Westcon-Comstor has announced an expansion of its cloud marketplace capabilities through participation in Microsoft’s resale enable offers (REO) program.

Designed for channel-led selling, the initiative combines hyperscaler reach with value-added services to help support scalable marketplace growth.

Software vendors can authorize approved channel partners to create and manage private offers on their behalf via Microsoft Marketplace, with the Redmond giant handling customer billing and payment collection.

Westcon-Comstor will also provide a range of value-added services designed to help partners build scalable marketplace practices – including partner enablement, incremental revenue tools, as well as support across renewals and the full customer lifecycle.

By combining Microsoft Marketplace with its own technical expertise, the distributor said partners can unlock cloud commit budgets, accelerate deal cycles, and expand customer spend while maintaining control over the relationship.

“Hyperscaler marketplaces are redefining how enterprise software is bought and sold, but success for channel partners and vendors depends on turning activity into repeatable business,” explained Peter Woest, Westcon-Comstor’s cloud marketplace partnership director.

“By wrapping Microsoft Marketplace with our value-added services and technical marketplace expertise, we’re making simplicity and scale a reality and allowing partners to quickly establish, build and grow their Microsoft Marketplace business.”

The reseller's participation comes amid significant cloud marketplace growth. According to research from Omdia, cloud marketplace software sales are expected to grow from $30 billion in 2024 to $163 billion in 2030, with partners tipped to be the driving force behind most marketplace spend by next year.

Westcon-Comstor said the REO program is already gaining traction, with the firm supporting partners in onboarding to marketplace-driven opportunities with vendors such as Palo Alto Networks and Infoblox.

The distributor also revealed it is in discussions with “several other vendors” regarding future collaboration opportunities with Microsoft REO.

Commenting on the move, Microsoft’s marketplace channel lead, Darren Sharpe, said the priority is to help partners build an effective, platform-first marketplace practice, backed by a strong ecosystem support.

“Westcon‑Comstor is helping partners drive momentum through REO, enabling vendors to extend their reach while keeping the channel at the centre of the customer relationship,” he added.

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Huntress has opened its global partner program to resellers for the first time, as the cybersecurity vendor looks to expand the reach of its managed security platform.

The move builds on the company’s decade-long partnerships with managed service providers (MSPs) and aims to extend enterprise-grade security tools to smaller organizations that find themselves increasingly targeted by cyber criminals.

By broadening its partner ecosystem, Huntress said it is making the same level of protection typically available to Fortune 1000 companies more accessible to businesses of all sizes, without the need for fine-tuning, management, or handling large numbers of false positives and alerts.

In an announcement, the vendor described its expanded initiative as a “global force multiplier” designed to help protect the most vulnerable organizations.

“Our reseller partner program is now live, and provides access to enterprise-grade security, purpose-built to catch what others miss, without constant false positives and alert fatigue,” said Tuan Nguyen, vice president of channels and alliances at Huntress.

“This enables them to differentiate their tech offerings, drive profitable business growth, and deliver tangible security outcomes. We are looking for partners who want to join our collective hunt and protect the 99%.”

Extending the reach of the Huntress platform

Huntress’ security platform is designed to protect and respond to a range of cyber threats, including business email compromise, account takeovers, ransomware, and phishing attacks.

The offering includes endpoint detection and response (EDR), identity threat detection and response (ITDR), security information and event management (SIEM), and security awareness training tools, backed by a 24/7 AI-assisted security operations center.

By bringing resellers into its partner program, Huntress said it is now looking to grow its pool of more than 200,000 organizations that already leverage the platform for their security needs.

Channel opportunity for resellers

By expanding its partner program, Huntress said it is creating fresh opportunities for resellers to differentiate and drive growth through profitable partner margins and co-marketing support tailored to reseller business models.

Michael Zuppa, CEO of blueAPACHE, an Australia-based Huntress partner, said the move will help support broader efforts to improve cyber resilience.

“In Australia, the Cyber Security Strategy 2023 to 2030 sets clear expectations for strengthened resilience across organisations of every size,” he explained.

“Our partnership with Huntress allows blueAPACHE to support this mission by giving our clients access to always‑on threat detection and response.”

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Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now part of daily life, and you’d be forgiven for thinking that everyone is already AI-savvy and integrating it into their daily lives and work. On a consumer level, this may be true, but the real work of integrating AI into the enterprise – and even into the mid-market – is only just getting started.

In fact, when we look at the industry today, a large number of AI pilots and proof-of-concepts are failing to pass to production. The challenge is that we have high aspirations for AI, but also that it is complex and rapidly evolving! VARs, SIs, and resellers need to keep their options open and stay agile if they’re to succeed – but let’s take a step back and look at the main issue in more detail for a moment.

Problems with PoCs

As anyone who has used generative AI on a consumer level knows, it is very powerful and helpful, but not perfect. AI tends to hallucinate and produce false results from time to time. Although it might have limited impacts on the individual level, when it’s deployed into the enterprise and business processes, it becomes unacceptable. Many organizations are finding that their AI pilot tests are coming across hallucinations and reliability issues, which are all hindering the rollout.

However, over the last few years, we have seen many successful implementations from other ‘flavours’ of AI, in particular, machine learning. The manufacturing and healthcare sectors have used this kind of AI to great effect, leveraging it for process optimisation and pattern recognition, which is a far more mature application than generative.

AI is also tremendously complex, which tends to hinder effective pilot tests because it’s hard to set success criteria. In many cases, organizations also struggle to scale AI after their pilot tests, which makes ROI hard to achieve. All of this is a significant opportunity for the channel to help consult with customers, guide them through projects with hard-won knowledge and expertise, and provide a fresh perspective on what will and won’t work.

Place your bets: Or keep them open

As I’ve already said, AI is still evolving. No one knows what the landscape will look like when it reaches maturity. It’s also likely that even when it does reach maturity, it’ll continue to change, much like how the internet continued transforming decades after its establishment - from static websites to social media, streaming, cloud services, and beyond. For this reason, it’s heartening to see that many of the models in the top ten AI listings are open-source, not to mention that the performance gap between these open-source models and their proprietary rivals is closing fast. We believe that the future of AI should be built on transparency, accessibility, and collective progress.

The advantage of using open source models for both customers and partners is that it’s easier to change. Open source is cheaper, provides better ROI for customers, better margins for partners, and helps both sides to avoid lock-in.

Furthermore, in the enterprise space, AI integrations will be critical as AI delivers more value when it's connected to existing data owned by companies. But one challenge with integration is that organizations - especially large ones - can still have many legacy systems in place, which require custom solutions to be integrated effectively. Data is the most critical asset for any company, so partners that can help to modernize legacy systems and unlock the data for AI integration will be in high demand.

The agent opportunity

However, despite these challenges, there is one very clear opportunity in AI that is approaching rapidly: agents. These are AI systems that can use the tools that have historically been used by humans, and ‘do the work’ instead. We’ve all heard the stories about AI making restaurant bookings for humans, but in the future, this kind of approach will be the norm.

There’s a tremendous amount of work to do at the back end before this becomes standardized. In many ways, the shift from manual web use to chatbots has been like the shift from cars with manual transmissions to automatic gearboxes – but the shift to agentic AI will be more akin to the shift from automatic cars to autonomous cars.

This is a challenging step, because for many organizations, taking your hands off the wheel is both daunting and uncertain: we don’t know the optimal place for the human to give away control and the agent to take it. But the change is coming, and in a very large number of cases, agents will be the primary users of services, not humans.

The challenge is that this requires a lot of re-engineering. Interfaces that have been designed for people will need to be re-coded for agent use, usually via APIs. This means re-thinking processes, understanding where users fit into the journey, and where the agent comes in. Customers, partners, and vendors will need to work closely together to meet this challenge, and it’s something we’re already looking at very closely with the launch of a new partner program to help organizations get their SaaS ready for AI.

Again, this is an opportunity for partners to guide and consult, offering guidance on how end-users use services, as well as how to optimally engineer experiences for both humans and AIs. However, one of the main challenges for partners is that the AI landscape is still rapidly evolving, and no one quite knows which horse to back, which makes open standards doubly important.

Know (and guide) your customer

With such rapid change, guiding and supporting customers is essential to successful AI projects, creating and maintaining margin for partners. The opportunity that AI agents present is unprecedented, but it’s critical that partners help to set clear objectives, shape successful pilot tests, build scalability into use cases from the start, and measure ROI effectively.

This then helps customers turn AI tests into profitable commercial projects. At the same time, it’s vital that partners stay agile throughout the process – and open-source is a key way of doing this and avoiding lock-in.

Change is coming, and the channel has an enormous opportunity and role to play in making sure that customers are guided to pragmatic ways of rolling out AI, building on firm foundations and establishing reliable, agile systems that will stand the test of time – while also providing strong revenue streams for partners – even when the machines are in charge!

In IT procurement, businesses often face a dizzying array of products and services. Navigating this landscape can be a complex and time-consuming endeavor. This is where IT resellers come in, acting as a crucial intermediary between the technology creators and the end-users. But what exactly is a reseller, and what role do they play in the IT ecosystem?

An IT reseller is a company that purchases IT products or services from manufacturers, distributors, or wholesalers and then sells them to customers. They are a fundamental component of the "channel," a network of organizations that work together to bring technology from the vendor to the end customer.

This model provides a win-win situation: manufacturers expand their market reach without having to build out extensive sales teams, while customers gain a knowledgeable partner to help them navigate their technology needs.

What do resellers do, and why is that important?

At its core, a reseller simplifies the process of acquiring technology. Instead of a business having to source multiple components from various manufacturers, they can go through a single reseller, streamlining procurement and order processing. However, the value of a reseller, especially a Value-Added Reseller (VAR), extends far beyond basic order fulfillment. VARs add significant value to the products they sell in a variety of ways.

They frequently bundle hardware and software to create tailored “turnkey” solutions that address the specific needs of a business, sometimes integrating new systems with a company’s existing legacy infrastructure. Resellers also bring deep product knowledge, offering expert advice to ensure businesses make informed purchasing decisions, and many provide essential services such as installation, user training, and ongoing technical support. By leveraging their purchasing power, resellers can often secure better pricing on products than a single business could on its own, passing those savings on to the customer.

Additionally, many resellers offer specialized services, such as network security solutions to protect businesses from cyber threats, and license optimization to help clients maximize their software investments.

Top IT resellers in the US by revenue include major players like CDW, Ingram Micro, SHI International, and TD-Synnex.

The evolution of the reseller model

The role of the IT reseller has evolved dramatically over recent years, shifting far beyond its traditional focus on hardware sales and one-time transactions. In the past, resellers primarily served as intermediaries that facilitated the purchase and delivery of physical technology products, but the rapid rise of cloud computing and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) has fundamentally altered their business models and value propositions.

Today, the emphasis has moved decisively from transactional sales to cultivating ongoing relationships and delivering continuous value to clients. This transformation has been driven by several key trends. As hardware profit margins have declined, many resellers have pivoted to service-led offerings, providing managed services where they assume responsibility for the ongoing maintenance and support of a client’s IT infrastructure. This shift from project-based contracts to recurring revenue models offers resellers more predictable income streams while fostering deeper, long-term partnerships with their clients.

The explosive growth of cloud computing has also been a major catalyst for change. Resellers have adapted by expanding their portfolios to include cloud solutions, helping businesses migrate to and manage cloud environments. This encompasses a broad range of services, from Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) to SaaS products, often sourced from leading providers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. By guiding clients through cloud adoption and optimization, resellers add significant strategic value.

Moreover, the distinction between traditional Value-Added Resellers (VARs) and Managed Service Providers (MSPs) has become increasingly blurred. Many VARs have repositioned themselves as MSPs, offering comprehensive IT management services often for a flat monthly fee that covers everything from monitoring and security to troubleshooting and upgrades. This transition allows resellers to provide end-to-end support and peace of mind for their clients.

The rise of the "Everything-as-a-Service" (XaaS) model has further accelerated this evolution, enabling resellers to offer more flexible, scalable, and consumption-based solutions. By embracing these trends, IT resellers have transformed from simple product suppliers into trusted technology advisors and strategic partners, helping businesses navigate the complexities of digital transformation and unlock new opportunities for growth.

A look at the market and its future

The reseller market is a significant and growing segment of the IT industry. The global market for VARs for IT was estimated at approximately $11.83 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach around $21.5 billion by 2033, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.5%. Other reports show the market valued at $549 million in 2023 and projected to reach $1.376 billion by 2031, with a CAGR of 12%. The software resellers market was valued at around $45.6 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow to $80.3 billion by 2032.

Looking ahead, several key trends are expected to shape the future of IT reselling:

Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI is set to play a significant role in the future of reselling. AI-powered tools can help resellers with more accurate pricing, identifying popular trends, and even generating personalized recommendations for buyers. As businesses increasingly adopt AI and machine learning, they will look to resellers for cutting-edge solutions that integrate these technologies.

Focus on vertical-specific solutions: There is a growing demand for software solutions tailored to the unique challenges of specific industries. Resellers with deep knowledge of niche markets will be well-positioned for success.

Enhanced customer support and services: As the technology landscape becomes more complex, businesses will seek out resellers who can provide comprehensive support, including implementation assistance, training, and ongoing maintenance.

The reseller as an orchestrator: The role of the reseller is shifting from being a middleman to being a "mission control." They are becoming orchestrators of complex technology solutions, guiding clients through the intricacies of vendors and technologies.

Navigating challenges

Despite the positive outlook, resellers face their share of challenges. These include working with low margins, keeping up with the rapid pace of technological change, and facing intense competition.

To remain competitive, resellers must invest in continuous training for their staff and adopt efficient processes to manage a vast array of products and pricing from multiple distributors.

Ultimately, the IT reseller is a vital part of the technology ecosystem, providing businesses with the expertise, support, and customized solutions they need to thrive in a digital world. While the role has evolved significantly from its transactional roots, the core value of the reseller as a trusted technology partner remains as important as ever.

For years, recycling has been the go-to solution for waste across the supply chain, from manufacturing through to end customers. But with escalating ESG pressures, stricter regulation, and shifting consumer expectations, recycling alone is no longer enough.

A recent survey conducted by CLEAR found that 89% of consumers think that electrical manufacturers should be forced to allow third-party businesses to be able to refurbish and repair electronic items, signaling that expectations have moved well beyond simple restrictions. At the same time, the market is becoming increasingly saturated. Traditional revenue streams have never been under such extreme pressure. Channel partners now have a pivotal opportunity to stand out: embedding circular services such as repair, refurbishment, and resale into their core operations.

Circular practices are fast becoming central to competitiveness. By helping brands extend product lifecycles and cut unnecessary waste, channel partners can unlock new revenue streams, reduce costs, and build stronger customer loyalty, while also meeting sustainability targets and gaining a clear edge in a crowded market.

From cost center to growth engine

Traditionally, after-sales processes, such as returns and repairs, were viewed as cost centers. Today, they are fast becoming growth engines. What used to be called “the return problem” in warehouses and repair bays is often just stock waiting for a second chance. Once you start seeing it that way, the whole economics of retail changes. If managed effectively, refurbished goods can be returned to the market with healthy margins, while strong repair programs build customer loyalty and extend trust in the product.

Manufacturers and retailers are increasingly turning to their channel partners to enable these services at scale. By embedding repair and resale into fulfilment, warranty, and marketplace operations, partners can create value at multiple points in the supply chain. This ability to generate incremental revenue is especially valuable in saturated sectors, where competition on new product sales alone is driving margins down.

Commercial and ESG benefits

The commercial case is clear. Our recent CLEAR survey found that nearly two-thirds of consumers have already bought a refurbished or repaired electrical item, with 79% open to buying again. Crucially, 62% told us they would change their purchasing behavior based on the environmental impact of electronics manufacturers.

This shows demand is not only present but growing. A strong warranty model or transparent grading system can provide the reassurance needed to convert first-time buyers into repeat customers, while also helping brands prove they take sustainability seriously. For channel partners, the ability to offer refurbished or repaired stock isn’t just an ESG win - it is a way to broaden product ranges, tap new audiences, and compete more effectively in markets where new product growth is slowing.

Meanwhile, regulators are pushing for greater accountability over the full product lifecycle, and businesses will increasingly be judged on what happens after the initial sale. Channel partners that can demonstrate circular capability will secure stronger long-term contracts and relationships, positioning themselves as indispensable in a crowded marketplace.

A partner-wide opportunity

Circular services are not just for sustainability teams; they represent a partner-wide opportunity. Every link in the chain has a role to play, and the benefits multiply when these efforts connect.

In my experience, there’s often tension between sustainability leads and commercial or marketing directors who still believe refurbishment will cannibalize new sales. It isn’t true. Our experience shows that customers who buy refurbished products are typically new to the brand – they couldn’t afford to buy new, but see refurbishment as a way to access trusted quality at a lower price point. Far from eroding new sales, it actually expands the customer base and builds long-term brand loyalty.

Consider a fashion retailer introducing a resale program. A distributor could coordinate the collection of returned and pre-loved garments from stores across the nation. A refurbishment partner then handles cleaning, quality checks, and re-packaging to prepare items for resale. A systems integrator ensures these products are accurately listed on the retailer’s e-commerce site, complete with clear product grading and sustainability information. Finally, a reseller or marketplace partner could position the refurbished line to attract cost-conscious or environmentally minded consumers who might otherwise shop elsewhere.

The results are powerful: products gain a second life, reducing waste; customers get affordable, quality-assured options; and every partner involved benefits from additional revenue streams and stronger brand loyalty. In saturated markets, where discounting new stock can erode margins, this kind of circular model can provide a genuine competitive advantage.

Building consumer confidence

One of the biggest hurdles for circular adoption is perception. Many customers still see refurbished or second-hand goods as lower quality. Channel partners can address this by embedding trust and transparency at every stage through rigorous quality checks, clear grading, strong warranties, and accessible service histories.

When buyers see these standards in action and the product performs as promised, skepticism fades. In fact, 79% of people who bought a refurbished product would make a repeat purchase – proving that circular services can drive value not just volume. They are then far more likely to buy again, whether it’s an appliance, a sofa, or a garment. For channel partners, this means repeat demand, healthier margins, and a stronger reputation for enabling both affordability and sustainability. In saturated markets, where brand loyalty is hard-won, this ability to inspire trust can be a major competitive advantage.

The way forward

For channel partners, embedding circular services doesn’t require a wholesale shift in strategy. It can provide an additional, profitable revenue stream in an increasingly saturated market. Repair, refurbishment, and resale help brands recover value from stock that might otherwise be written off, while also aligning with the rising expectations of regulators and customers alike.

We help major brands reintroduce tested, refurbished goods across multiple online channels, turning returned inventory into profitable sales while helping them meet ESG targets. We’ve seen firsthand how circular fulfilment models – whether in consumer electronics, appliances, or FMCG – can generate both profit and measurable sustainability outcomes.

Products may once have been treated as disposable, but today the smartest channel partners recognize that every item has a second, third, or even fourth life. Circularity isn’t just a sustainability goal; it’s the next evolution of competitiveness. Channel partners that master it will define the winners of the next decade.

Channel partners and managed service providers (MSPs) have always been on the front line when things go wrong with technology, and none more so than with third-party software. A vendor failure - whether through insolvency, acquisition, resource withdrawal, or a critical failure - can trigger immediate disruption to businesses, resulting in missed SLAs, lost data, and reputational damage.

Yet many partners still underestimate how fragile the digital supply chain has become. As business operations increasingly depend on SaaS platforms and niche software vendors, the risk of instability has grown sharply, and when a vendor collapses or stops supporting a critical system, it’s often the channel partner left trying to pick up the pieces.

Why vendor instability is a continual risk

Vendor instability is now one of the biggest hidden threats facing both end customers and the partners who serve them. Supply chains that were once linear now span multiple cloud providers, open-source components, and small, specialised vendors.

This complex digital web is made even more fragile by the fact that many suppliers are early-stage businesses, often operating with a lean team and limited financial buffers to weather a corporate storm. A single resignation, compliance issue, or loss of funding can bring operations to a standstill.

For MSPs, this risk isn’t abstract and far removed. In fact, when a vendor fails, customers won’t be calling the supplier - they will be calling their trusted partner; and even if the failure is entirely outside the partner’s control, their reputation can take a hit. It’s not just about downtime, either. A software supplier's collapse can trigger data access issues, unresolved security gaps, and legal disputes over intellectual property.

From my experience working across regulated sectors, very rarely has a vendor failure stemmed from a single event. They’re often the compound result of financial stress, untested dependencies, and a lack of oversight.

The trusted advisor role

This means we’re seeing MSPs being positioned as trusted advisors who need to be able to provide collaborative and consultative advice to clients. And, perhaps most importantly, guide customers through the hidden layers of their software ecosystem. It’s about helping them ask the right questions at the right time: Who owns your production environment? Are you managing increased concentration risk in extended supply chains? What happens if you fail to manage this risk?

By helping customers plan for these scenarios, partners can turn resilience into a value proposition – not a cost. It strengthens renewals, reduces churn, and builds long-term trust. It also protects the partner’s own recurring revenue, because the fallout from a vendor collapse can be just as damaging for the service provider as it is for the client.

In an increasingly competitive market, the partners demonstrating proactive resilience are the ones who stand out.

What being a trusted advisor means in practice

So what does proactive resilience look like in practice? Escrow gives partners a tangible way to preserve access through verification by securely holding a vendor’s source code and documentation. It’s a practical solution that turns uncertainty into control.

We’re seeing more MSPs and resellers include escrow agreements directly into their vendor management frameworks as a sign of operational maturity. It’s a simple but powerful way to demonstrate to customers – and regulators – that resilience has been considered, contractually defined, and independently verified. Of course, escrow works best as part of a wider strategic approach to operational resilience and risk management. That includes stronger vendor assessments, where partners evaluate the financial stability, technical dependencies, and long-term viability of their suppliers, and smarter contracts that define what happens if a vendor fails or exits the market.

It’s clear that resilience is no longer just a technical issue - it’s a commercial one. The best MSPs are those that can demonstrate they’re equipped to advise customers on vendor failure, helping them to have proper governance and encouraging the use of vital risk management tools, such as software escrow.

More businesses than ever are now reporting that they’re choosing to recover from backups, rather than cede to ransomware demands. In fact, recent Databarracks research found that just 17% of UK businesses paid the ransom in the past year.

The changes in response and recovery are in part down to better backup practices. Managed Service Providers (MSPs), IT partners, and resellers have all played a crucial role in supporting businesses beyond the common compliance checkboxes and anti-virus software solutions of the past.

Businesses are now utilizing channel partners’ expertise to implement resilience strategies that include air-gapped and immutable backups and conducting regular testing, planning, and rehearsal. All of this is giving businesses the confidence to say no to ransom demands.

Air-gapped, immutable backups

The best exit route for organizations facing ransomware is to be in a position where they can choose not to make the payment. In order to do that, they first need to have an air-gapped, immutable backup that can’t be compromised.

There are several different methods to create air gaps now. There are also several ways to introduce ‘immutability’ that balance access with storage and cost. The channel can play a crucial part in supporting businesses with this step, advising on the best method, solution, and supporting technology per a business’s unique needs, then handling the implementation too.

One of the added benefits of outsourcing backups to a managed service provider is that you introduce another level of separation between production data and backups. Our recommendation from a continuity perspective would be to adopt a multi-vendor approach wherever possible. For example, having one supplier delivering production IT and another looking after IT resilience.

Implementing immutable storage is often touted as a silver bullet, but channel partners need to explain to their customers that they are committing to an increase in storage, too. There’s no blanket policy or simple answer for every organization; any decisions need to balance cost and risk.

Having all of this in place isn’t enough on its own, either; businesses also have to want to refuse the ransom. In rare cases, the ransom will even cost less than carrying out your own recovery.

Prepared, rehearsed, and resilient

The right channel partner can support more than just implementing new techniques and technologies. They also play a role in keeping cybersecurity policies and incident response plans up to date and can ensure that businesses are aware of any new requirements.

Crucially, they ensure teams are trained to recognize and report incidents promptly. While most organizations are already delivering cybersecurity awareness training — a necessary baseline — not all are pairing it, as they should, with incident response exercises.

Channel partner support with recovery planning and rehearsal is integral in instilling confidence for when disaster strikes. It’s always advisable to conduct regular cyber crisis management exercises to test plans and ensure preparedness.

Regulation plays its part

The shift in ransomware response is also in part due to new regulations. The UK Government confirmed its new ransomware policy in July, which includes a ban on ransom payments by public sector bodies and critical national infrastructure operators, plus mandatory reporting and pre-payment notification for the private sector.

While this is bold, the data shows the direction of travel was already clear. In one sense, the policy is a formalization of where UK businesses were already headed. Paying the ransom used to feel like the only option. Now, the best-prepared organizations are recovering faster, more reliably, and without funding criminals.

Overall, the balance is shifting. Despite these changes, the best antidote to ransomware – beyond any regulatory directives – remains preparedness.

The road ahead

The channel is empowering more organizations to make that choice and take a meaningful step towards strengthening the UK’s cyber resilience and breaking the cycle of ransomware attacks.

Recovery isn’t a last resort; it’s a strategy. The organizations that plan and rehearse their recoveries are the ones that come through an attack strongest. That’s how you beat ransomware: not by paying, but by preparing to recover.

Pure Storage has announced a refresh of its Reseller Partner Program in a bid to drive partner profitability.

The revamp aims to equip partners with the tools to cater to customers’ data storage and modernization needs, the firm said, as well as enable tailoring of the Pure Storage platform to address solution-specific use cases, such as AI and cyber resilience.

Partners can now benefit from new solution-oriented training, with on-demand courses and technical boot camps available to those looking to enhance proficiencies.

Specifically, Pure said its solution-oriented use cases focus on four key areas to help partners drive transformation, including hybrid cloud optimization, AI-ready infrastructure, modern applications, and cyber resilience.

The program also features new tools, incentives, and rebates designed to accelerate customers’ transition to the Pure Storage platform.

In an announcement, Pure said the additions will help channel partners maximize their earning potential while providing enhanced support to customers.

“Pure Storage is deeply committed to driving shared success with its partners and we are excited to deliver a reimagined program experience that positions partners for exponential growth,” commented Amy Fowler, general manager of Pure Storage’s Commercial business.

“Partners recognize the unrivalled value in leading with the Pure Storage Platform to solve customers’ most challenging data storage use cases and guiding their imperative to build and operate responsibly for a sustainable future.”

Pure Storage expands partner tool options

Alongside the new training options, resellers can also access a host of updated tools through the program.

With Pure Partner Intelligence, partners can leverage real-time insights and analytics to identify growth opportunities, while Pure Realize serves up use case proposals, price quotes, and solution expertise to help partners differentiate themselves as providers.

There’s also a new digital partner master services agreement (DPMSA) process on hand for automated customer upgrades, expansions, and renewals via the Pure1 platform. Pure said the process enables quote requests, purchase orders, and installations in “a fraction of the time” it takes with competitors.

Additionally, partners will find a redesigned partner portal, new CPQ tooling for guided selling, as well as further updates later in the fiscal year, Pure said.

“Pure really leaned in and revamped their Reseller Partner Program by enhancing the unique tools and processes we need to deliver additional value to our customers,” commented Kapil Bansal, SVP of Partner Management & Solutions at SHI International, a Pure partner.

“From more relevant platform and solution-level enablement, to smarter and better-aligned incentives, to intelligence in recognizing growth opportunities, these program enhancements will help more efficiently address the huge customer demand in the storage market.”

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Credential security specialist Dashlane has announced the launch of a new global partner program designed to help reseller partners better address credential-based threats.

The Dashlane Partner Program introduces a tiered channel framework to help partners generate new revenue streams while offering differentiated solutions that help customers tackle credential-driven and identity-based attacks, the firm said.

Resellers will have access to Dashlane’s suite of proactive credential protection tools, which work to help organizations manage and share credentials, alert them to phishing attempts and compromised passwords, as well as strengthen overall security posture.

That includes the company’s Credential Risk Detection solution, which is designed to continuously monitor and detect use of at-risk credentials in real-time across the workforce, regardless of whether employees are using a password manager tool.

“Our partner program is foundational to our growing investment in the channel and our mission to deliver the credential security that enterprises and their employees need to thrive," commented John Bennett, CEO at Dashlane.

"In this age of identity-based attacks, our program makes it easy for partners to incorporate credential security into their overall enterprise security practice and help their customers prevent breaches."

As part of the program’s new structure, reseller partners can work with Dashlane through three tier options: Discover, Developed, and Distinguished.

With Discover, beginner partners will have access to training, sales materials, and incentive initiatives, the firm said, while the Developed tier targets partners looking to accelerate their credential security business, providing a dedicated channel sales manager as well as increased incentives.

The Distinguished tier, which caters to partners scaling their credential security business, offers further perks such as live training, top-tier incentives, and co-marketing opportunities.

Dashlane said all partners will be able to leverage financial incentives designed to drive mutual business growth, as well as elevated brand awareness through the company’s global customer base.

The firm added that it plans to continue scaling the program during 2025 as part of its commitment to driving channel-led growth.

Commenting on the new program, Brian O’Donnell, vice president of Dashlane partner Carahsoft, highlighted Dashlane’s history of providing ‘secure and simple to use’ password management and credential security tools to businesses around the world.

"The new, tiered program gives us a shared vision for future growth — not only based on Dashlane's continued commitment to our business' development, but also because they prove themselves as industry leaders, flipping the script on the traditional approach to credential security to more effectively address our customers' needs," he said.

A system administrator at software firm Avaya has been indicted following his involvement in a fraud scheme that saw pirated licenses worth $88 million sold to co-conspirators over the course of several years. 

US courts said on Friday that Brad Pearce conspired with New Jersey-based businessman Jason Hines in what officials described as a “massive international scheme” to profit from the sale of pirated telephone system software licenses. 

Pearce, who officials said was a “long-time customer service employee” at the software firm, abused his sysadmin privileges to generate keys for IP Office software licenses. 

IP Office is a telephone system used by hundreds of small businesses across the United States and abroad. To access the system, users were required to purchase access keys from an authorized Avaya distributor or reseller. 

“Brad Pearce, a long-time customer service employee at Avaya, allegedly used his system administrator privileges to generate those keys without authorization, creating tens of thousands of them that he sold to Hines and other customers,” the Department of Justice said in a statement on Friday. 

According to earlier court documents on the case, Pearce was alleged to have abused sysadmin privileges to use former Avaya employee accounts to generate additional license keys. 

Thereafter, the licenses were purchased by Hanes’ company, Direct Business Services International (DBSI) - a New Jersey-based business communications systems provider and, up until recently, an authorized Avaya reseller. 

The scheme, which lasted several years, resulted in the sale of software licenses with a retail value of over £88 million. 

Officials added that Hines’ business was “by far” the largest customer in the pirated license scheme, purchasing over 55% of the total stolen. 

Hines pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, officials said last week. 

As part of a plea agreement, the Department of Justice said it had agreed “not to advocate” for a prison sentence of more than five years. 

In addition, Hines must forfeit “at least” $2 million as part of the deal and make full restitution to his victims. 

For their involvement in the scheme, Brad and Dusti Pearce were charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, as well as a charge of money laundering.

Pearce’s involvement in the conspiracy marks the second case this year in which a company employee has actively defrauded their employer, or colluded with outside individuals to do so. 

In May, a UK-based IT worker was convicted of unauthorized computer access and blackmail after hijacking a ransomware attack on his employer. 

Ashley Liles was found to have attempted to blackmail his employer, Oxford Biomedica, into paying a ransom in the wake of a 2018 security breach. 

Liles hijacked the ransomware attack and posed as the culprits in order to blackmail company executives into paying a ransom. 

Cyber security vendor Malwarebytes has announced a refresh of its reseller partner program, which combines its endpoint security technology with channel incentives such as base and multi-year discounts.

Designed to help partners create profitable and consistent business growth, the new program features three tiers: gold, silver, and bronze – with specific benefits for each level. 

Those include margin discounts, protected margins on deal registration, lead sharing, NFR licenses, as well as access to market development funds (MDF). 

The initiative also supports targeting specific verticals with specialized bundle solutions that Malwarebytes said will fulfill vertical needs and drive targeted engagement with a partner’s customer base.

“Today’s evolving threat landscape means that organizations are leaning on their partners to be their trusted IT advisors and cyber security experts more than ever before,” said Jason Coville, chief sales officer at Malwarebytes. 

“We believe it is critical to invest in and support our partners as they guide their customers to a more secure future. We are committed to providing our partners with cutting-edge security solutions that are easy to use, create growth, and provide fast time-to-value.”

Malwarebytes says its revamped reseller program offers competitive pricing and margins to help increase overall earnings potential with deal registrations, as well as additional margin and deal exclusivity on all new opportunities.

There’s also sales and technical training for Malwarebytes solutions, as well as a host of marketing resources such as co-branded collateral, a global campaign repository, and partner communications. 

Partners can access these sales and marketing resources through the Malwarebytes Partner Experience Center (PXC) portal, where they can also register deals and provide customers with free trials.

The firm said the initiative will also benefit from mutual engagement, with partners able to provide input to help drive technology development, as well as future marketing and sales activities.

“At Malwarebytes, if it doesn’t work for our channel partners, it doesn’t work for us,” said Philip Walsh, Malwarebytes’ channel account sales leader for EMEA. 

“Our new reseller program has many elements truly valuable for partners looking to create profitable and predictable businesses. We are focused on making Malwarebytes easy to buy, sell, deploy, and manage.”

Matthew Whitton, chief operating officer of Climb Global Solutions EMEA, a Malwarebytes partner, praised the security vendor’s channel revamp.

“The new reseller program is a testament to Malwarebytes’ ongoing prioritization of the channel,” he said. 

“It offers many opportunities to grow our business, offer additional solutions to upsell and cross sell and gives my team the training and support they need to fully understand and advise customers.”

Cyber security provider Dragos has announced the launch of its new Dragos Global Partner Program, which will enable partners to act as industrial controls systems (ICS) and operational technology (OT) experts and advisors.

Dragos specializes in cyber security for ICS and OT environments, providing visibility into ICS/OT assets, vulnerabilities, threats, and response actions. 

The firm’s solutions protect organizations across industries such as energy, manufacturing, building automation systems, water, government, food, and more. 

Partners will have access to the Dragos platform for visibility into customer assets, Dragos Professional Services, as well as threat intelligence via the Dragos WorldView offering. Dragos OT Watch also enables managed ICS/OT threat hunts and notification triage, while Neighborhood Keeper provides collective defense.

Positioned as the only channel program that spans OT, services, and threat intelligence, the initiative provides training to help partners position themselves as specialist advisors able to offer their customers assessment services, resell the Dragos security platform, as well as manage deployment.

In an announcement, Dragos said partners will be able to offer the full range of ICS/OT cyber security technology and services to increase revenue opportunities and deliver positive results for customers.

“Market demand for OT cyber security is accelerating as evolving threats, geopolitical dynamics, and regulations shine a spotlight on the need to protect industrial infrastructure,” said Christophe Culine, VP of global sales and CRO at Dragos. 

“With the new Dragos Global Partner Program, we will transfer our knowledge and experience as the industry’s ICS/OT cyber security leader to our channel partners, enabling them to fully manage their customers’ deployments with the industry’s most comprehensive and complete ICS/OT security solution.”

Partners can access the program’s training via a self-service portal that pulls together automated deal registration, marketing materials, and access to self-paced ICS cyber security skills training through Dragos Academy training modules.

There are also market development funds (MDF), including proposal-based MDFs for demand and lead generation, as well as cumulative volume discounts and deal registration with increased margin for identifying opportunities.

Sean Tufts, practice director of ICS and IoT security at Dragos partner Optiv, said the partner program enables both businesses to achieve joint commercial success.

“The comprehensive, unparalleled training we get from Dragos and the highly differentiated product offerings allow us to triage and investigate potential incidents for our customers, enabling quicker response and visibility into the breadth and depth of attacks as well as affected devices,” he said. 

“All this allows us to give our customers the confidence that their operational technology and industrial infrastructure are secure, resilient, and compliant.”

Unified secure access edge (SASE) and SD-WAN solutions provider Aryaka has cut the ribbon on IGNYTE, a new reseller initiative that sits within its Accelerate Global Partner Program. 

The program has been designed to facilitate between 25-35% margins on each partner deal, as well as provide discounts and sales and marketing support that focuses on pipeline creation.

In an announcement, Aryaka said it’s aiming to “reignite” its partnerships with value-added resellers (VARs) and systems integrators around the world.

This focus will be especially strong across EMEA, where the firm has key relationships with businesses such as Deutsche Telekom and CDW.

“IGNYTE enables resellers to offer market-leading unified SASE solutions quickly through our ‘as a service’ model,” said Craig Patterson, senior vice president of global channels. 

“We offer competitive margins and low risk with no upfront investment or revenue commitments. Plus, we offer white-label and co-management options.”

Headquartered in San Mateo, California, Aryaka specializes in fully managed SD-WAN and unified SASE solutions, claiming to offer flexible architecture and all-in-one services to help companies of any size modernize their business.

The firm has been making moves to strengthen its channel activity over the last 18 months.

Back in January 2022, it launched the Aryaka Accelerate Global Partner Program, which unified its partner-led go-to-market strategy under a single framework.

At the time, the company said its new streamlined initiative would help partners find expanded revenue opportunities through its all-in-one SD-WAN and SASE solutions.

In January 2023, Aryaka announced the appointment of Jon Selway as its new vice president of channel sales for EMEA. The seasoned channel pro now leads the new reseller initiative across the region as part of the wider Accelerate program.

“We’re excited to introduce IGNYTE to our partner community,” Selway said. “Our new SD-WAN and SASE offerings tailored to small and midmarket enterprises are aligned with our partners’ go-to-market models. And our free services promotion will help IGNYTE partners capture market share.”

Last month, Aryaka unveiled a revamped enterprise managed service experience for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), promising to deliver high-performing and easy-to-use solutions starting at less than $150 per site.

The recent GoDaddy breach which affected 1.2 million customers has now widened to include subsidiaries that resell the firm’s Managed WordPress offering.

The hosting company has revealed that the companies are 123Reg, Domain Factory, Heart Internet, Host Europe, Media Temple and tsoHost.

GoDaddy confirmed to Wordfence that several of the resellers’ customers have been affected by the attack, which is said to have exposed email addresses, customer numbers, administrative login details, and even SSL private keys since it began.

The hosting giant stopped short of confirming how many additional users have now been affected, however.

“The GoDaddy brands that resell GoDaddy Managed WordPress are 123Reg, Domain Factory, Heart Internet, Host Europe, Media Temple, and tsoHost,” Dan Rice, vice president of corporate communications at GoDaddy, revealed to Wordfence.

“A small number of active and inactive Managed WordPress users at those brands were impacted by the security incident. No other brands are impacted. Those brands have already contacted their respective customers with specific detail and recommended action.”

As reported by our sister website ITPro, GoDaddy revealed in a public filing to the SEC that an intruder had gained entry to its Managed WordPress hosting environment on Nov 17, having used a stolen password to access the provisioning system for the service.

The company disclosed that up to 1.2 million active and former users of its managed service had their email addresses and company numbers exposed. It also had to reset passwords after sFTP and database usernames and passwords were also stolen.

Additionally, GoDaddy is currently issuing new certificates for a “subset of active customers” that had their SSL private keys exposed.

It was also discovered that the attacker had been inside the system since September 6, equating to more than two months of access to the data.

"We are sincerely sorry for this incident and the concern it causes for our customers," the company said in its filing. "We, GoDaddy leadership and employees, take our responsibility to protect our customers’ data very seriously and never want to let them down.

“We will learn from this incident and are already taking steps to strengthen our provisioning system with additional layers of protection."

Microsoft has warned its resellers and managed service providers that the hacking group behind the SolarWinds cyber attack has now turned its attention to the company's global supply chain.

The tech giant said that it believes the Russian state-backed hacking group, known as Nobelium, ultimately hopes to piggyback on any direct access that resellers may have to their customers’ IT systems and more easily impersonate an organisation’s trusted technology partner to gain access to their downstream customers.

Microsoft said that the attacks used well-known techniques, like password spray and phishing, to steal legitimate credentials and gain privileged access. It began observing Nobelium’s latest campaign in May 2021 and has been notifying affected partners and customers.

So far, the company has notified over 140 resellers and technology service providers currently being targeted by the group. It also believes as many as 14 resellers and service providers have already been compromised.

These attacks have been part of a larger wave of Nobelium activities this summer, the company said. Between 1 July and 19 October, Microsoft believes that 22,868 attacks were conducted by the group against 609 customers, with a success rate in the low single digits. As a comparison, before 1 July, approximately 20,500 attacks from nation-state hackers were recorded over the course of three years.

“This recent activity is another indicator that Russia is trying to gain long-term, systematic access to a variety of points in the technology supply chain and establish a mechanism for surveilling – now or in the future – targets of interest to the Russian government,” said Tom Burt, corporate vice president of Customer Security & Trust.

From what it has learned over the past several months, Microsoft is working to implement improvements to better secure and protect its technology partners. This includes launching a programme on 15 October to provide two years of an Azure Active Directory Premium plan for free to strengthen security controls, and it’s piloting new granular features for organisations that want to provide privileged access to resellers.

It's also piloting improved monitoring to help partners and customers manage and audit their delegated privileged accounts and remove unnecessary authority, as well as auditing unused privileged accounts and working with partners to assess and remove unnecessary privilege and access.

The company also revealed it has been coordinating with the security community to improve its knowledge of Nobelium’s activity, including government agencies in the US and Europe. It believes it is in a much better position to defend against these threats thanks to the US cyber security executive order and information sharing between industry and government.

In September, it emerged that Nobelium was stealing data from Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) servers, with Microsoft warning that the group was found to be using a post-exploitation backdoor dubbed FoggyWeb to remotely exfiltrate sensitive data.

The group was also blamed for an attack on a Microsoft employee’s computer in June, implanting malware on a device belonging to a customer support agent to obtain information belonging to customers.

Unified communications specialist Zoom has announced a new partner programme that has been designed to increase the adoption of Zoom Phone.

Resellers now have the opportunity to sell Zoom Bring Your Own Carrier (BYOC) licenses, which the vendor says will open up new revenue opportunities, as well as provide maximum flexibility to customers.

Customers who use enhanced cloud peering to access PTSN will also soon have access to the Zoom Phone Provider Exchange, allowing them to find the ideal provider and provision phone numbers securely from the Zoom portal.

“As our channel program continues to evolve, I’m excited to introduce the Reseller Program for Zoom Phone BYOC as a new opportunity for our reseller partners,” announced Laura Padilla, Head of Global BD and Channel at Zoom.

Zoom Phone is a fully featured cloud phone system built on the Zoom platform. Zoom Phone BYOC gives enterprise customers the flexibility to keep their current PSTN service providers by redirecting existing voice circuits to the Zoom Phone cloud or implement a hybrid setup with Zoom Calling Plans.

The vendor says this will allow customers to enjoy the benefits of Zoom Phone while keeping their existing service provider contracts, phone numbers, and calling rates.

Previously, only Zoom Master Agents could refer deals for Zoom Phone and Zoom Phone BYOC but now Zoom is opening up the opportunity to its resellers around the world. For now, the firm said it is currently running a pilot scheme for select resellers but will expand the programme by the end of the year.

“We’ve seen a lot of success in selling Zoom Phone, reaching two million seats in just 10 quarters, and I see a lot of opportunity for our resellers with our Zoom Phone BYOC program,” Padilla added.

“Zoom Phone BYOC provides customers with the flexibility to stay on their current carrier or easily use a combination to best meet their geographic reach and service needs.”

AWS is set to launch AWS Australia to allow customers in the region to purchase the company’s cloud services locally.

The tech giant, which has operated in the country for nearly ten years, wants to establish AWS Australia as an affiliated legal entity of AWS Inc and appoint it as a reseller of AWS cloud services for all customer accounts based in Australia, it declared in a FAQ on its website.

AWS doesn’t have a specific date for the change, which needs to be approved by the Australian Foreign Investment Review Board, but it will see AWS Australia provide Amazon Connect, Amazon SNS, Amazon Chime, and Amazon Pinpoint cloud services. However, Amazon Media Communication Services (AMCS) will continue to provide public switched telephone network-related features through AWS Inc.

The company said the move should simplify the process of acquiring cloud services and lead to greater adoption of the technology across the country.

“We regularly review our business structure to ensure that we are able to best serve our customers,” an AWS spokesperson told IT Pro. “AWS plans to launch an Australian Seller of Record to support the growing adoption of cloud computing by enabling our customers in Australia to purchase AWS Cloud services from an Australia based company.”

Purchases made through AWS Australia will be invoiced from the entity, whereas purchases from AMCS will continue to be invoiced by AWS Inc. All customers with accounts based in Australia will be charged a 10% Goods and Services Tax (GST) on all services sold by AWS Australia.

Through the new affiliate, pricing will remain in US dollars although those who pay by credit card will pay in Australian dollars by default and if customers pay through invoice they can choose to pay in US or Australian dollars.

There will be no change to how customers receive and use AWS cloud services, with the only change being the AWS entity that customers contract with for purchasing AWS Cloud services.

Current customer agreements with AWS Inc will be replaced with a new one with AWS Australia, and the company said that the continued use of AWS cloud services following its launch would mean that customers accept the new agreement.

AWS business or government customers will need to update their Australian Business Number and other taxation information on the AWS Bill Dashboard, while other customers need to ensure their details are up to date.

Infrastructure software as a service (SaaS) provider Nebulon has announced its new smartPartner programme, as well as new incentives in the form of Nebulon smartStart and Nebulon smartRewards.

The firm says the additions have been designed to help reseller partners significantly accelerate and grow both their revenue and margins in the current saturated market.

The smartPartner programme will provide resellers with access to Nebulon’s differentiated application infrastructure – smartInfrastructure – to help win incremental business and drive more revenue compared to hyper-converged offerings.

The initiative will also offer access to incentives for its members to help them close new deals quicker, as well as boost their recurring revenue-based solutions, the firm said.

“It’s no secret that the channel has experienced limited margins and growth as a direct result of overly-distributed hyper-converged platforms,” commented Tim Pitcher, Nebulon’s Vice President of Sales.

“With smartInfrastructure we are excited to offer our reseller partners a unique and differentiated cloud-managed, on-premises solution which enables them to overcome these challenges while significantly accelerating their business growth.”

Through the smartPartner programme, resellers will have access to the two new incentive schemes – smartRewards and smartStart.

A tiered ‘frequent seller’ programme, smartRewards offers partner members rebates based on their Nebulon ON SaaS subscription sales. There are Silver, Gold and Platinum tiers, with each level offering incremental rebates.

The second programme, smartStart, aims to accelerate early wins with smartInfrastructure, Nebulon says. The initiative provides a rebate on Nebulon Service Processing Units (SPUs) on a partner’s first deal, with members qualifying for additional smartStart incentives when moving up the tiers.

Dev Tyagi, chief sales and marketing officer at Boston, who recently partnered with Nebulon to resell its offering, said the programme was a stamp of commitment to the channel.

“We are really pleased that Nebulon has opted to take a partner-first approach with this new programme and with smartInfrastructure we are able to offer and innovative and differentiated product, which has the potential to provide a much more effective business solution for our customers,” he said.

A Derbyshire-based Microsoft reseller is suing the company for £270 million in damages for allegedly trying to destroy its business model by incentivising customers to migrate towards its cloud-based services.

ValueLicensing operates by purchasing second-hand perpetual Microsoft licenses, such as Office 2019 or Visio 2016, from companies that are either upgrading their IT estates or have declared insolvency. It then sells these on to other organisations at a discounted price, saving them money against purchasing first-hand licenses from Microsoft.

However, since 2016, Microsoft has been persuading companies to give up their licenses in exchange for discounts on its cloud-based services, rather than sell these on to companies like ValueLicensing, Softcorner, and Preo.

The effect is a reduction in the size of the used licenses market and a reduction in supply for Microsoft resellers, according to ValueLicensing founder Jonathan Horley, speaking to the Financial Times. This amounts to Microsoft “abusing its power” as it deprives businesses of the option of buying used IT services.

The firm is now seeking damages in the order of £270 million for loss of sales in the UK and the EU from 2016 to date, as well as interest, declaratory relief, other relief, and associated costs, according to a ValueLicensing spokesperson.

“Microsoft has sought, over the last several years, to shift its business model from selling perpetual licenses to selling periodic subscriptions,” the spokesperson told IT Pro. “Rather than paying once for perpetual licenses, with occasional paid upgrades or software assurance contracts, customers pay for subscriptions on a recurring basis.

“Since Microsoft 365 subscribers take Microsoft services (such as email and file hosting) as well as using Office applications, they provide Microsoft with greater opportunities further to increase its average revenue per user by up-selling those users to higher subscription tiers, additional functionality, additional services, and more storage. Offering cloud-based services to subscription customers also allows Microsoft to gather valuable data through its customers’ use of those services.”

Speaking to the FT, Horley added that Microsoft has a highly lucrative incentive to remove the older perpetual licenses from the market, with customers having little choice but to move to its subscription model as a result.

The developer has long been keen on transitioning more and more of its customers to its cloud-based services, such as the newly rebranded Microsoft 365. This suite encompasses the breadth of the firm’s workplace services, including Outlook and Teams.

Horley’s accusation that Microsoft is reducing the size of the used perpetual licenses market fits into the wider trends generally.

For instance, despite recently launching a standalone Office 2021 suite, Microsoft only plans to offer support for five years, excluding extended support, instead of the standard ten years it’s offered with previous releases. Office 2019, similarly, was launched with just five years of support. Pricing for Office Professional Plus, Office Standard, and individual apps will also increase by 10% for commercial customers against Office 2019.

IT Pro has asked Microsoft for comment.

Dell Technologies has unveiled its new RISE program for partners in EMEA, which has been designed to maximise profit potential and growth for channel businesses.

Now live, the initiative merges Dell’s existing independent country offerings into a single unified offering for the region.

As part of the Dell Technologies Partner Program, RISE aims to provide an improved and more lucrative engagement path for both new and existing authorised resellers, enabling them to sell more across the Dell client and server portfolios.

The refreshed scheme will reward partners as they progress and work towards metal tier requirements and further financial benefits, Dell said.

“In 2020 we have seen growth in every quarter in the number of resellers selling Dell Technologies products and solutions, but now we want to capture and accelerate this momentum,” explained Ralf Jordan, VP of EMEA distribution at Dell.

RISE offers a range of levels for partners - Ignite, Boost, Advanced and Elite - that aim to help them level up to metal tiers.

With its progressive reward scale, the initiative rewards partners on a US dollars per-box basis, based on revenue made through a Dell Technologies Authorised Distributor.

These can be earned on a range of commercial client products – including Displays, Latitude Notebooks, Optiplex, and Precision Workstations, XPS Desktops, PowerEdge Servers, and more.

Dell said partners will be able to accumulate dollars every quarter, paid out as e-vouchers for Ignite and Boost partners or credit notes for Advanced and Elite members, which can then be used against partners’ next Dell purchase from an Authorised Distributor.

Existing partners will be moved to the RISE program automatically, the vendor added, while new resellers can enrol as Ignite or Boost tier partners via Dell’s Performance Portal.

“With our industry-leading portfolio and launch of RISE, we’re providing a more formal engagement path for these Authorised Partners to become part of the Dell Technologies partner community and grow their Dell Technologies business even further,” Jordan added.

“Through RISE, partners will have increased opportunity and profit potential to support their growth with us and rise through the Dell Technologies Program levels.”

Communications and technology firm Intercity Technology has been chosen as an early access reseller partner for Google’s Android Enterprise Essentials service in the UK.

The move will see the Birmingham-based company work exclusively with Google to make Android Enterprise Essentials more accessible to SMEs in the UK – enabling greater levels of protection for their mobile devices and data as remote working continues across the country.

Intercity said Google’s new solution will transform the Android Enterprise marketplace at a time when security breaches have continued to be the rise.

“Mobile computing is the future. People increasingly expect to be able to access business-critical data and apps on their mobiles, at any time and in any location – a trend which has been rapidly accelerated by Covid-19,” commented Andrew Jackson, CEO of Intercity Technology.

“Whilst mobile and remote working has proven to support productivity in the short-term, we have also seen a significant increase in security breaches which have left businesses more vulnerable to cyber-attacks.”

To compound the issue, IDC Worldwide’s Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker found that only 15% of devices sold to businesses around the world each year are managed by an Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) solution.

The Android Enterprise Essentials solution looks to plug this security gap, however, and ensure more SMEs have their handsets protected from theft, phishing attacks, and viruses.

The offering is applied automatically, which eliminates the need to manually activate each device - allowing those purchasing an Android device from a reseller to distribute them to employees with policies already in place.

These security features include screen lock enforcement to prevent unauthorised access to sensitive data, always-on malware protection, as well as the ability for businesses to remotely wipe devices and reset screen locks if a device is lost or stolen.

“Working closely with the team at Google, we look forward to introducing this modern-day solution to our customers throughout the UK,” Jackson added.

OpsRamp has announced three new partnerships in the UK, as the IT operations management firm moves to better support the AIOps needs of European businesses.

Expanding its market presence in the country, the vendor has struck deals with security and IT advisory and implementation firms Kedron UK, Tactile Technology and Maple Networks.

The trio will resell or use OpsRamp to manage client environments, meeting the growing need to efficiently monitor, manage and optimise complex hybrid IT infrastructure and support digital business initiatives, the company said.

The new partnerships follow hot on the heels of a record-breaking Q3 for OpsRamp, during which it signed multiple big deals in the US and EMEA.

“For OpsRamp, this is all about aggressively moving where our competitors are not in order to support the AIOps needs of European enterprises,” commented George Bonser, vice president of Sales, EMEA at OpsRamp.

Powered by artificial intelligence, OpsRamp’s software as a service (SaaS) platform is designed to help enterprise IT teams monitor and manage their cloud and on-premises infrastructure, offering hybrid infrastructure discovery and monitoring, event and incident management, as well as remediation and automation.

The IT operations management (ITOM) solution comes ready for any existing environment, the firm says, boasting pre-built integrations, APIs, as well as a host of tools to develop custom integrations with DevOps, ITSM, security and numerous other tools.

Now, with its three new UK partnerships, OpsRamp says it is seizing the opportunity to support under-served European enterprises that require AI-based visibility into the performance of cloud and on-premises infrastructure.

“With Kedron, Tactile and Maple Networks, we have found partners that thoroughly appreciate the IT challenges of local businesses and have formed relationships with many of the region’s IT leaders,” Bonser added. “We have hit the ground running with all three companies and anticipate significant traction in a short amount of time.”

Contact centre solutions firm Genesys has announced it has extended its reseller agreement with BT, in a move which enables the communications provider to sell and support Genesys Cloud.

An all-in-one public cloud contact centre solution, Genesys Cloud will strengthen BT's ability to support organisations of all sizes, regardless of whether they use public and private cloud, on-premises or hybrid setups, the firm said.

BT customers will now be able to choose Genesys Cloud to tackle their contact centre needs, with the all-in-one offering designed to establish more connected, meaningful customer relationships across any channel – including voice, text, web chat and social.

Already boasting an extensive set of features, the platform also promises continuous innovation and a rapid release of new capabilities to ensure ease-of-use, radical simplification and speed.

"By adding Genesys Cloud to our portfolio, we will strengthen our ability to address any requirement from customers ranging from 25 users to tens of thousands," commented Steve Macgregor, director for the digital workplace and customer contact portfolio, Global, BT.

"We're excited to continue to grow our long-standing relationship with Genesys. It will enable more of our customers to access the flexibility, scalability and choice of our cloud offers."

Building on BT's existing Gold Partner status selling Genesys Engage, the telecoms firm passed a "stringent review process", Genesys revealed, demonstrating excellence in customer care, product certification, technical knowledge, professional services and market success.

"BT has an illustrious history in delivering highly transformative communications experiences. Combined with its vast consultative, educational and support services, this has enabled customers to realise maximum return on their Genesys Engage investments," said Alistair Burton, BT channel director for Genesys.

"Now as a reseller of Genesys Cloud, we look forward to building upon our successful partnership and leveraging our portfolio offering with BT to help more organisations extend the value of solutions even further."

There’s no doubt that we’re all living very different lives than we’re used to, both personally and professionally. Businesses are struggling against an unseen foe and are trying to operate, with almost nil preparation, to survive under current conditions. This dramatic shift and struggle to adapt, however, means we haven’t really had the chance to take stock and think about what the future may look like.

If we consider the UK reseller environment right now, there’s one major dilemma, namely is now the time to batten down the hatches and try to mitigate the damage that may come as a result of the pandemic? Or is raising the mainsail and doubling down on operations the best way to turn the tide?

In my opinion, and based on over 30 years of experience, now is the time for resellers to seize all available opportunities and, more importantly, not to not give up. After all, people working in this challenging environment are willing to make bold choices and, where possible, businesses need to move fast. Now is the time to be brave and just go for it. In the midst of murky waters that lie ahead, taking a calculated risk may see resellers reap the rewards.

All hands-on deck

Unquestionably, we’re far from ‘business as usual’. Although, despite so much uncertainty, we can look to a handful of silver linings. The ways in which our normal ways of working, for example, have changed during COVID-19, in turn, presenting new opportunities. Now is the time for resellers to engage with their new and existing distributors to assess whether there are new value-add technologies that can be provided to end-users. Think strategically about how the pandemic is affecting them, what might be keeping them up at night, and how these challenges can be met. Resellers can then adjust their pitch around addressing these specific concerns.

This is also an ideal time to show current vendors some love. Resellers should be thinking about increasing the amount of product training being offered across their sales teams. Become an expert and have a full understanding of each vendor and their products sets. This is where value can really be added. Vendors want to work with partners who are focused on their technologies and will prioritise their attention and resources to these partners; make sure you’re one of them.

Running a tight ship

During the good times, reseller partners can feel comfortable about how they’re performing and might be reluctant to move their business to a new supplier; the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ mentality. However, in recessionary times resellers are concerned about how they can remain profitable and somehow sustain or even grow their business. Resellers may have seen their sales pipeline fall in recent times and will be more eager than normal to discover new marketing angles to generate sales. Marketing is often the first budget line to be cut in times of crisis but that’s a short-term strategy. Don’t stop marketing. I can’t stress that enough. Distributors should be able to help here, particularly on the marketing side. Putting a stop on marketing would be one of the worst things you could do right now; just be sure to adapt it. In this way, having good incentive programmes and bespoke deals will help resellers to generate sales during this time.

Making waves

It’s important that you’re selling a set of solutions that have strong growth potential. I like to point out to my sales teams that they’re selling cutting-edge technologies and not trying to sell black and white TVs.

There are indeed strong areas of growth in the market today. For example, with so many of us working from home, the sheer quantity of people using the cloud has forced many companies to upgrade their existing remote working apps, or deploy new services entirely. It’s entirely plausible that all of this will have a long-term impact on how people work on a virtual basis, in every market. It’s important that resellers, therefore, have a comprehensive plan in place and an understanding of the current market conditions.

This journey ahead is by no means an easy one. For many resellers, the coming months will be the toughest they have ever faced as a business and many may prioritise keeping their heads above water, rather than looking at new opportunities. I truly believe, however, that an optimistic and bold approach now could pay off in the longer term. This is about adapting to what we face right now – and seizing the opportunities that will undoubtedly be on offer in the months ahead.

Michael O’Hara is group managing director at DataSolutions

Two-thirds (65%) of resellers and distributors wish they had a better relationship with vendors, according to new research from Kaspersky.

Despite this, the same number of resellers and distributors admit to finding it increasingly challenging to build relationships with vendors, while 69% said they would prefer more personal contact with their dedicated account manager.

New research from the cyber security company, which was conducted in the UK in collaboration with Arlington Research, has shown that over three-quarters (77%) of resellers and distributors agree that having a personal relationship with vendors is one of their top priorities.

On the other hand, 71% of the 150 interviewees said that they are the ones burdened with establishing the desired relationship, rather than the vendors themselves.

According to Andy Bogdan, head of UK SMB channel at Kaspersky, the results of the survey are clear symptoms of the loss of "the human touch within the channel".

"It should not stay that way," he said. "In business, relationships are key. Building trust and having good, honest communication between all parties is imperative. Vendors must place a far greater emphasis on putting the customer first, and adopt a genuine, customer-centric approach".

Asked about what he means by "human touch", Bogdan said that Kaspersky is "trying to create this message and understanding that cybersecurity isn't just about the thing through on the laptop".

"Cyber security is about both device-centric security and the human factor because we are probably responsible for 85%+ of cyber security incidents," he told Channel Pro. "We're trying to broaden the message that cyber security isn't just the technology piece - it's also a human piece."

The coronavirus lockdown, resulting in a sudden shift to mass remote working, was one of the events that furthered the need for a more human focus. According to Bogdan, "organisations were running, typically, on average five to 10% of personnel working remotely" before social distancing measures were implemented.

"All of a sudden, this lockdown happened, your entire organization has got to move its entire workforce remotely. Now think of the implications, the consequences or repercussions of that. When it comes on actually moving security from an office to remotely, the human factor is so important,” he said.

One of the ways that the "human touch" might be implemented is by focusing on better customer service - 47% of the resellers and distributors surveyed agreed that it is the most important consideration when deciding which vendor to work with.

Vendors should be able to demonstrate a strong understanding of the industry that resellers and distributors are operating in, as well as provide the opportunity to establish strong relationships with the vendor’s key contacts. 72% of respondents saying that being able to reach the top executives and figureheads is particularly important to them.

According to Bogdan, "it’s not too late for other vendors to take action and ensure personal relationships don’t disappear from the channel altogether", but he added that "they must do so now".

"More direct contact is becoming especially important, given that after the pandemic, remote working could be here to stay for many businesses across the UK," he said.

Over the last few years, there has been a lot of talk regarding how distributors and resellers conduct their operations. Many have suggested that these businesses will need to act in more of an MSP-style manner, or even that of a ‘trusted partner’ in order to continue to operate successfully in the market.

Distributors play a key role in a company’s channel, bridging the gap between the vendor and the reseller. This will often involve helping value-added resellers (VARs) to develop their skills and knowledge base, while firms also bring together products and services from multiple vendors to form a sole point of contact.

Resellers then carry out their role of selling these products on to end users. Through this setup, they can offer customers globally recognised brands, training tools and support for services from a variety of vendors.

However, with the ever-changing IT landscape, are distributors and resellers really on the way out? Perhaps not in the strictest sense – but the way these businesses operate is undoubtedly changing.

Changing IT landscape

Many have suggested that channel companies may need to adapt to a more managed service provider (MSP) approach as IT firms continue to shift their operations to the cloud. This would then involve managing customers’ IT infrastructure with a subscription model, rather than focusing on reselling to customers at a mark-up. Others have also noted that there could be gains to be made by operating as a ‘trusted partner’ for a specific vendor, aiding customers’ IT projects with specific products or tailored services.

Gartner’s predictions for the IT market in 2020 also paint a picture of how the landscape is changing. According to the research firm, the enterprise software segment was expected to be the driving force behind a return-to-growth for EMEA IT spending. Within that, Software as a service (SaaS) was expected to achieve 17.7% growth. IT services and communications services, meanwhile, were predicted to rise by 5.3% and 0.7% respectively, while spending on devices was expected to decline by 1.3%.

While these figures will undoubtedly change due to the coronavirus crisis – Gartner is now predicting an overall contraction of 8% in global IT spend – it still shows that while resellers and distributors still have a fundamental role to play, many IT businesses are already moving towards incorporating more service-based models.

The cloud has a huge role to play, too, as spending continues to rise in the segment. In January, Gartner tipped public cloud services spending to total $57.7 billion in EMEA this year, stating that IT businesses with a high percentage of spending dedicated to the cloud would become “the recognised digital leaders of the future”. Indeed, despite the coronavirus outbreak cloud continues to do well, with Gartner describing it as a “bright spot” amid more gloomy forecasts. Thanks to remote working, public cloud spending is expected to grow by 19%, while spending on cloud-based telephony and messaging and cloud-based conferencing will grow 8.9% and 24.3%, respectively.

Distributors are still finding success in this shifting space by offering a range of cyber and cloud tech products and services to partners. Recently, Infinigate UK, a specialist IT security, cloud and MSP distributor, signed an agreement to distribute A10 Networks’ range of IT solutions. A10 said it selected the firm due to its focused and attentive approach.

“We wanted to work with a distributor that was highly focused and experienced within the channel security space,” explained Chris Martin, A10 Networks’ Channel Sales Director. “When I initially reviewed the business plan and met with team Infinigate UK, I was impressed with its approach to on-boarding a new vendor and how the team quickly aligned to take A10 Networks to the correct type of partner relationship.

“Infinigate UK was not simply adding a new vendor, they wanted to successfully assess A10 Networks with regards to being the right vendor to fulfil their customer and partner requirements.”

He added that vendor partners that develop trusted relationships within key verticals bring the most value and that A10 only works with those that are “happy to develop their technical skills to provide true value to the customer”.

“The solutions we put in place for our valued customers takes time, patience and a lot of attention to detail. Our partners fully embrace that part of the overall project lifecycle, and work closely with A10 Networks on the successful projects we have delivered. Our partners are focused on solutions, not transactions,” he said.

Adapting to market disruptions

While there is success to be found, recent severe disruptions to the tech industry and its supply chains means adaptation to market trends is more vital than ever. Incidents such as the COVID-19 pandemic and US-China trade tensions have seen hardware manufacturers and vendors hit hard.

In fact, in light of the coronavirus outbreak, analysis firm Forrester revised its 2020 tech market forecast to predict a slow-down of growth to around 2% in a best-case scenario, assuming major economies recover in the second half of the year. There is also a 50% chance that US and global markets will decline by 2% or more this year if a full recession occurs. This could mean tricky times for traditional distributors and resellers.

“In either scenario, computer and communications equipment spending will be weakest, with potential declines of 5% to 10%,” said Andrew Bartels, VP and Principal Analyst at Forrester. “Tech consulting and systems integration services spending will be flat in a temporary slowdown and could be down by up to 5% if firms really cut back on new tech projects.”

During this particular disruption, IT firms that have adapted to offer MSP-style focused cloud services will be of most use to businesses and end users, as the majority of people work and study remotely.

“The only positive notes would be continued growth in demand for cloud infrastructure services and potential increases in spending on specialised software, communications equipment, and telecom services for remote work and education as firms encourage workers to work from home and schools move to online courses,” Bartels added.

Leading US-based reseller partner TBI Inc. has announced its expansion to the UK as well as its first London-based hire in Toni Leopoldo as director of sales.

The largest privately-held US-based master agent, the firm's UK expansion adds to its existing business of 35 vendors, represented across 40 countries by US-based agents.

TBI said European cloud market growth represented a "significant opportunity" to help businesses increase security measures, assist with SaaS integrations, help reconfigure networks to account for cloud tech and replace legacy IT infrastructure.

"Within the last few years, TBI has seen a shift within businesses abroad to rely on the technology consultant as a trusted advisor. Our European partners are increasingly key components in the technology supply chain," said Geoff Shepstone, president of TBI.

"These consultants are also recognising the value of what Master Agents offer as far as access to key vendors along with the resources and support needed to provide clients best-in-class advice, solutions, cost and implementation."

Founded in 1991, TBI focuses on technology distribution of "next-generation" services, including cloud communications, CPaaS, infrastructure, colocation, SD-WAN and cyber security. The firm specialises in providing IT businesses with technical advice and training, sales support, as well as a number of additional services.

To kickstart its European venture, the company has appointed Toni Leopoldo as director of sales, who brings almost twenty years of IT and SaaS sales experience to the role. Leopoldo will take charge of leading TBI's UK and wider European business, building partnerships and managing in-market support.

"We are extremely pleased to have Leopoldo leading TBI UK as our director of sales," commented Keith Connolly, vice president of sales at TBI. "His prior work within the reseller space, combined with that of UCaaS and SD-WAN expertise on the supplier side, will no doubt be useful to our Europe-based partners and will aid in their growth objectives."

Leopoldo said TBI’s differential offerings will enable European resellers "opportunity to grow their respective business", while the current COVID-19 pandemic has "brought light to the need for businesses to be agile".

"The network, applications and security are critical components to ensure remote work is optimised and productive," he commented. "TBI is proud to offer cutting-edge technologies from vendors around the world and deliver these services and technologies to our partners and their customers—now, when they need it most urgently, but also in the future when the need is ongoing."

Channel businesses have always had a complex relationship with the vendors they work with and the continually shifting and evolving tech landscape has done nothing to help that.

For instance, although many technology vendors sell their products exclusively via their partners, others use a combination of channel and their own direct sales, which can cause friction. Others still have followed an in-house channel pathway.

Each method would appear to have its benefits and drawbacks for both sides of the equation. However, with emerging and disruptive technologies such as IoT, AI, automation and the cloud, channel companies are keener than ever to find new ways of operating. Many that have worked within traditional frameworks are now finding a need to make key changes to align with both vendor operations, partner competency, and shifting customer expectations.

Partner challenges

Research carried out by cybersecurity firm Kaspersky for its Maintaining MSP Momentum report found that more than half (51%) of European MSPs struggle to persuade customers to adopt the solutions they recommend, not just those they have seen marketed. This is despite an increasing number of businesses turning to MSPs to complement or in some cases replace their internal security knowledge.

The challenge for MSPs, therefore, lies in being able to sufficiently convey their vendor product recommendations to customers, Kaspersky said. This is easier said than done, however – according to the report, 30% of those surveyed identified disagreements with clients as a significant issue.

This presents an obvious problem for channel partners if their customers aren’t interested in the products sold by the vendors they work with, or if they’re not the appropriate solution for the business’ needs.

Nevertheless, there’s still a role for them to play in acting as trusted advisors, which can both help mitigate risks that fall outside of what products are used, such as user error, which Kaspersky’s report found was one of the biggest concerns for MSPs. In doing so, they build and maintain their relationship with the client and provide an all-important bridge between vendor and end user – something that vendors may not have the internal resources for.

“While it can be a challenge for MSPs to ensure their customers choose recommended solutions, it is still important for them to provide the best possible advice and arm clients with everything they need to make an informed decision and adopt the right services for their needs,” commented Ivan Bulaev, head of global channel at Kaspersky, at the time of the report’s publication.

“Any disagreement or reduced budgets should not come at the cost of compromised IT security. MSPs can be key advisors to their customers by offering sought after expertise, and with an expanded list of solutions they can help businesses stay secure,” he added.

Shift in routes-to-market

Many technology vendors are also re-thinking the way they take their products to market, with an increasing number opting to cut out the channel altogether and sell products and services direct to customers.

According to Jay McBain, principal analyst for Channel Partnerships & Alliances at research firm Forrester, 2020 will see a “monumental shift” in how buyers are acquiring products, as well as how companies are reacting with their go-to-market and route-to-market strategies.

In a blog post predicting trends for this year and beyond, the analyst said indirect technology spend would continue to grow in cash terms, but grow more slowly than it has previously, while direct sales will grow faster. This trend will continue over the course of the next ten years, meaning the 64/36 percent split between indirect and direct sales will gradually be eroded and could flip completely before the 2020s are out.

“The cloud and emerging technologies such as AI, automation, and the internet of things (IoT) are growing quickly and carry lower indirect percentages than some of the legacy technologies they are replacing,” he said. “For example, after 20 years, software-as-a-service is still stubbornly sitting below the 30% mark for indirect sales with no signs of change.

“Salesforce is recruiting 250,000 new partners in the next four years and has effectively shut down its reseller program.”

McBain added that channel leaders may consider switching to a “trifurcated channel model”, as brands wise up to the importance of getting in front of customers “early and often”. Ultimately, this could mean a move away from more traditional resellers and linear partner programs that have long been present in the channel landscape.

“Creating an ‘influencer channel’ made up of affinity partners, referral agents, affiliates, advocates, ambassadors, and alliances is critical to success in 2020, and the program will need to serve these early digital influencers in a nonlinear fashion.”

However, he did also predict that this will not spell the end for the traditional channel, with long-time partners potentially finding an adapted role that incorporates more than just reselling.

One vendor that has rethought its existing relationship with partners is VMWare, with the virtualisation vendor recently launching its new VMWare Partner Connect programme. The firm says the scheme will evolve in the face of industry changes and will integrate partner programs from new products such as VeloCloud and the recently acquired Carbon Black and Pivotal.

Jenni Flinders, the firm’s global channel lead, said the “complete overhaul” – which was 18 months in development – offers partners more simplicity and flexibility to meet customer needs with VMWare. It also offers three tiers of Partner, Advanced Partner and Principal Partner – with hundreds of partners designated as Principal Partners at launch.

“VMware Partner Connect reimagines the way we do business with and for our partners, helping them drive differentiated customer success and digital transformation,” Flinders said. “We designed Partner Connect with our customers in mind, and the idea that they should feel confident when choosing to go with a VMware partner.”

The role of channel partners is once again changing, with the vendors they once worked with as partners increasingly entering the fray as competition. That doesn’t mean time’s up for the industry, though, as new opportunities open up both in the way businesses work with their clients and the way vendors wish to work with them. Those that will be successful in the future are the ones who spot these opportunities early on and align their business to take advantage of them.

Google has made the latest version of its augmented reality (AR) Glass headset, Google Glass Enterprise Edition 2, available for purchase directly through its resellers following its launch in May last year.

While it was originally only available through a select few workplace resellers, rising demand among developers and businesses keen to build new apps for the AR headset has led the company to make the it more widely available for direct purchase at a cost of $999.

The device, which is built on Android, has been designed to allow developers to integrate their services and APIs they already use. Google has also released a set of open source applications and code samples, including sample layouts and user interface components.

“Since Glass Enterprise Edition 2 launched last May, we've seen strong demand from developers and businesses who are interested in building new, helpful enterprise solutions for Glass," said Google’s Glass project lead, Jay Kothari.

“Glass Enterprise Edition 2 has helped people working in logistics, manufacturing, field services and a variety of other industries do their jobs more efficiently through hands-free access to the information and tools they need to do their job.

“We’re excited to see what kinds of new experiences and solutions developers will make for Glass to shape the future of work.”

The Glass Enterprise Edition 2 is built on the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR1 platform, featuring a significantly more powerful multicore CPU and AI engine than that which featured in the original device.

The company said upon its launch that the latest edition of the AR unit allowed for significant power savings, greater performance levels and machine learning support.

Despite the increase in availability for the unit, there are currently no plans to distribute the device in the UK, according to a Google spokesperson.

Glass was first introduced in 2013 as an experimental piece of technology that displayed information in a smartphone-like hands-free form. After stumbling post-launch, the device found its niche in the enterprise space, with applications found in manufacturing and medicine, among other fields, with the enterprise edition launched in 2017.

It’s a similar journey to that of Microsoft’s mixed reality headset, the HoloLens. The AR device launched a couple of years after Google Glass, around about the same time as the first Glass Enterprise Edition, but Microsoft’s device was aimed squarely at the enterprise market upon launch. The firm, too, released a more refined version of the product last year.

Gone are the days when lucrative storage and server orders provided a reliable revenue stream for the channel. The growth of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) public cloud services has reduced vendors’ main market to departmental file and print servers at best, and has vastly limited their opportunities to sell hardware.

Finding a substitute for this potential loss of income generally means moving away from selling hardware, as storage and server arrays are now commodities. The game has switched away from hardware to software-defined infrastructures and virtualisation.

The landscape is changing

At one time, channel dealers were split between those adding value to software services – value-added resellers, or VARs – and traditional resellers shifting software and tin. Now, the cloud has turned most traditional resellers into VARs and the others only truly prosper in the volume space or online. Many resellers are going further still by moving into the services industry. The knock-on effect is that channel operatives are now accepted as "trusted partners" and are more closely aligned with their customers' businesses.

This has benefits for both the client and the reseller. From the client's perspective, the reseller is no longer linked to stressful disruptions that they are contacted to resolve, because problems are identified before they occur. This way, a constant working relationship is encouraged through the ability to manage services, meaning resellers are assimilated into the client's team.

Stronger relationships can also make it significantly easier to expand service offerings with that particular client. Also, contacts are more likely to be referred your way, and overall, the value of your service will increase leading to greater revenues.

Analyst firm IDC’s Worldwide Server Tracker for Q4 2018 found that year over year revenue increased 12.6% to $23.6 billion worldwide, with midrange server revenue growing 30.3% and high-end systems falling 28.3%.

While this shows a significant improvement from only two years ago, there is still a need to embrace selling solutions and services to futureproof your business, with the potential of moving beyond this by increasingly offering managed services.

There is also a growing demand in the SMB space for local providers that can offer SaaS integrations, packaged offerings that can easily be rolled out into the cloud and more tailored tools for on-premise installations.

Cloud technology is changing constantly and this means resellers not only become closer to their customers, but also form a deeper relationship with their suppliers.

New technologies and trends are emerging

The growing power of containerisation is one of the new development areas in cloud technologies. This is the ability to package all the elements of a virtualised application suite so it can be preconfigured, tested, then dropped into the hardware with a high degree of confidence everything will work well.

Containers mean that configuration changes or other upgrades can be engineered at the resellers’ premises and deployed remotely without the need for costly site visits.

The move from hardware provision to software and services management also smooths cashflow. Unpredictable income spikes are replaced by regular monthly income from ongoing service provision and licensing. Software services and cloud deployments have simplified the reseller market as there is now less need for an army of technology experts. This means the number of customers served increases to compensate for the loss of hardware sales - and reduces the need for highly qualified staff.

Switching customers to managed services makes them less likely to move to a new supplier, eliminating the quarterly rush for contracts and revenue to meet targets and making business planning easier.

The future is flexible

The scalability and flexibility the cloud offers allows customers to expand the ways IT can benefit their businesses, with minimal financial risk.

Offering managed services allows for a predictable cash flow, meaning a constant and stable revenue stream. Clients subscribe to a service that operates regardless of activity levels, bringing revenue even in slow periods. Predictable revenue allows the reseller to develop more accurate business strategies, presenting a real chance at growth.

On the client's side, their systems are constantly maintained, meaning they don't break. And just as the MSP can plan for the future, as can clients as they pay a fixed cost, and so don't have to cover unaccounted disruptions to technology.

The channel also benefits from risk reduction because investment in stock is dramatically reduced. Education and training programmes may be an additional cost, but this could be recouped through service and consultancy fees.

Many of the larger resellers have already made the transition to become managed service providers (MSPs), but cloud services provision is becoming simpler and opening up the option to a broader range of businesses. Hardware sales are increasingly tough deals to win, but the opportunities provided through the cloud are now evident.

Four new UK partners have joined IFS's Partner Network, helping to grow the company's footprint here.

Anthesis, Cedar Bay, Cooper Software and MASS will all be helping IFS distribute its services around the country, aiding businesses to become more digitally aware with their ERP solutions.

Becoming a partner offers a range of benefits including IFS training, certifications and sales resources through the IFS Academy, with the support each needs to increase their expertise when implementing solutions for customers.

The resellers will also be focused to offer IFS's services in a wider variety of industries, with defence, government, aerospace, education and SMEs top of the priority list.

“We are continuously looking at how we can work with partners to deliver the best possible solution to our customers across the UK, while helping them to be successful and to meet their increasingly complex demands," Paul Massey, Managing Director of IFS Europe West said.

"Recognising the commitment that each of our new partners show in terms of service, value, and professionalism, and their focus on helping customers leverage IFS solutions to transform their business, we are delighted to now formalize these four relationships."

Cooper Software has been working closely with IFS for more than ten years, but this latest move means it will be able to enhance the service it provides its customers.

"Extending our partnership from services partner to a channel partner of IFS Applications is the logical next step for us and one which we are excited to take," Cooper Software managing director, Frank Cooper, said.

"We see IFS as the ideal growth partner for Cooper Software and we look forward to working closely together to strengthen our product and service lines as we look to expand our IFS footprint.”

More than 90% of resellers feel frustrated with distribution partners despite needing support more than ever as they undergo digital transformation, the latest research from IT distributor Westcoast has found.

The independent report, titled 'What UK Resellers Really Think', surveyed over 200 UK resellers earlier this year to unearth the services and support most needed in the channel.

Among businesses with a turnover of between £50m and £500m, Westcoast found that 92% of VARs and MSPs feel frustrated with their distributors over lack of contact and flexibility.

Additionally, 92% said they view digital transformation as an opportunity to get closer to customers and 89% felt that distribution can help them with their strategies. However, less than half of these respondents (41%) said they were ready to embark on the digital transformation journey in the next 12-24 months.

The research also found a gap between what businesses know they should be focusing on in the future and what they feel they can confidently do at this moment in time, with cloud services (64%) and machine learning (53%) noted by resellers as key growth areas in the coming 2-3 years.

When it comes to building this growth, 60% said they look to distributors for customer insights, while 51% said they rely on leveraging marketing advice. 44% said they needed distribution for market forecasts.

Despite these findings, Westcoast's report also warned that distributors should not get complacent in addressing the growing frustrations felt by resellers. While 100% of surveyed businesses said they were 'satisfied' or 'very satisfied' with their distribution partners, just 8% said they have 'no frustrations' at all.

Half of respondents (50%) feel their distributors don't offer 'total solutions', while 56% are frustrated by pricing flexibility. Other pain points include a lack of product flexibility (47%) and a lack of personal contact (40%), while 60% said they prefer to buy stock from retailers.

Technology distributor Exertis has broadened the range of Optoma products it offers resellers, which will now include LED displays, interactive flat panel displays and associated accessories.

A leading DLP projector brand across EMEA and worldwide, the Optoma’s solutions include high brightness projectors for meeting rooms, boardrooms and classrooms, ultra-portable LED projectors for off-site meetings, as well as high-resolution projectors for home cinema enthusiasts and gamers.

Exertis said the audio-visual firm’s LED displays will offer resellers “high brightness, high impact imagery” even in environments of high ambient light, making them ideal for auditoriums or for use as atrium welcome displays.

The award-winning QUAD FHDQ130 LED offering, for example, produces a 130” Full HD image that offers depth, detail and simplicity, while taking just a couple of hours to install.

“We are pleased to be able to add Optoma’s award winning LED displays and interactive flat panels to our portfolio,” commented Greg Bennett, head of Extertis Pro AV Solutions. “Optoma’s products are highly regarded for their high quality and reliability with applications in business, education, professional AV and home entertainment. Whether it’s simple projection or a complex installation, our resellers will have a competitive solution to offer to their customers.”

Designed for corporate and education environments, Optoma’s multi-touch interactive flat panel (IFP) displays boast 4K UHD resolution combined with a 20-point touch-enabled display.

Available in 65”, 75” and 86” sizes, the range comes with a number of handy pre-installed apps designed for business meetings, including intuitive video conferencing app Zoom and the speedy Screenshare app that allows multiple attendees to share their screen with the room. Cloud Drive functionality also allows users to save documents to the cloud via Google Drive or OneDrive.

“We have built up a close working relationship with Exertis, which has distributed our projection products for more than a decade,” commented James Fitzgerald, Optoma’s UK territory manager. “But Optoma is no longer just a projection company – we are in the business of big imagery - whether that is projection, LED displays or IFPDs.

“We are delighted to enter this exciting new phase with Exertis extending its range of Optoma products to meet the demands of all environments and project briefs.”

Popular browser extensions in Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox have been revealed to be selling highly sensitive data belonging to four million users as part of a "murky data economy".

The eight apps in question, some of which have more than a million users, warn users that they can "read and change all your data on the websites you visit" before installation, but fail to offer an opt-in or opt-out policy to have that data sold onto third-parties.

One of the third-parties singled out in the joint expos named 'DataSpii' between Security with Sam's Sam Jadali and the Washington Post, was Nacho Analytics, a company which claimed all data belonged to users who had opted-in to having their data sold - no such evidence exists.

Nacho Analytics allows anyone who is willing to pay its $49 per month subscription fee to access all the information on its database simply by searching a URL.

The types of data that were easily accessible to the researcher during the investigation included people's tax documents stored in Microsoft OneDrive, usernames, passwords, GPS coordinates, flight confirmation numbers with full names and even patient names along with their medication information.

According to Jadali, it only took an hour for the data harvested by these extensions to appear on an online data-selling website, some of which could just be accessed with a one-month free trial.

In the case of the OneDrive file being leaked, the researcher offered an explanation as to how this came to be.

Take a person who has filled out their tax return - they then share that return with their accountant using a public sharing link within OneDrive. If the accountant was running one of these leaky extensions which would send the tax return to the data-selling website, an attacker could search the database using the extension's POST request such as 1drv.ms. An attacker could then search for files using a 'tax' search term and they could then have access to the sensitive document.

The extent of the extensions' invasiveness was evidenced by a case in which one continued to share user data even after the vendor ceased the extension's functionality for all users.

"We continued to observe our browsing activity being sent via POST request to [dat-selling website's] servers," said Jadali. "Ultimately, the data collection stopped when we removed the extension."

In other notable discoveries, the researcher found 'top secret' files from many major Fortune 500 corporations whose employees had been unknowingly exposing their company's secret projects. Titles of memos, project reports and sensitive information including firewall codes and how the company's LAN network is mapped were readily available to any customer fo the data-selling website.

While conducting research, Jadali consistently referred to the issue of publicly available links, a phenomenon that's been called into question by security professionals in the past.

"While security through obscurity is better than nothing, it's certainly not great protection," said Rob Sobers, software engineer, Varonis. "Couple that with the likelihood of user or admin misconfiguration through lack of understanding and poor user interfaces and, as we've seen with Box and Amazon, risk is high, so proceed with caution."

Popular accounting software Quickbooks is one such program to make use of publicly available links and was referenced in the researcher's report.

Jadali said emailing Quickbooks links to customers is an easy way to send and complete invoices, but if these links were picked up by a rogue extension, information such as the invoice recipient's name, address and account details would be viewable, as would the name and address of the person who sent the invoice.

The browser extensions involved in the research, including Hover Zoom, PanelMeasurement and SpeakIt!, have since been removed from browser extension stores, citing policy violations as the reason.

These eight apps aren't thought to be the end of the issue; other similar extensions exist and are evading detection by using methods such as delaying their data collection by a few weeks, as observed by Jadali.

"Though prudent, short-term fixes will not ultimately protect data from threats such as DataSpii," said Jadali. "True data security will require the sustained collaboration of web developers, cybersecurity professionals, marketers, and browser vendors. The implications of our investigation transcend any one extension, website, Fortune 500 company, browser, or OS."

IT distributor NBM Technology Solutions has announced a partnership with Vertiv to bring the IT infrastructure provider’s data centre “unrivalled” portfolio to resellers in the UK.

The collaboration will see Vertiv provide its full range of critical IT infrastructure products and services, to companies working in the fields of data centres, telecommunications and internet services, banking and finance, transportation, utilities, logistics and retail.

The portfolio of products available to UK resellers include universal power supplies (UPS), thermal management, racks, PDUs, as well as monitoring systems such as Avocent, Chloride, Geist and Liebert.

“NBM is excited to be able to offer Vertiv’s premium infrastructure and high-performance solutions to our resellers, allowing them to take their deployments to the next level,” said NBM managing director Danny Kindell.

“Vertiv’s broad offering and distinctive channel model was a key reason for our recent partnership. We are impressed by the strong expertise Vertiv provides, and we are eager to grow our business together.”

To ensure resellers are adequately equipped, NBM said it will work closely with businesses to provide the necessary education, training and business development resources, marketing services, as well as pre- and post-sale technical assistance.

“Adding NBM to our distributor network significantly increases our presence in the UK and underpins our rapidly broadening channel strategy,” commented Mark Carlyle, UK channel director at Vertiv. “NBM is a family-run business, dedicated to its customers to provide the highest level of service to its markets.

“This aligns perfectly with Vertiv’s commitment to customer service and satisfaction, so our partnership was a natural choice. We look forward to working with NBM to deliver unrivalled solutions to their partners and customers across the UK.”

Datacentre infrastructure specialist Vertiv has become the latest vendor to enhance its channel offering as it looks to better prepare its partners for edge and digitalisation transformation.

Aimed at resellers and distributors across the EMEA region, the new Vertiv Partner Programme (VPP) includes three key initiatives: a new incentive plan, a revamped partner portal and an enriched portfolio.

Through the Vertiv Incentive Plan (VIP), Authorised and Silver resellers can automatically earn bonus points and quickly monetise rewards, while incentives also include new rebates for Gold and Platinum partners.

The vendor has also overhauled its partner portal, enabling resellers to quickly register and unlock assets and benefits. Its improved usability includes self-paced online training courses to help businesses upskill and mitigate talent gaps in the IT sector, the firm said.

In terms of its portfolio, Vertiv has added the Liebert GXT5 uninterruptible power supply for small and micro IT environments. Designed to deliver reliable, energy-efficient power to more high-density devices, the technology features individually-controlled sockets for improved security, while remote management simplifies complexity at the edge of the network.

Together, the enhancements form a key part of Vertiv’s wider strategy to help its growing partner base adapt to the changing demands of edge computing, digitalisation and other disruptive trends in the data centre and wider IT landscape.

“The channel is crucial to enabling businesses of all types and sizes to embrace the new opportunities enabled by edge compute, 5G and the wider trend towards digitalisation,” said Joachim Fischer, channel sales director for Vertiv in EMEA.

“In addition to our investments to enhance our innovative channel portfolio, Vertiv is also accelerating its channel strategy to ensure our resellers are positioned for success. The new partner programme and commercial policies that we are progressively rolling out across EMEA are testament to our commitment to the channel.”

Pulse Secure has announced a partnership with Dynamic Worldwide Training Consultants (DWWTC) and Westcon Americas to educate resellers and customers about its portfolio of products.

It will also prepare individuals for the Pulse Secure Certified Technical Expert Certification exams, with both online and classroom training programmes available to address worldwide businesses. This certification demonstrates extensive knowledge of Pulse Secure’s entire portfolio and makes sure customers have the best experience of products and services to meet their business needs.

“By providing customers access to Pulse Secure products, services, and now education, our team can further enable their success in the channel around Secure Access offerings,” said Joe Pittillo, vice president of services, at Westcon Americas parent company SYNNEX.

“Our goal here, as well as with all of our education and training programs, is to help increase partner profitability and the value they bring to their customers – all from a single, trusted source.”

Those already using Pulse Secure products in the enterprise environment will be able to take advantage of this enhanced training, making sure their deployment is as effective as possible, while it also enables partners to more effectively sell Pulse Secure’s entire portfolio of security products to end-users.

“Pulse Secure recognizes that an empowered and enabled partner and sales community is better able to deliver customer and business success,” added Sudhakar Ramakrishna, CEO of Pulse Secure.

“To this end, training and certification, and our partnership with our Authorised Education Partners, is a key business imperative for Pulse Secure. Attendees of the training delivered by our Authorised Education Partners will leave with the skills and the confidence needed to successfully implement and maintain Pulse Secure products and solutions.”

Business Systems International (BSI) has joined Virtual Instruments' reseller ranks in a deal announced this week which will see the former distribute the latter's solutions to customers around the UK.

These solutions include application-centric management tool, VirtualWisdom 6.0 and WorkloadWisdom, which evaluates storage performance based on real-life workloads.

Historically, Virtual Instruments' channel ecosystem focused on long-established relationships with some of the bigger vendors in the infrastructure performance management space, such as Dell EMC and Hitachi Vantara. However, following a channel partner programme rejig early last year, the company has looked to forge additional relationships outside of OEMs and focus on bolstering its reseller network.

This gives Virtual Instruments greater reach in the enterprise space and offers additional consultative services for customers, according to Nick Coleman, channel director for Virtual Instruments in EMEA, who added that the firm had tasked its EMEA distribution partner Arrow ECS with identifying which resellers to court.

"Our solution is unique, so we need partners prepared to understand the issues surrounding customers’ needs to have resilient IT infrastructures that support their mission-critical applications and effectively position Virtual Instruments’ value in support of these needs," Coleman said.

"BSI has unique relationships with enterprise customers who recognise the value it brings to them in terms of datacentre infrastructure products from leading vendors. Virtual Instruments’ solutions now enable BSI to enhance their consultative selling approach to a higher level for customers, and position the Virtual Instruments benefits to the business leaders, as well as IT teams.

"Reseller partnerships can be like a marriage. You have to be close to each other as much as possible, understand each other really well and maintain the long-term view as much as possible. For Virtual Instruments, channel is not a part of our overall sales strategy, it is our strategy. Our sales, technical, marketing, channel and corporate resources are fully engaged with BSI to drive their enablement as a Virtual Instruments partner and their sales success."

Coleman was keen to stress that Virtual Instruments is focused on quality rather than quantity when it comes to the expansion of its reseller network. This is deliberate to ensure resellers feel they can grow their businesses and also so the company can continue to offer optimum levels of support both now and in the future.

"We have a relatively small reseller community right now, which we will try to keep as intimate as possible in the future. So we’re not looking to recruit dozens of partners in the UK, and resellers appreciate this as they’re not tripping over each other and competing on the same deal, our deal registration process protects them in this respect anyway," Coleman concluded.

Henry Jacobs, Head of Marketing at BSI, added: "BSI’s partnering with Virtual Instruments was a natural one and offers key benefits to both parties. The VI engagement offers BSI an alternative yet highly complementary approach to business infrastructure planning that dovetails perfectly with our current global hardware supply expertise.

"What we recognise in the partnership is the ability to step back and allow a deeper analysis of what clients need, rather than simply supplying what they want. Virtual Instruments has the same approach to business as we do, putting the client first, bringing expertise to each opportunity and treating each engagement as unique. The company understands that we are building relationships for the long term and not just for the sake of initial revenue. This partnership has the potential to expand our focus and offer an additional route to business, allowing a wider exploration of existing accounts as well as new opportunities."

Described as the biggest overhaul of privacy since the birth of the Internet, the EU's GDPR has finally come into effect.

Businesses may be looking forward to the noise around the topic dying down, but this simply won't be the case. While the official deadline for preparing has now long passed, on-going compliance is now a necessity and businesses will need to be in constant review of their position.

In order to become a trusted partner for its customers and wade through the evolving compliance needs that come with the regulation, the channel needs persevere and educate, and cut through the GDPR 'fatigue'.

Compliance is a marathon

The recipients of sales calls may be and tired of hearing about how they need to comply with the regulation, but that doesn't mean they're done on their compliance journey.

There's still confusion around the regulation and it seems like many organisations have been paralysed into inaction by a lack of clear guidance and leadership. This is understandable – but that doesn't mean that building a defensible position is not important; organisations absolutely still have to act.

With the regulation affecting every single business in the UK, as well as partners and customers throughout Europe and internationally, GDPR poses a huge opportunity for resellers, not only in growing sales pipelines, but also as a way to build trust with customers. Vendors with tools that genuinely help with GDPR are looking for channel partners with the skills and customer trust that will cut through the noise to give the crucial facts and guidance that's needed.

Some vendors have been hosting webinars and pushing their products as magic bullet solutions for GDPR compliance, and the truth is, it's just not that simple.

With real GDPR expertise thin on the ground, and a huge amount of confusion, the channel will need to demonstrate its expertise in the on-going GDPR struggle. That means understanding the legislation, and building the right partnerships, skills and portfolio to deliver the right combination of products and advice on systemic changes, to customers.

A new audience

This subject matter expertise, both about the business requirements and technology solutions required, will be integral for supporting the other big shift that GDPR is bringing to the channel – a new audience.

With the responsibility of being the customer's bridge between technology and compliance, resellers can expect to find themselves talking to a completely new audience in some cases, such as legal, HR or security executives. Resellers will need to adapt to this new customer and set of deliverables in order to overcome hurdles to GDPR conversations.

Practically speaking, this means mapping solutions against a new set of deliverables. Rather than looking at IOPS, ROI or TCO, speaking with C-suite officers, legal representatives and others means understanding the business impact of GDPR, and being able to map different products and solutions to the varied business implications that arise from the regulation.

Prove you're genuine

The channel has already proved itself to be a trusted partner for IT managers in organisations through their digital transformation journey, and their journey to achieve and maintain GDPR compliance should be no different. While digital transformation has its own stakes, chiefly in the form of market competitiveness, GDPR poses more of an immediate threat to a company's reputation.

However, while different, GDPR and digital transformation are actually well aligned and one can support investment in the other while delivering business benefits for both.

With this in mind, it has never been more important for the channel to live up to its reputation for delivering solutions – working to reduce compliance anxiety and industry fatigue with credible, clear and actionable advice.

For this reason, I'll share a word of caution. GDPR fatigue has emerged due to a lot of 'jumping on the bandwagon', with both vendors and resellers alike attaching anything they could to GDPR. The only way to get around this fatigue is to demonstrate that you actually grasp your customers' challenges and genuinely want help. Anything less, and you'll get sniffed-out straight away.

How to stand out

To that end, here are a few key things to consider when trying to set yourself apart in the GDPR noise:

1. Invest in training your team around the regulation
2. Help customers by weeding out vendor stories that have been 'GDPR washed'
3. Don't sell customers on a GDPR "silver bullet" – there isn't one
4. Leverage workshops that encompass the needs of all the interested parties within an organisation
5. Continually update customers as legislation changes, breaches develop and courts refine the regulation.

By taking these steps, the channel can easily become the trusted GDPR partner that organisations are so desperately in need of.

Bruce Park is VP EMEA of channel at Commvault

Companies developing 'plug and play' applications, that can be purchased and implemented directly by the end user, are once again looking to the channel for added value.

From our perspective, both accounting software resellers and accounting practices can add a great deal to our product set and as a direct result, the quality of our customers' experiences.

Historically, it required a very significant investment by both the vendor and the reseller, and the reseller to achieve a very high level of self-sufficiency, for the relationship to work - therefore there were only so many applications they could adopt.

The question became which software applications delivered the best return. Plug and play massively reduces this learning curve, removing the investment issue and once again making the channel a suitable environment for software vendors like Compleat.

However, another reason companies are returning to the channel is simply because they have products the channel needs.

Getting the revenue split right

Accounting software resellers, for example, are having to find new revenue opportunities as the majority of accounting software applications have moved to a SaaS model. The move from a capital purchase of a perpetual software license and annual maintenance, to monthly subscription services, fundamentally changes the revenue model for resellers, increasing their dependency on added value services to remain profitable.

However, it's not as easy as just partnering with a few VARs. Companies re-entering the channel, or first-time channel participants, need to get the revenue split right to ensure the financial model works for both the vendor and the reseller while still benefiting the customer.

But, channel expectations of the revenue mix need to be realistic. Moving to a recurring revenue stream is painful, as it takes a considerable amount of time to build - we know because we have been going through it for the past four years.

The good news is for resellers, SaaS revenue offers a much higher company valuation that the perpetual license/annual maintenance model, provided that you can demonstrate your ability not only to win new customers, but to keep them year on year.

'Slow death by attrition'

The financial software market is undergoing the most significant change in decades as the true, long-term implications of SaaS become clear.

The old perpetual license sale and annual maintenance model is rapidly disappearing. Instead of one lump sum followed by annual maintenance renewal, a new sale generates as little as one 36th of the revenue, but it can continue indefinitely.

The challenges are increasing at the low end as the competition within the channel increases. The revenues associated with applications like Xero are already under pressure as the large channel players fight for market share and the software vendors do the same, driving down revenue per unit sale for all.

At the same time accounting practices are under pressure from new regulation that has seen their traditional revenue streams shrink (for example, due to a loss of audit business). These are securing their slice of the pie by offering both automation and financial management services to their clients, including outsourced accounting services. While this transition by accounting practices is still at an early stage of development in the UK, it will continue to grow.

In response, many traditional resellers have become 'farmers', working more closely with their customers to sell add-on applications and services, reducing the dependency on new customer wins.

However, they are slowly losing those customers to new SaaS accounting applications, bigger channel players and accounting practices, so unless they can revitalise their new customer sales activities, it will be a slow death by attrition.

Race to the bottom

The implications are that traditional accounting software resellers are in for a tough time.

Lower revenues per sale, increased competition from accounting practices and, perhaps most importantly, existing customers moving to a SaaS model, are reducing their underlying revenues as a result.

Either this part of the channel evolves, or it will die - or more likely, drive a consolidation frenzy as small resellers are absorbed into larger ones.

This is becoming a race to the bottom and there will be casualties as the pressure of SaaS subscription revenue on cash flow simply becomes too much for those channel organisations failing to compensate with growing services income.

Ultimately, the software vendors that offer applications that deliver the least competition, the highest sales conversion and retention rates, the highest level of additional service income and the lowest cost of entry will dominate the channel as it evolves. Vendors that have not traditionally been channel focussed are recognising this and building channel programmes as a result.

From our re-entry perspective, we are looking for partners that immediately understand the opportunity, have already recognised the threat to the 'old business' and are looking to add applications that help them to differentiate to win more new customer sales and upgrade their existing customer base. If they have not already accepted the need to evolve, it is probably already too late.

Neil Robertson is CEO of Compleat Software

Nuvias has cemented its expansion into Benelux by rebranding its local acquisition, DCB, as well as signing new reseller agreements with security vendors.

DCB - acquired by the distributor last year - will now be known as Nuvias Benelux, and will resell services from the likes of FireEye, Juniper Networks and Malwarebytes alongside its pre-existing portfolio of Kaspersky Lab, Trustwave and WatchGuard.

"We have a wealth of security experience and knowledge acquired over many years and are known for our high level of sales, marketing, technical and business support, making us a great choice for resellers and vendors wanting to expand their activities in this area," said Wim Clinckspoor, director of services and managing partner for Nuvias Benelux.

"The current security market offers fantastic potential for both our existing and new resellers and we intend to do everything possible to help our partners take advantage of these opportunities. We have already had strong interest in our new security brands and have increased our sales levels, which means increased sales for our partners."

Nuvias plans to support its wider portfolio with new technical resources in Benelux, as well as more staff, in the coming months. The distie's reseller partners can also expect more product education and support.

Its Cyber Security Practice in the region will offer services in the areas of identity access management, ransomware, insider threats, cloud and mobile security and DDoS attacks.

Ian Kilpatrick, EVP of cyber security for Nuvias, said: "There is a great opportunity for resellers to help their customers deal with these threats. The Nuvias Cyber Security Practice in Benelux offers a comprehensive, but focused, set of security solutions, which will help partners establish or reaffirm themselves as trusted advisors to their clients."

Semafone has announced it's providing BT Wholesale's reseller network with secure payment technology, so they are able to take secure payments from customers over the phone and comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).

Semafone's contact centre PCI DSS compliance solution, Cardselect, has been integrated into BT's Wholesale SIPT offering, ensuring businesses are compliant with the European General Data Protection Regulation (GPDR) when it comes into force in May.

At present, BT's SIPT stack comprises IP telephony services, media streaming, web conferencing and desktop sharing. Semafone's Cardselect will be integrated alongside BT Wholesale’s Avaya Cloud Service, which also offers secure payments as part of its set-up.

“With the growing industrialisation of cybercrime posing an unprecedented threat to businesses and consumers, security is at the heart of everything we do," Steve Best, BT’s managing director of products and commercial management, said. "We continue to innovate together with partners such as Semafone to bring new solutions to the market that allow resellers to better protect their contact centre customers."

Semafone's Cardselect uses dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) masking, meaning customers can type their card numbers directly into their telephone keypad, hiding the tones from the contact centre operative. This means they are unable to note down the numbers a customer is inputting, so the data remains completely secure.

"By effectively masking customers’ payment card details and preventing personal data from entering the contact centre’s IT network, we can help resellers protect their customers from the reputational and financial damage arising from security breaches and non-compliance with industry and EU regulations," Best added.

Semafone added that integrating its technology into BT Wholesale's SIPT offering means it can widen its own customer base, reaching businesses it wouldn't normally be able to sell to.

“Delivering our market-leading solution as part of BT’s hosted communications portfolio gives us a huge opportunity to reach a much wider customer-base," Semafone CEO Tim Critchley added. "By integrating with the SIPT offering, BT Wholesale’s extensive network of resellers can now give their customers the confidence that contact centre telephone payments are safe, secure and PCI DSS compliant.”

Hosted telephony is enjoying a solid period of growth, with uptake in the UK having increased by as much as 24% in just 12 months, according to Cavell Group research. With the market far from saturation point, the future is looking good for resellers that carry hosted products in their portfolio.

But, there are two trends that, together, present resellers with a challenge. Firstly, the focus across most offerings today is price, with little real differentiation. Secondly, the ways in which businesses communicate are changing. The proportion of business transacted through a telephone is diminishing, meaning that it is no longer the high value, core communication mechanism for most businesses that it once was.

The ultimate effect of these trends is that business communication is increasingly positioned as an area ripe to reduce overheads, rather than one to differentiate and add business value. What happens next, when the rush associated with the transition from phone lines and on-premises telephony is over and the market has raced to the bottom? How can resellers determine a strategy that will continue to deliver healthy margin for the long term?

Go beyond white labelling to differentiate

Some resellers have used white labelling in an attempt to differentiate and reduce the need to compete on price. But with little or no other value added, today's savvy buyers can perceive this as anti-competitive. Proposals that encourage customer lock-in as a result of this lack of transparency and customer uncertainty, are outdated. Furthermore, demonstrating a firm commitment to one platform, one which won't always be the best at meeting every customer's requirements, shows inflexibility.

Resellers with successful long-term strategies can still use their brand to differentiate, but instead of simply putting their logo on a user interface, they demonstrate their own unique brand via their expertise and values. These resellers have taken steps to find the best solution for each customer, and can demonstrate confidence in their propositions by being transparent about what they're selling, and how they utilise that to add value.

Consider value innovation principles

In a competitive market, it can be tempting to focus efforts on beating the nearest competition. Instead, resellers that take a 'value innovation' approach - where they create demand for something new - can be effective by rendering competition irrelevant.

If a reseller can learn from the unmet needs of its 'most important customer' profile, and not be constrained by its current skillset, people or products, it can develop and deliver much more compelling and valuable services.

Yet, value innovations rarely occur without making changes to product too. For hosted UC resellers, the product is hard to control and change, so it's important they choose a platform that can provide the flexibility to add value and develop a proposition that is in line with their customers' needs.

Think wider than UC

Traditional communication has been largely normalised as a separate task or 'special' sort of interaction that almost always takes place on a completely separate platform to where relevant tasks take place. This means comms are devoid of the right context and are separated from the information pertinent to that exchange, frequently frustrating and complicating the interaction. This is a fundamental flaw in the way that many UC tools are built: instead of unifying, often they're built and operate in silos.

Successful resellers will seek to move up the value chain. To do this they will need to think beyond chat or the phone call and consider adding context to their proposition. A new way to communicate - called contextual communication - delivers simple experiences within the context of what someone is doing. For example, apps that embed a video or chat function within a web page allow efficient and frictionless communications in the context of what that page is all about.

This is great news for resellers because it becomes much easier to offer open, joined up solutions that allow people to interact with businesses, customers and the real world using all, and any, available media. In the commercial world, the end result of contextual communication is that key business functions like sales and support can make customer engagement quicker, more intelligent, human and ultimately more memorable - adding real value beyond cost savings and efficiency.

Pave the way for long-term loyalty, rather than lock-in

In order to maintain loyalty, it's important for trusted resellers to protect their customers' interests. This means maintaining as much control and flexibility as possible, particularly with regard to key areas such as sale prices and contract lengths. Resellers must ensure they maintain this control throughout the contract period, rather than just at the beginning or end, so they are empowered to deal with changing requirements as the customer grows. An example of this might be having a choice over how the solution is deployed or rolled out, and the ability to migrate to something else.

Unified Communications has long provided opportunities for resellers, but the game is changing with digital transformations and changing customer behaviour. There is far less value and opportunity in simple telephony solutions today, so to effectively differentiate and add value, resellers need to begin building out new value propositions that map onto this change and embrace the flexibility needed to meet different customer requirements.

Rob Pickering is CEO at IPCortex.

Mendix and IBM have joined forces to offer an integrated offering to both business' customers, combining Mendix's mobile and web application platform and IBM's Cloud.

IBM will resell the Mendix platform via its partners, offering end-users a fast and scalable app development and delivery platform.

The joint offering will also provide AI, data analytics and IoT services via IBM Cloud, plus Mendix's application development tools, cloud services, and cloud runtimes, offering end users a full suite of services via one subscription.

“The collaboration between IBM and Mendix will combine the ease of Mendix’s low-code environment with the advanced services available on IBM Cloud, including AI, blockchain, data analytics, mobile and Internet of things (IoT) services,” said Don Boulia, general manager of Cloud Developer Services at IBM.

“This significantly accelerates the speed at which developers from all backgrounds, from highly skilled coders to business users expanding their roles, can build and deploy cloud-native applications.”

Other benefits of the joint offering include native integration of IBM Watson IoT and AI services for businesses wishing to take their apps one step further and the ability for businesses to opt in to cloud deployment across IBM Cloud’s public, private and hybrid options.

“The apps of the future cannot be built with the tools of the past. Businesses across all industries are finding new ways to innovate, and today’s market leaders are putting low-code development at the core of their digital strategy,” added Derek Roos, CEO of Mendix. “Our partnership with IBM will enable enterprises to accelerate the speed at which developers from all backgrounds can build and deploy applications.”

Cloud distie intY has expressed concern that continued cloud market consolidation and domination by the bigger vendors will result in channel players being forced to compete on price alone, offering less value to end users.

“There is a real risk that in 2018, as the cloud market consolidates and Google, Amazon and Microsoft continue to assert their dominance, resellers will come into the market and lower their prices to the point where they completely undercut their competitors," said Craig Joseph, COO at intY.

"We know that the IT reseller market is competitive, but our concern is that the resellers that sell on price alone will not offer the service levels required to support customers as they transition to the cloud. This may include neglecting after-sales assistance and technical support."

But there are factors at play that could prevent the worst from happening. Indeed, Microsoft may have stolen some of AWS's market share in 2017, but analysts think Azure popularity will start waning in 2018. Microsoft has already said it wants to take AI more seriously, so could it start to focus more on that than core cloud services?

The channel needs to start shifting the way cloud products and services are sold, using its privileged position to promote the benefits of great customer service to ensure firms remain competitive.

"Customers are of course price-conscious, so if resellers start selling cheap and ignore dedicated customer services, it may become increasingly challenging for those who prioritise top-quality customer support to compete," Joseph added.

"Resellers must ensure that their customers understand the value of good customer service and build it into their proposition, as focusing on customer service can reap dividends in repeat business and further business development.”

SAP has launched a cloud accelerator to help grow its partners' cloud businesses, aiming to offer support to its most innovative partners.

Those selected to join the SAP Cloud Accelerator will receive help to develop and execute a digital marketing plan to promote their cloud efforts, a share of business development funds and advice from one of SAP's partner marketing advisors.

SAP and the partner will work together to grow their presence in the market, including onboarding new customers, building their pipeline and expanding the reach of their cloud business.

"Digital transformation is here to stay, that’s no longer a question. As a result, the move to the cloud is reaching a fever pitch – the cost, speed, and agility benefits are too good to pass up," Karl Fahrbach, head of global channels at SAP, said.

"More companies than ever will be making the switch and those that don’t are at risk of falling behind. This means that cloud growth will be a number one priority for SAP and our partners in 2018 and beyond."

The programme is open to any of SAP's partners that have demonstrated a commitment to investing in the cloud through their business plan. To qualify, they must specify their targets are to grow their SMB cloud business by at least 50% over the next 12 months.

"When our partner organisations win in the cloud, so do our customers," Fahrbach added. "This is precisely why SAP is investing in its channel partners that are generally faster, nimbler, and more appropriately sized to best serve SME businesses."

Aspect Software yesterday launched its reseller-focused worldwide channel programme, targeting partners wanting to sell the company's customer engagement platform to cloud-first businesses.

Resellers can join the Aspect Via channel programme as a Tier 1 or Tier 2 partner depending on levels of service to end users. Both programmes offer enhanced solution support, training, and financial benefits to grow revenues efficiently.

The launch of the programme coincides with the appointment of David Herzog as SVP of worldwide partners. His role is to grow indirect sales of the company's software, while encouraging growth of its global partner network.

“Aspect Via has seen been incredibly well-received by both our customers and the industry, so we are excited to officially offer the solution to our channel partners who are critical to Aspect’s success," Herzog said.

"We’re confident the Aspect Via Reseller Program will not only provide our partners with the resources they need to be successful but take our entire channel programme to the next level. Our goal is to build a community of partners who not only enhance their product offerings by including Aspect Via, but also increase their customer satisfaction and ultimately their bottom line.”

Aspect Via is now available to resellers in Europe, North America, Australia, and Latin America, with expansion into new territories planned for later in 2018.

“Strategic partnerships with companies like Aspect Software are critical to the success of our business and to our customers’ businesses,” John Marino, CEO of Waterfield Technologies, said.

“This partnership has enabled us to offer our customers an award-winning customer engagement solution that not only benefits them but also their customers. As a leading enterprise software and professional services firm for mobile solutions, we feel adding Aspect Via to our portfolio will give us a competitive edge.”

The channel's perception is that, in the pantheon of sexy IT, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) come dead last behind keyboards and cabling. But what too many IT resellers overlook is that UPS is a strategic solution, not a peripheral one.

Resellers will typically focus on a small set of core IT specialisms to avoid the risk of diluting their skills and value. But when salespeople come across a customer need for something adjacent to those specialisms, this can create a catch-22 situation. Invest time and effort serving that need and dilution will inevitably occur. Pass it over and someone else will take advantage of your revenue and margin opportunity.

Hence the "is it strategic or not?" question. If the customer wants 20 new monitors, then probably not. If they need a new UPS, it could represent a significant shift in IT transformation.

What’s more, UPS also represents a lucrative market opportunity for IT resellers. According to research from Data Bridge Market Research, the UPS industry will be worth $10.4 billion by the end of this decade - compared to $6.4 billion in 2022.

IT resellers can clearly make a lot of money by offering UPS to their customers. And ultimately, if you’re an IT reseller and don’t currently sell UPS, you risk customers flocking to your competitors.

UPS: The strategic benefits

For businesses looking to purchase and install a UPS solution, it’s often a strategic decision. The main benefit is that it provides businesses with a backup power source so that their operations aren’t hindered in the event of power grid failure, according to Maria Opre, a cyber security expert and senior analyst at resource discovery platform EarthWeb.

“That prevents costly downtime and potential data losses that could really hurt. Plus, the UPS acts like a surge protector, which keeps voltage spikes from frying your expensive equipment. Getting that kind of resilience and peace of mind is a major strategic win in my book,” she says.

Gurvan Meyer, enterprise business analyst at UK-based analyst firm CONTEXT, adds that data loss mitigation during power cuts is made possible as UPS offers “a temporary power source during outages” and facilitates “a graceful shutdown of computer systems”, protecting data in the process.

Another strategic benefit of UPS systems is their ability to help businesses protect expensive and crucial IT equipment. Meyer explains that a UPS solution will enable businesses to extend the lifespan of their IT equipment by shielding them from “power surges, spikes, and other electrical disturbances”.

UPS systems are also a business continuity investment, capable of “minimizing downtime, ensuring continuous operations, and preventing financial losses associated with disruptions”, Meyer argues.

UPS: The role of renewables

As sustainability has moved to the top of the global corporate agenda, the IT channel - like other industries - has come under increasing pressure to meet net zero targets over the coming years.

With renewables playing a greater role in modern UPS systems, this technology can help businesses lessen the environmental impact of their IT resources by using clean backup power.

“When it comes to the strategic benefits of UPS, reducing environmental impact and supporting communities are key factors for any responsible business,” says Rinkesh Kukreja, founder of sustainability website Conserve Energy Future. “By ensuring reliable power, companies can feel confident operating without disruption, while integrating renewable energy helps lower emissions and costs.”

One way to keep UPS systems sustainable is by using solar power, which Opre says works by offsetting grid power with energy from the sun during the day time. In turn, this can increase the lifespan of batteries, she explains.

“That's good for the environment and your bottom line. With both solar and batteries in the mix, you can keep humming along even if the grid croaks completely,” she says. “And with modern batteries lasting up to 20 years, integrating solar and UPS can pay dividends for the long haul.”

While the increased use of solar-powered UPS is great for the environment, it might not be good news for IT resellers interested in selling such systems. Meyer says this trend could negatively affect future UPS sales because home and remote office users will “need less UPS if they have batteries attached to their solar installations”.

UPS: Overcoming limitations

The mediocre lifespan of enterprise-scale batteries was a major flaw of traditional UPS systems. Opre highlights that legacy lead acid batteries would expire after three or five years of usage, and replacing them was costly. However, with newer UPS systems now utilizing lithium-ion batteries, it’s possible to have a UPS with lifespans ten times that of legacy systems. “Proper maintenance and testing help eke out every bit of life from them too,” explains Opre. “The total cost just isn't nearly as high anymore.”

Despite the longer lifespan offered by lithium-ion batteries, Shen Wang - principal analyst of data center power and cooling systems at analyst firm Omdia - points out that they can be more expensive than older types of batteries.

“In addition to safety performance, charging and discharging efficiency, another major factor affecting the penetration rate of lithium batteries is that the unit price of lithium batteries is still higher than that of lead-acid batteries, although electric vehicles are currently being popularized and the unit price of lithium batteries is already very low,” says Wang.

Other hurdles associated with UPS systems centre around communication, carbon accounting and partnerships, according to Kukreja. He explains: “Effective reporting and verification of sustainability goals are table stakes now.”

However, he said the upshot of these systems is that their batteries have “advanced markedly” over the past ten years, explaining that “some utility-scale versions now last over 20 years while maintaining 80% capacity”.

Overall, UPS systems are an important strategic investment for modern businesses, ensuring their systems and operations run smoothly during a power outage. This makes them a great product for IT resellers to offer alongside standard peripherals, and as a result, they can increase their competitive advantage and tap into a lucrative area of IT in huge demand.

Reseller Misco has gone into administration, resulting in the loss of 300 jobs in the UK. Its international operation will continue running, but it's unclear whether offshoots in Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Sweden will be affected in future.

The company officially announced its demise with a statment noting Geoffrey Rowley, Thomas MacLennan and John Lowe of FRP Advisory LLP have been appointed Joint Administrators of Misco UK Limited on 19th October 2017. The Joint Administrators act as agents of the Company without personal liability.

Rowley explained that the company had made "great progress" since it was sold to Hilco Capital back in March, but it could not simply make substantial enough improvements to continue trading.

"The company’s turnaround plans could not deal sufficiently with the rapidly deterioration in cash-flow after the sudden tightening of credit insurance terms. The UK business had moved to a system of supply chain outsourcing of stock, with increasing levels of automation to enable greater efficiencies with suppliers and distributions and overall lower cost, however these efforts came at a time of heightened competition from other globalised online retailers which have eaten heavily into the margins of even established IT resellers like Misco," Rowely said.

Rowley added that the administrators' main priority was ensuring employees were looked after and would be referring those affected by job losses to the Redundancy Payments Service, assisting applications to ensure they are paid what they are owed.

Previous parent company Systemax decided to sell the failing IT services business, although it decided to keep hold of its VAR business in France, and its MRO business in the US, called IPG.

The value of data and digital services is skyrocketing as we collectively continue our trajectory towards an information-driven economy, fuelled by digital transformation. The slew of M&As earlier this year only serves to highlight the worth of digital services, applications, and software for traditionally hardware-focused players, particularly as they now underpin modern businesses.

Digital transformation is impacting every sector, across every industry, on a global scale. The enterprise has never experienced this level of upheaval before and established brands are scrambling to update or replace IT systems before they are overtaken by disruptive brands leveraging digital strategies. And here lies the opportunity for the channel.

The new business reality

Business is now grounded in software and applications, whether on-premise or in the cloud, which are relied upon to drive new models and growth. The performance and reliability of digital infrastructure is therefore paramount, and resellers should take this opportunity to further cement their place in the ecosystem.

Success through digital transformation is linked to the performance of applications, data centres, and cloud computing. While these can be valuable drivers of growth they can also be pain points in any business. Many CIOs and IT departments have been left wondering how to keep pace with change; how to adjust and upgrade systems, to monitor constantly evolving networks and infrastructures, and to avoid crises. The stakes are high, but this is where the channel can come in, provided its approach places an emphasis on data, and not the application.

The volume of data and information which businesses already process on a daily basis is huge, which includes the channel itself. However, its effects are compounded by the widespread adoption of IoT technologies in both consumer and enterprise markets. The advent of connected devices, smart infrastructure, complex networks, and the constant availability of digital services mean businesses in the channel are sitting on a trove of valuable data.

This must be protected and properly utilised in order to support operations and the bottom line. Enterprises - and resellers - need to be aware that every system upgrade, connection, or third-party application added to existing IT infrastructure will increase service delivery complexity, scale, and operational risk. As such, the role of the CIO or equivalent is more important now than it's ever been.

The new role of the CIO

In a much more complex operating environment like this, it's down to the CIO to manage the transition, maintain a sense of order, and lay the foundations for the future. The CIO is uniquely placed to supervise digital transformation strategies due to their unique understanding of IT infrastructure and how it can evolve to better serve business growth. These are the people that the wider channel community should keep in mind when developing their new business models. After all, digital transformation is no longer shorthand for upgrading IT. It's the mantra for modern business and without it companies will fall by the wayside, overtaken by web-scale organisations that are realising and exploiting the value of digital services.

In addition to being left behind, businesses that fail to implement a digital transformation strategy put themselves and their customers at significant risk. The spate of DDoS attacks via IoT devices we've seen recently are evidence of the dark side of the digital transformation; insecure networks exploited by hackers, with disastrous consequences. As an ever growing number of smart devices are connected to the burgeoning IoT ecosystem, effective management of these systems naturally becomes more complex. Gaining a full system-level view will be absolutely vital for curbing such attacks in the future.

End-to-end application and infrastructure monitoring across an IT estate, both on-premise and in the Cloud, is essential. Analytics - past, present, and future - will enable businesses to understand, predict, act, and automate. The reliance on digital services, networks and architectures means there is greater room for disruption and service failures. These can only be avoided by keeping sight of valuable data in real time, at all times, and by detecting and isolating problems before they impact users.

Everything is interconnected. Today, digital services must be delivered continuously, and constantly operate at peak performance levels. If you don't have a comprehensive view of your IT infrastructure, you will not benefit from the real value of digital services.

Jeff Jones is vice president of channel sales at NETSCOUT