In terms of how many deals solution providers expect to close with certain vendors from July 1 through Dec. 31, 2008, Dell came in first at 25.1 percent share of all deals expected to close, Samsung at 15.5 percent and Sony at 12.1 percent. As in the rankings for deals closed in the first half of the year, HP, Acer, ViewSonic and NEC also rounded out slots four through seven here as well.
VARs expect the value of all deals to increase 5.4 percent in the second half, compared to the first half, but the average transaction size will fall by 2 percent.
What's it going to take to keep channel partners happy in the shaky economic climate of 2009? For Wolfe, who partners with Sony, HP and NEC among many others, it's a commitment to innovation.
"We can't just have improvement for improvement's sake," Wolfe said with regard to the latest and greatest displays on the market. "It's got to be improvements with green technology in mind, ergonomics, eye strain -- all things and more tactile than we've ever had before. You have to really make sure you know: Why would someone want this display -- why would they want this piece?"
