Ensuring Security in the VDI Environment

Submitted by Robert Krauss on April 13, 2015, 1:32 pm EDT

Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) and the concept of desktop virtualization have become a key part of the IT strategy at a growing number of organizations, as they come to realize the many potential benefits of the technology.

Force 3 CEO On New Brand, Vision & Strategy

Submitted by Mark Haranas on April 9, 2015, 2:06 pm EDT

Crofton, Md.-based solution provider Force 3 has rebranded itself with a new vision, logo and strategy along with a new website to better reflect the company's security mission.

Its new tagline, 'The Network Security Company' is a change the 24-year-old company says represents the start of a new era. The company has evolved from silos of the past to a more holistic, deeply integrated approach, said CEO Mike Greaney.

The Monthly Recurring Revenue Recipe Secret Ingredient

Submitted by Tracy Staniland on March 31, 2015, 8:47 pm EDT

IDC indicates public cloud services sales will near $ 70B in 2015 and the “greater cloud market” - including private, public clouds and enabling IT and services – will hit $ 118 Billion. Which means that there is lots of opportunity to achieve monthly recurring revenues, but how can you ensure that you get your piece of the pie?

Bringing Law and Order to the Channel

Submitted by Dan Liutikas on March 31, 2015, 8:38 pm EDT

While liability should be a major concern for virtually every business owner, how many entrepreneurs make finding a well-experienced attorney a top 5 priority? In reality, acquiring new clients and establishing protocols often takes precedence when setting up an IT services operation.

How to Help Your Customers Win the Big Data Challenge

Submitted by Mike Noble on March 31, 2015, 8:29 pm EDT

The old standby block data, easily handled by said spreadsheets, is quickly being replaced by unstructured data. Driven by the growth of the 3rd platform (mobile, cloud, big data, and social) unstructured data has become a power to be reckoned with. We’re talking video and audio files, scanned images, and machine data of all kinds. In fact, there’s so much of this data floating around that close to 80 percent of all new IT storage is now devoted to managing unstructured data. And it’s doubling every two years.

Q&A: 8x8 CMO Talks On-Premise To Cloud Shift

Submitted by Mark Haranas on March 31, 2015, 2:37 pm EDT

2015 is the year solution providers and VARs need to start shifting their on-premises unified communications and VoIP solutions to the cloud or risk falling behind.

On-premises private branch exchange (PBX) systems have been stagnant in the market, with low-single-digit growth rates over the past few years, compared with hosted services growing in the double digits, according to an Infonetics Research report. Infonetics expects cloud PBX and UC services to be about a $12 billion market by 2018.

5 Ways To Ensure Your Partner Program Is Fruitful

Submitted by Brian Sutter on March 27, 2015, 12:29 pm EDT

Many solution providers find that partnering with VARs and channel resellers has a direct and positive impact on sales and customer feedback. Although many solution providers are taking steps toward teaming up with resellers, some aren’t laying the foundations necessary to ensure that both parties succeed.

Tweets Of The Week: Be An Industry Expert

Submitted by Sarah Kuranda on March 27, 2015, 11:49 am EDT

This week, solution providers were using current events and their own technical expertise to their advantage on Twitter. Using tech tips, highlighting important industry news and displaying company awards, solution providers used social media to show off their best assets.

Take a look at some examples from this week.

Strike The Right Tone With Your Marketing Efforts

Submitted by Matt Brown on March 26, 2015, 11:48 am EDT

For companies that do business in the channel, old competitors are becoming fiercer, and new competitors are cropping up at a blinding pace.

The industry as a whole is changing more quickly than ever, and IT Best of Breed has had several conversations in recent months in which VARs and solution providers have argued that companies that fail to adapt will soon be out of business.

Tweets Of The Week: It's A Celebration!

Submitted by Sarah Kuranda on March 23, 2015, 10:32 am EDT

Solution providers last week were bringing the luck of the Irish to their Twitter accounts, showing their office celebrations and getting creative with St. Patrick's Day good wishes. Celebrating a holiday on social media is a great way to show off a fun company culture and take a break from serious business Tweets.

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