2. Michael's Channel Charge

Founder, Chairman and CEO Michael Dell underlined his company's commitment to the channel during the Dell EMC World conference in October. Partners will the cornerstone of Dell EMC's go-to-market strategy, and according to Dell's vision, partners will lead the way as Dell EMC drives for share as the market changes.

"We're going to provide the infrastructure for the digital future," Dell told partners during the conference. "But it's you and your customers that are going to create and do all the combinatorial inventions that will result in the big improvements that are coming in the world."

Later in the year, Dell told CRN, "As we create more of these products to bring together the combined innovations of the company, the reaction from partners and customers is off-the-charts positive, and we're just getting started."