the province. Established in 1991, the company has extensive experience in business technology consulting and management with private sector clients, government organizations and public agencies. Our previous and current engagements include roles and responsibilities such as product fulfillment, support provision, web based solutions and consumable supplies management.

Throughout everything we do, one philosophy holds true for our technical and consulting professionals: results matter. We combine our experience and knowledge with leading products and services to provide our clients with results that work for their business.

What are your thoughts on the industry in general? More than ever technology is helping business forge ahead and succeed. As the industry has matured, the value placed on data, technology and IT systems continues to grow. Many Canadian companies now realize how big a role IT plays in connecting employees, partners and clients. However we still see room for improvement in helping organizations fully understand the value IT can have in their business. Canadian business in general is behind in IT value and expenditures when compared to U.S. based companies. This can represent a potential competitive weakness, especially in today’s global marketplace.

What challenges are you facing and how do you overcome them? With technology in Canada we see two challenges in particular. First, we’re continually faced with a resource crunch. There are not enough qualified, skilled and reliable resources to meet the work demands. At Triware, we’ve committed to always-on recruitment and supporting today’s youth to help us overcome this. Understanding the local human resource marketplace, being active in it, and reaching

out to potential technology students is definitely helping us. Supporting programs like cooperative education placements and student mentoring is also very beneficial.

Second, change is the only constant. As an IT reseller and consultant it is difficult to stay on top of the constant changes experienced in technology, let alone be able to effectively communicate them to clients and prospects. Vendor technology, programs and overall solution paths change quite often. Managing that information is certainly a challenge.

What would you like to see from vendor partners? One thing we would like to see is an increase in business planning and development of a road map. Vendor technology is constantly changing and helping us better understand the future vision and how we can work together better would be beneficial. That said, we understand fully that these programs are a two way street: you get out of it what you put in! Everyone needs to be active to make these programs work.

What are your organization’s goals for the next five years? Recruitment, improvement, innovation, growth … you name it. We’re currently evaluating a number of areas, but overall growth would definitely be the underlying theme. Innovations in cloud, print management, communications and the growing remote workforce are exciting topics for us moving forward.

How has the TechSelect program helped you?

The TechSelect program has been very valuable to us. Not only has it helped us connect with similar resellers across Canada and connect better with our vendors, but it has also helped us connect better with our customers. All important connections for us.

The information shared across the TechSelect program has certainly helped shape our current and future directions. Specifically, we have seen huge value in TechSelect through their assistance with our Rock Solid Technology conference. With the help of the TechSelect team we’re able to coordinate a variety of vendor sessions into a terrific conference for our clients and prospects to discuss business and technology. This has grown to become one of the premier IT events in our area and certainly helps us connect further with our clients and vendor partners.

What is your outlook for 2013?Always looking forward, our drive for success will continue. Through projects with clients such as the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Eastern Health, Cox and Palmer, Memorial University, St. John’s International Airport Authority, North Atlantic Refinery, the City of Mount Pearl and hundreds of others we are able to grow alongside our clients and further strengthen our philosophy of providing results that matter.

TechSelect Member Profile In this issue of Tech Times, we talk to Triware Technologies Inc.

Art Stanley, President and Wally O’Neill, Vice-President of Triware Technologies Inc.


With the sun scorching at daily temperatures of 30ºc, the Canadian TechSelect members lathered up in SPF and headed to the TechSelect Fall Partner Conference in tropical Fajardo, Puerto Rico. From November 6th – 9th the grounds of the El Conquistador Resort played host to over 50 members of the Canadian TechSelect community. The conference included several educational seminars, ample peer-to-peer networking opportunities and a chance to explore the white sands of Palomino Island. Joining over 400 channel partners from the U.S, members participated in workshops and presentations focusing on new solutions, opportunities and partnerships with leaders from across North America.Representing the red and white was Advisory Council member David Saele of Think Communications who took home “Winner of the 2012 TechSelect Most Engaged Member for Canada” award.“Being a part of TechSelect community allows me to network and build meaningful relationships with vendors, peers and Tech Data, that help my business every day. Joining TechSelect was one of the best decisions I have made for my company,” said Saele. Tech Data and the TechSelect team look forward to seeing you in St. John’s, Newfoundland for the Spring Partner Conference from May 27th – 30th!


Lenovo 2012 Tech Tour with Intel and Tech DataSixteen resellers joined Lenovo, Intel and Tech Data executives for a memorable experience in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina for the Lenovo 2012 Tech Tour from October 23rd to 25th.

Attendees spent a day at Lenovo’s state-of-the-art Customer Centre for training on Lenovo’s cloud strategy, ThinkVantage Technologies, ThinkServer and more, including a tour of Lenovo’s Product Showcase. In their leisure time, participants enjoyed a challenging round of golf at the magnificent 18-hole championship Duke University Golf Course. And of course no trip to Raleigh would be complete without experiencing a gourmet dinner at the renowned Angus Barn Wine Cellar!

Thank you to all participants for a very productive and extraordinary event!


Twelve winning VAR partners and their guests joined Dave Giancola and Sean Kosticin from HP, along with Tech Data marketing and sales directors for a jam packed two-day event at Niagara-on-the-Lake. Delegates participated in an HP managed print training session followed by a teambuilding event and group dinner at Trius Winery at Hillebrand. Guests explored the affinity between food and wine through an exciting culinary journey.Thank you to all who joined us!

October 10 to 12, 2012 in Niagara-on-the-Lake,

Prince of Wales Vintage Hotel


Recognizing Our Vendor Partners Tech Data Canada announced the winners of our Vendor Partner Awards at our 14th annual Vendor Summit on November 13, 2012.

Each year we recognize select vendor partners for their significant contributions and ongoing support to the continued success of Tech Data Canada and our reseller partners.

Close to 100 channel partners joined us for an exciting afternoon at Terrace on the Green in Brampton, Ontario to focus on our value added services and channel engagement. Thank you to all our vendor partners.

Best SMB Focused Business Partner – Symantec

Business Partner Account Manager of the Year – Frank Santosuosso, Avaya

Difference Maker Business Partner – VMware

Sales and Marketing Innovator – Cisco


Tech Data Canada was selected as winner of the Distributor of the Year Award at the 2012 Microsoft Partner Network IMPACT Awards for developing a Microsoft Specialized Business Unit, which included a new sales strategy, focus on training, and promotions for all sales levels. As a result,TechDataCanadawasabletoachieveits35%growthgoalbytheendofthesecondhalfof the year.

The tenth annual IMPACT Awards recognize excellence within the Microsoft technology partner community in Canada. This year, Microsoft celebrated the 10th Anniversary of the program with 25 award categories designed to recognize innovation across Microsoft Partner Network Competencies, Emerging Technologies, and Marketing, Relationships & Partnering Excellence.

Congratulations to Tech Data’s Software Business Unit for their commitment to the ongoing success of our partnership and engagement with Microsoft’s partner community.

For a list of all 2012 finalists, visit http://www.microsoft.ca/IMPACT.

Tech Data Canada wins Distributor of the Year at the 2012 Microsoft Partner

Network IMPACT Awards

Tech Data Canada is proud to have been chosen as Distributor of the Year in the 2012 Microsoft Partner Network IMPACT Awards


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What are the responsibilities in your role?

I am a Senior Product Manager for Windows. In addition to acting as a product evangelist my primary responsibilities are revenue and customer deployment of Windows. As a former sales representative and having worked for many years in the channel, I am happiest demonstrating and discussing the amazing capabilities of Windows in front of our customers and our partners. With the launch of Windows 8, this is certainly one of the most exciting moments of my career.

How did you get started in the industry?

I’ve always been enthralled by the possibilities of technology. As a teenager, I was fascinated by my TI-99 and the magic of loading games into it from cassette tapes. So it seems natural that I eventually found myself with a career in the technology field. My first job in the industry was as an Inside Sales rep, selling hardware and software. I quickly moved into marketing where I spent several years in partner and services marketing teams. In 2006, I joined Microsoft as a Marketing Manager on the partner team and in 2010 I became a Windows Product Manager. I feel fortunate that my roles have evolved along with my interests, which are really focused on the evolution of how we leverage technology, both as consumers and employees.

As a high profile leader in the industry, do you have any advice for those just starting out?

The IT industry is fascinating and ever evolving, even more dramatic with recent developments around the consumerization of IT. The varieties of jobs in the IT field are limitless, including roles in technical, sales, operations and marketing. My advice to anyone starting out is to really think about what interests you – what do you feel compelled to do and enjoy? Once you determine what drives you, focus your energies and career plan on working in that field. I would also recommend remaining open to any opportunities that come your way – especially if they offer an opportunity to learn something new. For instance, starting my career in IT sales gave me a great understanding of how customers view technologies and provided an excellent perspective on how to make marketing programs more effective.

What challenges you?

Because the pace of change is so fast in the technological world, it’s always a challenge to stay current with industry trends, particularly with the use of social media and how that is relevant to Canadian business. I am constantly reminded of how quickly the IT landscape is changing with the advent of devices, the use of social media and the cloud. It’s no coincidence these areas that challenge me also intrigue me the most.

What do you consider to be your greatest career achievement?

My greatest achievement has been in developing programs and initiatives at Microsoft that continue to be in use in numerous countries around the world. I recall having a Lync chat with colleagues from Serbia and was pleased that they were working on implementing a program we had created in Canada.

What are Microsoft’s priorities for the year?

For the Windows team, our priority for the rest of the year is to drive the excitement and adoption of Windows 8 and help customers move off XP towards a modern desktop. By embracing new technologies, Canadian businesses will continue to grow and will be better positioned to compete on the world stage. To this end, Microsoft provides funding to our partners to showcase new technologies to customers through proof of concepts (POCs). Contact your account manager if you are not familiar with this very well leveraged program.

One of the key activities we’ll be focused on this year is to showcase the compelling ‘consumer’ interface of Windows 8 but also demonstrate it provides the key elements of security and management that well run IT organizations depend on.

What do you see as the biggest benefit to partnering with Tech Data?

I have been working with Tech Data for over 10 years and have always been impressed with their deep understanding of the IT marketplace and its evolution. I have particularly enjoyed working with members of the Tech Data leadership team and the TechSelect community who have acted, in many ways, as my sounding board over the years.

What do you see as the top 3 opportunities for SMB partners in Canada with Windows 8?

1. As many of our SMB customers are stilling running XP, the partners who are able to help them through deployment and introduce new devices and software will be extremely well positioned to take advantage of streams of revenue across hardware, software and services.

2. Windows 8 allows customers to deliver a “Bring Your Own Device” program for their company but in a way that maintains the key principles of Security and Management.

3. For customers who have completed a Windows 7 deployment, there is a terrific partner opportunity in introducing Windows 8 and associated devices for those key roles – such as field sellers and agents – where a touch device would make most sense.

In this edition of Voice of the Vendor, we sit down with James Nicholson, Senior Product Manager for Windows 8, Microsoft Canada Inc.

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“All your dreams come true, if you have the courage to pursue them.” – Walt Disney

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www.facebook.com/TDCanadaAIS AIS - 3 www.facebook.com/TDCanadaAIS AIS - 3

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While most VARs understand the need for certification and training, time pressures and reallocating resources to support skills development can require some flexibility. Fortunately, any short-term inconvenience is far outweighed by the end benefit of the ability to deliver certified expertise in essential vendor programs to your end-customers.

Tech Data Canada’s marketing department works closely with leading vendors to develop opportunities to enhance the training experience. “We can help you turn motivated IT Specialists into superstars,” says Greg Myers, Vice President of Marketing. Another benefit of certification is the increased job satisfaction from your staff, improved productivity, and credibility with co-workers, partners and clients.

Tech Data offers technical training for some of the solutions within the Advanced Technology Solutions Centre (ATSC) based in the Mississauga office. “A few years ago, Avaya launched their Certification Workshops through the ATSC. Over 40 unique Solution Providers have participated sending multiple staff members for certification training,” says Richard Toledo, Manager, Technology Services, Business Operations at Tech Data Canada. Following on the heels of Avaya’s success delivering workshops they have recently launched a Data Boot Camp to Tech Data’s voice resellers moving to data.

Other vendors have followed suit including Cisco’s Architecture Days held in Tech Data’s ATSC and educational conferences including IBM’s trip to their Briefing Centre in Raleigh, North Carolina for select resellers seeking to complete their IBM Certified Specialist PureFlex Technical Support V1 certification, or Fortinet’s Security 101 training on network security for Tech Data’s resellers held in Montreal this past October.

Resellers can utilize the ATSC to expand their staff’s technical skill-set and educate end-customers on current vendors within their line card. “Training and certification increase your knowledge of vendor solutions which decreases the sales cycle. The more knowledge you have the easier it is for you to make recommendations and sell the right product to a customer based on their needs,” adds Toledo.

Resellers can utilize Tech Data’s ATSC and technical specialists for pre-sales technical support to help with configuration and product selection, and integration services to build the required configuration for delivery to your customer. “Both options are flexible and easy to use. Resellers who want to train their staff but are concerned about lost time for billable work can use the ATSC to take advantage of the remote capabilities within our ATSC, and we also offer a number of recurring one hour training events that cover different topics within a solution,” says Toledo. “Staying current with technology is key to differentiating your business from other VARs.”

For more information on how Tech Data Canada can assist you with your training and certification needs, contact your Tech Data Sales Representative for more details.

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sVMware has been the common element behind some of the largest and most successful cloud environments around the world. This includes private cloud implementations and a global network of public cloud service providers leveraging VMware technology to create a standardized infrastructure across clouds. In working with these organizations, VMware has gained unique insight into how IT organizations are evolving not just their cloud infrastructures, but their wider Cloud Ops to gain the greatest advantage from the transformation underway in the industry.

These VMware customers are leveraging cloud computing to deliver new services, enter into new markets, get closer to customers and make increasingly mobile and demanding employees more productive. Leveraging this expertise, VMware is helping to extend the results of these leading organizations to the broader market.

VMware cloud solutions improve IT efficiency, agility and reliability and help drive innovation. By combining the technologies, services and guidance required to build, operate, staff and manage your cloud, VMware cloud solutions help organizations maximize the benefits of cloud computing. The technical foundation of VMware cloud solutions, VMware vCloud Suite® is the industry’s first complete and integrated cloud infrastructure suite and the platform underpinning the software-defined datacenter. The vCloud Suite dramatically simplifies IT operations and delivers the best service-level agreements (SLAs) for all applications.

The operational and organizational foundations of VMware cloud solutions are based on proven education, certification and implementation services and guidance from unparalleled VMware experience with customers moving to the cloud.

VMware Cloud Operations Services provide you with insight, prioritized recommendations, and expert guidance to transform operational processes and organizational structures, and apply

financial models to realize the greatest value from your cloud. Services delivered by VMware and its partner ecosystem help customers develop essential capabilities within their organization:

• On-demand Services – Implement a new self-service model to lower IT costs and increase agility.

• Automated Provisioning and Deployment – Evolve request fulfillment, application development and deployment processes to gain newfound efficiency.

• Proactive Incident and Problem Management – Leverage automation and policy-based management to eliminate error-prone manual processes and proactively manage systems before issues arise.

• Security, Compliance and Risk Management – Safeguard the business by ensuring enterprise-level standards for how systems are protected across your cloud environment.

• IT Financial Management for Cloud – Transition to a new financial paradigm that provides transparency and directly links the costs of IT services to their demand and consumption.

Flexibly-designed, Cloud Operations Services offerings provide you with collaborative assistance in analyzing, designing and implementing focused cloud ops across functional areas that address integrated process, people and supporting management tools.

Contact your Tech Data-VMware team at [email protected] or download the Partner Launch Guide available on VMware’s Partner Central.

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“It gives me great satisfaction

to know that the services

and support we provide to our

customer helps them run their

IT infrastructure successfully.”

AIS Employee SpotlightIn this issue, we turn the AIS Employee Spotlight on Jumel Llantada, Technical Support Specialist at Tech Data Canada.Q: Tell us about your technical background.

After graduating from Radio College of Canada (RCC) as a Computer Electronic Technician, I landed a position as a Configuration Technician. I’ve worked with various accounts such as Canada Post, WSIB, DND, and RBC loading customized images and configuring equipment from printers and cash registers to desktops, laptops and servers. To keep my skills current, I’ve volunteered to work with Field Technicians during their peak times, where I did onsite service replacing non-functional items such as optical drives, laptop displays, server mother boards and power supplies. And I participate in vendor trainings to stay current.

Q: What do you like most about working at Tech Data?

Working 40 hours a week, Tech Data is like my second home. For anyone who has visited Tech Data you know that there is something special about the people and the environment that really makes you feel at home.

Q: Describe a typical day for you:

You will usually find me working on Tech Connect Cases and using tools like Watson and HP Product Bulletin.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

Being under the Technology Services Division (AIS Group, Integration Services), I have the opportunity to not only build a server from a specs sheet, but I’m also able get involved in the ‘hands-on’ work of putting servers together with the Configuration Team.

Q: What motivates you in your job?

It gives me great satisfaction to know that the services and support we provide to our customers helps them run their IT infrastructure successfully.

Q: What has been your most memorable moment since joining Tech Data?

When I was selected as an ‘Over The Top’ recipient and a President’s Club winner in 2010 stand out as special moments. Also, when I was given an opportunity to work with HP’s SSBU (Server and Storage Business Unit), as a Technical Support Specialist during their peak NMSO (National Master Standing Offer) season which led to my joining the team full time in January 2011.

Q: Tell us something you think we should know about you.

One of my passions is cooking! I find similarities between cooking and building servers. Servers need compatible options in order to work successfully; similarly cooking requires the perfect combination of ingredients to make a meal savoury and delicious.

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We’d like to thank our partners for making the first three quarters of 2012 a success. As we prepare for a strong year-end, we wanted to take a moment to share some enhancements we’ve made to the VMware Partner Network Program to accelerate your business, increase your margins and reduce your operating costs for a strong fourth quarter. These enhancements, combined with our new cloud management solutions, provide you with the tools you need to differentiate yourself.

VMware Partner Program Enhancements: • Lower minimum deal size for advantage+ Opportunity Registration. Beginning October 22, 2012,

deals as low as $6,000 USD will be eligible for up to 20% off list in total advantage+ benefits.

• Advantage+ new customer bonus will be validated at the time of registration – providing margin visibility at the front end of the sale. Also, earn up to $400 through Sales Rewards for closing net new deals.

• We’re also simplifying the opportunity registration process – all opportunities get registered through the unified registration form regardless of program.

• Up to 20% Solution Rewards for Management expertise. Management Competency partners can earn Solution Rewards on vCloud as well as vCenter Operations Suite sales.

• Offer purchasing flexibility for customers looking to make a strategic, long-term investment through our new Enterprise Purchasing Program (EPP).

• The ability to purchase most VMware products through Tech Data

• Access to VMware Partner Central

• Tools to learn more about VMware virtualization solutions

• Build customer credibility

• Develop skills with free online training (VSP, VTSP, VCP)

• Access to marketing and demand generation tools

Enroll now to become a VMware partner at vmware.com/partners/programs/solution-provider.

Here’s to a record breaking Q4 - good selling.

Your VMware Tech Data [email protected]

Establish a partnership with VMware today and enjoy the following benefits:

Are you a VMware partner?

AIS - 16 www.facebook.com/TDCanadaAIS

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About 60 percent of reseller profit comes from selling services. Customers are more likely to deploy and renew their software licenses if they have access to a trained professional helping them plan the implementation. With renewal rates ranging from 27 percent to 68 percent, something as simple as a timely reminder can significantly increase the chances of a renewal – and improve your profitability.

As a reseller you need to help your customers understand the importance of renewing their antivirus software and maintenance subscriptions to ensure their business is benefitting from regular updates and support to protect their business against malicious and potentially costly viruses.

Using StreamOne Software License Selector or SLS, resellers can reference purchasing information to support licensing compliance and security standards for end-user customers.

Close New SalesTech Data’s SLS ensures access to expert help when it comes time to plan for your customer’s software purchase and deployment. Have an introductory discussion about software licensing and your services. Always focus on

the benefits you can provide from the perspective of the individual client. And think about the big picture and opportunities that will be down the road.

Resellers can work with Tech Data’s team of software licensing experts who are trained in multiple software vendor lines directly by the manufacturers. Tech Data’s software specialists can guide the reseller in making the correct purchases under specific licensing guidelines and can reach out to engineers at the vendor level for feedback on more complex questions.

How can Tech Data’s SBU secure your peace of mind when it comes to renewals?Tech Data makes software licensing easy using SLS to manage your software licensing.

“We’ve demystified software licensing using our on-line concierge that gives you the confidence to know you’ve selected the right license,” says Nada Habayeb of Tech Data Canada’s Software Business Unit.

Once you’ve narrowed your search by end-user and vertical market you can choose the software publisher and product categories from a drop-down

menu. If the list is too long you can narrow it down using category filters. The final step helps you identify the part number and gives you a price based on the product version and the number of seats you plan to license. “In just four easy steps you can order the software and receive your license keys,” adds Habayeb.

SLS intuitively helps resellers eliminate errors and buy software licenses according to specific licensing program guidelines.

Under the ‘May We Suggest’ you’ll find additional helpful information. “Even if you don’t know the answers to every question, you can still move forward, but the more you know – the faster you’ll find the license you’re looking for,” says Habayeb.

Once the parts have been added to the shopping cart and you’re ready to produce a quote or an order, Tech Data will validate the information with the vendors’ rules.

Want to know more? Contact Tech Data’s Software Business Unit today!

1-800-668-3475 [email protected]


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November December 2012 Tech Times

Documents

Transcript of November December 2012 Tech Times