Use Your Opportunity To Ask A Question

I'm coming off two straight weeks of hanging with solution providers. First, I spent a week with 300 or so solution providers who attended CMP Channel Group's XChange Solution Provider in San Diego. I followed that up with a stroll through music city (Nashville) at Ingram Micro's VentureTech Network event.

ROBERT FALETRA Can be reached via e-mail at rfaletra@cmp.com.

I've got a few funny stories from both shows I wish I could tell you, but they aren't exactly business stories and most wouldn't get through the copy desk, so ask me next time you see me live. But with all of us about to head into the heavy spring season of vendor solution provider events, a few things are emerging as topics of discussion.

First off, most solution providers are coming to the realization that the managed services hype is calming down and that this isn't a wholesale shift in the solution provider business model but rather another way to capture business.

What remains up in the air is how software as a service will play out. Microsoft, of course, is the critical player to watch. Let's not forget that at last year's Microsoft conference, Steve Ballmer stood up and said Microsoft will work with solution providers to figure out how the channel will play in software as a service. Perhaps we will get an answer to that question when the company reconvenes its partners in a few months.

While solution providers have lots of issues with their vendor partners, the suppliers that do best are not the ones that dodge the tough issues and merely reiterate how much they need you, but rather the ones that attack the issues head-on. Cisco's North America Channel Chief Chuck Robbins took to the floor at the VentureTech event with an open mike and asked for the skinny on partners' pain points. A few questions later, business cards and his e-mail address exchanged hands.. Those few minutes made it clear that Robbins and Cisco are driving toward making it easier to do business with the company.

That, in a nutshell, is the strategy all vendors need to take. But many are too afraid to admit to their shortcomings. The CMP Channel Group conducts extensive research every year with solution providers to extract information on which vendors are performing best. While we deliver that information regularly, it's only effective if vendors are willing to take the feedback.

While you're making the partner event rounds this spring, ask the tough questions about why things don't run as smoothly in the field as you would like. If the vendor is sincere about trying to improve, you'll get the kind of reaction that Robbins gave and an offer to follow up personally. If you don't get that type of response, then you'll have your answer about why it isn't getting easier.

What questions do you want to ask?
Make something happen by e-mailing CMP Channel Group President Robert Faletra at rfaletra@cmp.com.