When In Rome: Scenes From IT ChannelVision Europe
Ciao Roma
The Marriott Park Hotel in Rome was the site of IT ChannelVision Europe from April 9-12. Some of the top executives in the IT industry gathered with European partners for the big event. This may look like any other Marriott. But given that it is in the heart of Rome we'd much rather be here than any other Marriott Hotel in the U.S., or the world, for that matter. Sign Up Here
European solution providers queue up to get their badge and marching orders for the three-day event in Rome, a city of romance, red wine and gastronomic delights. It's no Roman holiday for these partners who will be busy networking for the next three days. AOpen In The House
AOpen has been a perennial power in system builder marketplace, providing systems makers around the world with everything from motherboards to disk drives. Here, two AOpen employees make sure they are up to speed on the company's product set before solution providers hit the show floor. A World View
Everything Channel CEO Robert Faletra kicks off the big event with an overview of the global solution provider market. Faletra urged vendors at the IT ChannelVision Europe conference to tailor their channel offerings to the dynamics of each distinct global market. For example, Faletra said North American partners have moved well beyond the infrastructure buildup phase where the reseller model once worked. At the same time, that reseller approach is applicable in China where there is a huge infrastructure buildup taking place, he said. "In China, channel programs today look more like the reseller-focused models that were prevalent in North America 10 to 15 years ago," said Faletra. On The Hot Seat
From left to right, Paul Shackleton from IBM, Nicholas Frapard from Hitachi Global Storage and Georg Dietsch from Fujitsu take the tough questions from European partners during the opening session kickoff panel with Everything Channel's CEO Robert Faletra at the podium. Flying The Samsung Flag
Imagine a gene for business growth indeed. Samsung had some of the hottest technology at the show. The technology superpower was showing off its expanding line of flash memory SSDs (Solid State Drives) for notebook builders. Samsung is slated to release a new 128 Gbyte SSD in the third quarter and a 256 Gyte SSD in the fourth quarter. Go Green Now
Rakesh Kumar, research vice president for Gartner, says the time to go green is now. Kumar, whose presentation was titled, Green IT: Myth or Reality?, says solution providers from around the globe can save their clients big bucks by paying attention to cost savings that come with low power consumption IT solutions. Services, Services, Services
Microsoft General Manager of the Worldwide System Builder Channel Dana Manciagli says it's all about services, services, services. She tells attendees that system builders that do not quickly adopt service-driven business models face an uncertain future. Look Out SAP
Comarch Information Technology, one of the top ERP vendors in Poland, was at IT ChannelVision Europe to recruit solution providers to sell its new Comarch Altum product. Comarch, a $200 million European powerhouse with 3,000 employees, trails closely behind Oracle and SAP in ERP market share in Poland. Here Annette Fadrowski, the head of the ERP vendor's U.S. office, tells attendees that Comarch's process oriented technology makes it easy for solution providers to build custom solutions for vertical markets. Where Are The Cocktails?
There are no drinks at this lounge. The internet lounge was one of the busiest spots at the show. Of course the lounges we like best are dark and mysterious, with mixologists that know how to deliver cocktails as timeless as Old Fashioneds, Slo Gin Fizzes and Hot Totties.
Since this was Rome, we hope some of the attendees actually got out of the hotel and ventured to a small caf for a plate of pasta and a nice Brunello di Montalcino.
