CompTIA ChannelCon Concludes With Focus On Growth Opportunities For IT Channel Companies

CompTIA ChannelCon 2013 concluded its run here this week with insightful discussions on where business growth opportunities are occurring, how to seize those opportunities and with honors for some of the brightest stars in the information technology (IT) industry.

More than 850 business owners, executives and thought leaders were in attendance at ChannelCon, the premier education and partnering event for the IT channel.

“Nearly 400 solution providers were on hand for ChannelCon, the highest number since the event transitioned to a non-hosted model,” said Kelly Ricker, senior vice president, events and education, CompTIA, “These solution providers invested their own time and money to attend an event where they saw opportunities for learning, networking and engagement with their industry peers.”

Much of the discussion on the final day focused on where business opportunities are occurring in the marketplace and what channel companies need to do to seize those opportunities.

“The most successful partners have developed a point of view,” Toni Clayton-Hine, vice president, global marketing and value proposition, Xerox Corporation, said during a panel discussion featuring top channel executives. “They’re able to invoke a level of confidence and trust with their customers in what they can deliver.”
 
Long-term growth opportunities are available to channel firms that can specialize in new technologies or new markets. Digital signage, managed print services, security and storage are some of the areas that channel firms should consider, panelists said.

“Make an investment in your people to build your expertise,” advised Greg Davis, vice president and general manager, global commercial channels, Dell.
When going after new business, channel firms should consider the power of pictures, according to best-selling author Dan Roam, who delivered the closed keynote speech at ChannelCon. Pictures and visual thinking transcend language barriers, he said; and the simplicity of pictures can solve the most complex problems.

“There’s a way to say a whole lot more by using fewer words,” said Roam, author of The Back of the Napkin. “Use pictures and visual thinking. When we see something and understand it we remember it. We can solve our problems with pictures.”

The ChannelCon Technology Vendor Fair featured exhibits from more than 130 vendor and distributor companies. Conference attendees voted these companies as the winners of the Best of ChannelCon awards for 2013.
• Best Software - StorageCraft Technology Corporation, a provider of backup, disaster recovery, system migration, data protection, and cloud services solutions.
• Best Hardware - Lenovo, the world’s largest PC vendor.
• Best Services - LogMeIn, a provider of cloud and mobile services.
• Best of Show - Lenovo

Visit the ChannelCon Blog(http://www.comptia.org/events/events/ChannelCon/blog.aspx) for more on this week’s conference.

CompTIA announced that ChannelCon 2014 will be held August 4-6, 2014, in Phoenix. Updates on next year’s conference will be available at CompTIA Events(http://www.comptia.org/events/events.aspx).

About CompTIA
CompTIA is the voice of the world’s information technology (IT) industry. Its members are the companies at the forefront of innovation; and the professionals responsible for maximizing the benefits organizations receive from their investments in technology. CompTIA is dedicated to advancing industry growth through its educational programs, market research, networking events, professional certifications, and public policy advocacy. For more information, visit www.comptia.org.