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Customers new to the cloud? Try presenting business — not IT — solutions

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Customers looking to move to the cloud often start by asking their channel suppliers to simply move one or more applications to the cloud. In other words, they view the cloud as a technology solution. Fair enough. But there’s a much better way to get customers started in the cloud: by asking them to describe the business problem they’re trying to solve and determining whether the cloud is a good fit—and for which applications, systems and data sets.

How 'Unlimited' Time Off Helps Separate Top Performers From Slackers

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Joel Trammell

Technology has changed the way people work, but that change hasn't all been in one direction.

Working remotely, for example, is easy and productive thanks to robust technology offerings that virtually erase the differences between one's home or local coffee shop, and one's office.

Still, companies that have experimented with very open work-from-home policies have backtracked recently, Yahoo for example.

Why Softchoice's CIO Doesn't Have A Technical Degree

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Francis Li

How credible can a technology solution provider be if it doesn't embrace the same strategies it advocates for clients?

That's one reason $1 billion integrator Softchoice (#33 on the 2014 CRN Solution Provider 500 list) turned to one of its long-time marketing and operations executives when naming its current CIO, Francis Li (who holds the official title of vice president for information technology).

5 Essential Factors to Consider When Transitioning to a Cloud Services Model

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As more and more organizations want to rent rather than buy technology products, you may be considering transitioning to a cloud services business model to meet customer and market demand. If you are a “born in the cloud” services provider, you have probably already implemented these practices for success.

Virtual VARs: How A Remote Workforce Might Work For You

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Sarah Isaacs

Sarah Isaacs says she’s found what works best for her business.

Isaacs founded the security solution provider Conventus, headquartered in Chicago, in 2006 after working with Symantec for five years. As a CEO overseeing 30 employees, Isaacs said she’s seen the light and recommends VARs take their business into the virtual space.

Isaacs’ company is 100 percent virtual. It has no permanent office and no desks, yet it services a Fortune 500 clientele.

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