Connecting insights opportunities to disrupt technology industry as channel partners hold steady
The eighth EMEA Canalys Channels Forum successfully concluded last week, with insights from industry CEOs, presidents, channel management leaders, analysts and distributors, who addressed the top 1,000 channel partner decision-makers in EMEA. ‘Once again we drove discussions around the hottest topics affecting partners - from the promise of the Internet of Things to the structural changes in the technology industry. Partners were able to hear directly from the CEOs involved in the world’s largest company shake-up, and experienced the wonder of speed as the conference provided more digital-enabled services,’ said Rachel Lashford, Vice President for Analysis at Canalys.
‘We are living in an “idea economy”, where turning an idea into a new product or industry is more feasible than ever before. In this environment, enterprises need IT solutions that can move at speed, and relationships with experienced experts to translate possibilities into realities. HP’s enterprise business is getting ready to focus on these opportunities and partner relationships to turn ideas into value, quickly,’ said Meg Whitman, Chairman, President and CEO of HP.
Speed is not the only factor. ‘Technologies such as immersive computing and 3D printing will play a big part in accelerating change for enterprises. Employees’ engagement with their business and their customers will be intensified through better technology-enabled experiences. Channel partners are vital to deliver these new experiences. With a renewed focus on innovation, HP is putting the channel at the center of our business model, and we see “engineering amazing” as our critical contribution,’ said Dion Weisler, Executive Vice President, Printing and Personal Systems, HP.
Arming partners for the coming portfolio transition requires sizeable growth engines. ‘In the past 12 months, Lenovo has transformed into a diverse company with three clear growth engines – PC, mobile and enterprise – all supported by a continued focus on the best balance of innovation and efficiency across our business to drive our competitive advantage,’ said Gianfranco Lanci, Corporate President and Chief Operating Officer of Lenovo Group. ‘Our diversity translates into more opportunities for our partners – and in today’s highly competitive market, partners should be looking to work with vendors that can give the best end-to-end value and opportunities to grow their business.’
Growth engines need to also translate into local operational efficiencies. ‘Our combination of great products and infrastructure solutions, our leading manufacturing and logistics capabilities, and our empowered country teams around the world is driving our growth globally,’ said Eric Cador, EMEA President and SVP at Lenovo Group. ‘Our ambitions in EMEA are to continue to drive customer acquisition, and accelerate growth and opportunities for our partners – and we’re investing to do that. We are a channel-focused company and our growth means growth for our channel partners too. That is what we mean by partnership and being a valued-added partner.’
Updating skills is also a critical factor. ‘Dell is committed to being the leading end-to-end technology vendor for partners and customers worldwide. We are investing in hiring new employees and expanding partnerships with the channel community to grow our global business,’ said Marius Haas, Chief Commercial Officer and President, Enterprise Solutions, Dell. ‘Cloud, big data, software-defined, mobility and security are changing the way people live, businesses operate and the world works. As an end-to-end IT partner, Dell and its channel partners are well-positioned to drive these trends, just as we did when we helped revolutionize the power of the PC more than 30 years ago.’
Security concerns continue to hold back some customers, and partners have an opportunity to play a more proactive role in managing these risks. ‘In today's world of ubiquitous connectivity, security means both being able to grow your business securely while also protecting your infrastructure, employees and intellectual property,’ said David Goeckeler, SVP/GM, Cisco Security Business Group. ‘A threat-centric approach is critical to protect across the extended network and to unlock the possibilities brought by the next wave of the Internet.’
‘As the only independent event that unites senior managers from leading technology vendors, distributors and channel partners to examine relevant industry trends, forge new business relationships and create sales opportunities, we are delighted with the success of our EMEA event,’ said Rita Chaher, Vice President for Events and Marketing at Canalys. ‘More than 2,500 senior one-to-one meetings are testament to just how engaged our audience was. We look forward to continuing these conversations with them on Candefero until the next EMEA event in 2016.’
