A Look At the Big Issues

Now, let&'s look at some of the other big issues facing us going forward:

• Do you find yourself saying things like, “They just don&'t write code the way they used to?” Then brace yourself—the channel is about to get a lot younger; a tech-savvy, iPod-wearing, grew-up-on-e-mail-drinking-Starbucks crowd is waiting in the wings. They are the future of this business, and they represent a different kind of IT seller and buyer. Savvy vendors will have to figure out innovative ways to inspire and market to this new generation of solution provider.

• The world no longer revolves around the computing needs of the Fortune 500. While the big dogs certainly spend billions on IT and consulting, the future is about serving the needs of small and midsize businesses. Check the results of last year&'s best-performing mutual funds, and you&'ll find investments concentrated in small-growth or midcap companies.

• You&'d better look beyond U.S. borders for sustained growth because the channel is going global. Tech vendors are putting in place channel leaders who have worldwide responsibilities, and they want to take you with them to such emerging markets as Eastern Europe, India and Brazil. These execs are under enormous pressure to deliver growth rates. Leveraging partners in foreign markets will help them deliver.

• Channel fragmentation and vendor consolidation will continue. These two trends, so diametrically opposed, are inextricably linked. Last year, we watched Symantec buy Veritas, then Seagate closed 2005 by purchasing Maxtor. Some solution providers are content to continue representing the merged companies, while others are aligning themselves with attractive alternatives. McAfee, for example, gained significant momentum in 2005 as a result of the Symantec move. Look for Hitachi, Fujitsu and probably Samsung to benefit from the Seagate-Maxtor deal.

AND THE WINNER IS…In my Jan. 9 column, I asked if anyone recalled the first name of another “Amelio” who ran a PC company in light of William Amelio&'s appointment as Lenovo&'s CEO. Well, Brian Deeley, general manager of Graymar Business Solutions in Timonium, Md., hit my inbox faster than Eli Manning can throw an interception. The correct answer? Gilbert, as in Apple&'s former CEO, who, by the way, never really grasped the channel.

While Deeley was the first to respond (maybe his issue of VARBusiness arrived via FedEx straight from our printing plant), several other folks responded who deserve recognition:

• Kevin Johnson, the account manager at AECsoft from Houston, had it right, but did not answer with authority. "Was it Gilbert Amelio, CEO of Apple, back in the '90s?" he wrote. Yes, Kevin, it was, but the rules were you must answer the question, not question the question. Please play again.
• John Caporale of Palomino Technologies, makers of the PALtech Stallion BTX, also came close with this answer: "Wasn't there a Guy Amelio who ran Compaq many moons ago?" John was probably thinking of former Apple evangelist Guy Kawaski, who aspired to be CEO but is now doing consulting and speaking gigs. It really wasn't a bad guess for a guy making Intel-based custom systems.
• Heather Lowles, the crack public-relations specialist from Juniper, tried this variation: "I believe his full name is Guillermo." Heather may be thinking a bit too internationally, but I did like her spin on Gilbert.
• Darryl Aday of Aday Enterprises sent me the right answer, then ‘fessed up that he relied on Google for the answer. "Too bad!" he wrote. "Nowadays, as a member of the channel, I care a lot more about that kind of stuff. "
• Since I received so many responses to that trivia question, try this one on for size: Microsoft&'s original MS-DOS operating system faced stiff, but short-lived, competition from what other PC operating system? I have a great prize for the first three people who message me with the correct answer. Please watch your spelling and use of punctuation.
• I hope you&'ll stick around for issue 500, which publishes in 2010. As always, I&'d love to know what&'s on your mind. Touch base with me at [email protected].