Kris Blackmon
Channel Futures
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Social Tips from the 2018 MSP 501
The application period for this year's MSP 501 has closed, and we'll be revealing the Class of 2019 next week. But our 2018 501ers still have some wisdom to share! We recently reached out to them for some advice on social media marketing and selling. → Read More
CompTIA Job Satisfaction Report Has Mixed News for Partners
IT industry association CompTIA today released a report that holds both promise and caution for channel partners struggling to maintain or grow their staff. → Read More
What Exactly Is the 'Deep & Dark Web'--and Are Your Security Solutions Ignoring It?
Flashpoint CEO Josh Lefkowitz give The VAR Guy a primer on the Deep & Dark Web, and tells us how MSSPs can guard against its specific hazards. → Read More
The One Offering to Guarantee a Place in the 'Business Outcomes' Conversation
These days, you can’t go fifteen minutes in the channel without hearing someone talk about the need to solve for business outcomes. Just knowing about technology isn’t enough anymore. → Read More
CompTIA Unveils New Program to Advance Diversity in Tech
Industry association CompTIA debuted a new diversity program, prompting us to ask how business owners can improve diversity starting today. Here are five ways to start you on your road to inclusion. → Read More
Google-Microsoft Cyberthreat Debate Raises Questions for the Channel
We all know that cyber-attacks are on the rise. Vendors and partners are in agreement that for businesses, it isn’t a question of if a data breach will happen, but rather what contingencies are in place to deal with it when one happens. → Read More
Michael Dell Outlines Framework for IT Dominance at Dell EMC World 2016
For Michael Dell, the journey from the company he started out of his dorm room at the University of Texas at Austin in 1984 to standing on the stage of Dell EMC World in front of 8,000 people this week has been a “long, strange trip.” → Read More
BREAKING NEWS: Details of Dell EMC Partner Program Announced at Global Partner Summit
The first Global Partner Summit at Dell EMC World kicked off on Tuesday with a keynote from John Byrne, President of Global Channels. In front of an audience of nearly 1,500, Byrne outlined the details of the newly combined channel program for Dell Technologies. → Read More
Obama Administration Formally Accuses Russia of Cyber-Shenanigans
We've all been saying for months that Putin has been behind a series of cyber-attacks on U.S. entities, including the Democratic National Committee and certain high-ranking individuals. On Friday, the Obama administration officially pointed the finger at Russia. → Read More
When It Comes to Cybersecurity, Both Candidates Disappoint in First Presidential Debate
In the first presidential debate Monday evening, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump squared off over cybersecurity. Who came out on top, and do either of them really grasp the severity of the situation? → Read More
What Makes a Sales Superstar? 4 Qualities All Great Salespeople Possess
When it comes to the channel, every partner lives or dies on the quality of their sales team. Sales superstars have a lot of skills, from the ability to cold call to research skills. But what characteristics are truly at the core of a superior sales experience? What is it that all sales superstars have in common? → Read More
Spanningâs Latest Offering Falls in Line with Dellâs Ambitious Plans
As Dell’s acquisition of EMC is finalized and the two companies begin to merge cultures and technology, we take a look at Spanning, the cloud data protection provider purchased by EMC in 2014, and what it can do for Dell’s offerings. → Read More
Weekend Read: To Expand or Retrench? That is the Multi-Billion Dollar Question
Wednesday was a big news day in enterprise tech. The Dell/EMC merger was finalized, HPE sold its non-core software businesses and Intel offloaded its majority stake in longtime security gambit McAfee. What are the implications for the channel? → Read More
Linksys Brings Second Wave Wi-Fi to the SMB Market
The wireless world is moving so fast that partners are constantly trying to keep up with the ever-increasing business demands of the wireless market. But today’s employees want a high speed, consistent wireless experience in the workplace just as they have at home, and partners are starting to turn to new Wi-Fi technology to give them a leg up over the competition. → Read More
Survey: Infographic Shows Open Source Increasingly Embraced by Developers
Open source platforms are no longer just for a small group of hardcore coders. A recent study by Black Duck and North Bridge of developers and security professionals shows that 65 percent of respondents have embraced open source as a critical element of their development strategy. → Read More
Cisco Moves into the Container Market with Latest Acquisition
As part of its strategy to pivot toward cloud technologies, Cisco has pursued a slew of acquisitions in the last year. Its latest buy gives it a toehold in the emerging container market. → Read More
New Study Reveals a Major Security Gap for Organizations
The results of BeyondTrust’s annual Privilege Benchmarking Study are in and reveal a growing disparity between those organizations that have effective privilege access management strategies in place and those that still have a long way to go. → Read More
Are you a SaaS expert?
How much do you know about the booming Software-as-a-Service industry? Take Penton Technology's quiz and see where you fall on the knowledge spectrum. → Read More
Distribution Watch: Pax8 Wants to Teach VARs How to Sell in the Cloud
Insights and observations on the world of distribution. → Read More
Weekend Read: Every Company is a Tech Company, and Every Tech Company Needs a Channel
Some of the most successful companies in the world have attained their status by investing in tech--but they aren't classified as tech companies. If industries like manufacturing, healthcare and retail are now making their fortunes through technology, then that means every organization creates an opportunity for the channel. → Read More