Scenes From XChange Americas: Day 2

As-A-Service, At Your Service

VARs planning for the economic rebound have no choice but to understand cloud computing and redefine their role as trusted adviser to customers, urged Rauline Ochs, senior vice president and general manager of Everything Channel's Institute for Partner Education & Development.

Speaking at a morning session at XChange Americas Monday in Dallas, Ochs reminded VARs that several vendors that have become cloud computing stalwarts weren't even around 10 years ago. What's emerging, she said, is a class of vendors offering Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), some of which use distributor and reseller or MSP channels, and some of which do not. VARs need to quickly identify how -- and with whom -- they can play.

"Don't let change happen to you," she urged.

EMC's Trump Card

What, EMC, worry about the HP vs. Dell bidding war over 3Par?

During his keynote, "Journey to the Private Cloud," EMC Chief Marketing Officer Jeremy Burton Monday touted breakthrough new VMware integration, including new functionality aimed at managing the storage giant's Clariion and Celerra product lines with VMware's vCenter virtualization management product.

The software enhancements, which are scheduled to be formally announced Tuesday, include 60-plus integration points with VMware, the landmark namesake virtualization company that EMC bought seven years ago for $635 million. The software enhancements are the most extensive product integration points since EMC acquired VMware.

Men (And Ladies) At Work

In the Solutions Pavilion, ConnectWise staff reminded VARs that managed services aren't hard if you know who to partner with.

Documented

Take a little trip with D&H Distributing, urged Mary Campbell, vice president of marketing and advertising.

Vegas Baby

It'll be just like Las Vegas -- without the brutal cab lines. Everything Channel is preparing to relaunch Comdex as a virtual event, COMDEXvirtual (Nov. 16-17). Have you signed up yet?

Catching Up ...

Vendor boardrooms -- an XChange tradition -- continued throughout Monday with presentations by Shaun Jones, vice president of Worldwide Business Partner & Midmarket Marketing, IBM Software Group ...

... And Breaking It Down

... and Oracle's Martin Morganti, among plenty of others.

Speedy Delivery

Speed dating? No, speed networking, where upstart vendors get a chance to show off their quick sell skills for a (briefly) captive audience. Among the participants: Jan Spring, vice president of channel development for eFolder ...

More Speedy Delivery

... and Intel's Dan Wilson.

Hit Me!

That Comdex Vegas theme? All over. But you'll have to ask Everything Channel Managing Editor, Online, Rob Wright (center) himself if he remembered to double down.

Distributed Intelligence

Ingram Micro's John Fago (right), senior director of channel marketing, catches up solution providers on all the distribution heavyweight has going on.

Sweaty?

Those adorable finches! It can only be ViewSonic, which inspired a few brave souls to don full bird suits well aware that Dallas temperatures hit 110 degrees on Monday.

Zlago Style

Zlago is fast becoming one of the hottest vendors in the cloud productivity app space, offering both SMB-focused cloud services and hosted desktop solutions. John Rice, vice president of channels (left) and Robert Gold, vice president of marketing, break it down for a couple of curious onlookers.

Secure Group

Everything Channel Vice President and Editorial Director Kelley Damore (not pictured), gathered a group of top vendor security and channel experts to talk about emerging trends -- and emerging threats -- in the space. From left to right: Kendra Krause, vice president, channel sales for Fortinet; Matt Fogelgren, director of channel sales for Sophos; Kristen Capone, vice president of North American Channel Sales for Kaspersky Lab; George Hlebak, vice president of western U.S. and Canada sales for SonicWall; and Fernando Quintero, vice president channel sales, the Americas, for McAfee.

Carried Away?

Khali Henderson, editor in chief of Phone+ magazine, urged solution providers to take a good look (and in many cases, another good look) at carrier services as a potential business opportunity.

According to Henderson, customers are both working differently and buying differently: They want their information available to them any time and on any device, and the recession has forced them to more closely consider op-ex vs. cap-ex, through managed and outsourced models.

Missing out, she said, means ’you have left money on the table.’

Better Business

XChange Americas has featured plenty of content devoted to solution providers from Latin America, and Monday's sessions included an address from Alberto Leite, who examined industry trends based on an EIU study and the Horizon Report and looked at eight case studies from Brazil.

Deconstructing, Wary

The CRN Test Center deconstructs work stations like you brush your teeth. Test Center Managing Editor Ed Moltzen (right) and Technical Editor Eddie Correia (left) offered the experience live from the Solutions Pavilion floor. ---- CRN.com coverage of XChange Americas will continue all week. Be sure to check out Scenes From XChange Americas: Day 1, and check back at CRN.com for the latest.