1. Dell Completes EMC Acquisition, Works To Integrate The Two Businesses And Their Channel Operations

Nearly a year after the deal was first announced, Dell completed its $65 billion acquisition of EMC on Sept. 7. The move created Dell Technologies, a privately held IT behemoth and channel powerhouse with designs on dominating markets from budget PCs to data center infrastructure and cloud computing.

Throughout the year the acquisition moved inexorably along through approvals by EMC shareholders in July and Chinese antitrust authorities in August. To help defray the cost of the acquisition, Dell took steps to sell off other businesses including Dell services and its software division that included such products such as Quest and SonicWall.

But now the real work begins as Dell integrates EMC's operations – including its channel programs – with its own. Channel veteran John Byrne was named global channel chief of Dell EMC and in October the company rolled out key elements of the company's new channel program – including strict deal protection rules. But other program components, including its rebate structure, remained unsettled and in early December CFO Tom Sweet said partners may face disruption as integration of sales forces and channel programs proceed.