Larry Walsh talks with Acronis CEO Patrick Pulvermueller about the impact the war in Ukraine is having on the technology market and channel, efforts made to help refugees, and how the Russian invasion is changing strategic and contingency planning.

The war in Ukraine, now raging for more than a month, woke governments and companies around the world out of their complacency. The dystopian-like order of the Cold War returned with a vengeance, causing many technology industry leaders to rethink their operations and outlook in ways they couldn’t conceive just weeks ago.

To date, thousands of lives have been lost. Entire cities have been leveled. More than 3.7 million Ukrainians are refugees in other European countries. And as much as 15% of the population has been displaced by the fighting and destruction.

The Western response has been multifaceted. Beyond the financial and military aid flowing into Ukraine, NATO and other Western countries have imposed sanctions on Russia that aim to cripple its economy. Many Western companies – most notably, technology companies – have suspended operations in Russia and taken active roles in aiding the Ukrainian resistance.

One of these companies is Acronis, a cybersecurity and backup specialist based in Switzerland and Singapore, with substantial connections to Russia and Ukraine through its diverse globalized staff. Acronis stopped doing business in Russia in 2017, and the company severed any remaining ties immediately following the invasion in solidarity with Western sanctions and in support of Ukraine’s resistance.

Acronis has taken additional steps as well. The company is actively working to provide displaced Ukrainians with employment; has pledged €500,000 through its charitable arm, Acronis Cyber Foundation; and is helping its employees in Eastern European countries that are providing aid and support to Ukrainian refugees. Acronis, like many of its peers, is dealing with issues that were unthinkable just a month ago.

Beyond the humanitarian efforts, Acronis and companies like it are shifting their strategic thinking. They’re not only thinking about their usual annual operating plans; they’re also considering the short- and long-term ramifications of a sustained war in Ukraine and the widening of the conflict to more countries. They’re coping with the continuing inflation and inventory issues, while adding sanctions and supply-chain disruptions to the list. They’re rethinking everything.

In this Channelnomics Changing Channels episode, Acronis CEO Patrick Pulvermueller joins host Larry Walsh to discuss the far-reaching repercussions of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and how it will impact technology companies around the world.

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Changing Channels Is a Channelnomics Production

Follow @Channelnomics to stay current on the latest #research, #bestpractices, and #resources. At @Channelnomics – the voice of thought leadership – we define #channel trends, chart new #GTM strategies, and #partner with industry leaders to champion #diversity in the channel.  

Episode Resources

Host Larry Walsh: https://bit.ly/3beZfOa

Guest Patrick Pulvermueller: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickpulvermueller

Larry Walsh talks to monday.com Senior Channel Partner Manager Sarit Chalamish about how vendors can step outside of their comfort zone and embrace creative business solutions to pave the way for unparalleled opportunities for growth and success across all levels of an organization.  

As any channel professional knows, building a successful partner program is no simple task. Starting from scratch and finding the right partners to connect with takes a tremendous amount of concentrated relationship-building, typically accomplished through face-to-face meetings and the moments in between wining and dining. Especially for the leaders assigned to getting a new partner program off the ground, securing those first partners is a crucial step, as those early partners can be critical in determining the long-term success of the program.  

Combine the inherent nature of developing a new partner program with the unprecedented circumstances brought on by the pandemic and the challenge seems not only difficult but downright impossible. Of course, collaboration, flexibility, and relationship-building took on new meaning with the onset of COVID-19. A firm handshake was replaced with a link to a virtual meeting as the world was forced into a dependency on computer and phone screens. 

For those starting something fresh in the midst of the pandemic – whether a new job, a new kind of program, or even the general adjustment to remote work – the question was clear: Could virtual resources be enough to meet the demands of pre-pandemic life? 

A channel leader who was quickly forced to answer this question is Sarit Chalamish, senior channel partner manager at monday.com. When she joined the company last spring, she faced a seemingly insurmountable task: to develop the organization’s North America channel program as a new member of the monday.com team and amid the onset of a global pandemic. Quick and creative thinking quickly became the foundation for accomplishing this feat as Chalamish navigated unchartered territory.  

Chalamish, like other channel leaders, knows the right partners can make or break the launch of a partner program. To ensure the success of monday.com’s burgeoning partner program, Chalamish and her team embraced their creative sides, exploring more “out of the box” partner relationships like vertical partners or turning inward and leveraging their own networks. The process was difficult, but the goal was simple: to find partners with the same level of professionalism as monday.com – sharing that same culture of adaptability and creativity – so that clients can enjoy a seamless experience.  

In this edition of Channelnomics’ Changing Channels, Chalamish joins host Larry Walsh to discuss how adopting a mindset of “thinking outside the box” allowed monday.com to develop a partner program entirely through virtual resources. By embracing this same sense of creativity and flexibility, executives can open the door for exciting new projects and relationships across all levels of the channel. 

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Changing Channels Is a Channelnomics Production 

Follow @Channelnomics to stay current on the latest #research, #bestpractices, and #resources. At @Channelnomics – the voice of thought leadership – we define #channel trends, chart new #GTM strategies, and #partner with industry leaders to champion #diversity in the channel.   

Episode Resources 

Host Larry Walsh: https://bit.ly/3beZfOa 

Guest: Sarit Chalamish: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarit-chalamish-28177/ 

Michelle Hodges, vice president of worldwide channels at GitLab, joins host Larry Walsh to discuss how channel executives can develop better relationships with board members while showcasing the benefits of the channel.

Channel chiefs are often challenged in explaining and demonstrating the value of partner programs and relationships to decision-makers in their organizations. Having a seat at the management table means having a voice in strategy and decision-making. In business, there’s no bigger table than the board of directors.

Gaining the attention of the board in supporting the channel is becoming increasingly important to channel chiefs. Helping boards understand the value and importance of channel programs and partners can make all the difference when it comes to strategic priorities and funding for indirect routes to market.  

The challenge is bridging the “language divide.” Channel executives and board members often fail to use the same lingo, rely on the same metrics, or even identify the same priorities. To help board members – extensions of the investors behind companies – better understand the value of the channel and what it brings to the table, channel and business managers need to make more of an effort to cultivate a relationship between themselves and the board. In that relationship, channel leaders should focus on using the same metrics, showing demonstrable results, and making it clear that their aim isn’t to sell a product but to explain the channel’s impact on a company’s business.

A channel leader at the forefront of cultivating these types of relationships is GitLab Vice President of Worldwide Channels Michelle Hodges. She’s long been a fierce advocate of working closely with boards and encouraging others to do the same.

Hodges, like other channel leaders, knows it can be difficult to make a material difference in the eyes of the board. That’s why her game plan involves asking lots of questions and catering to the board’s goals. She starts by asking her leadership team about the pressure they’re under by the board and familiarizing herself with management-level metrics. Then she approaches the board, making sure to use the right language to ask about their objectives and explain how their goals align with the value of the channel – and how the channel can produce critical results in serving the business.

In this edition of Channelnomics’ Changing Channels, Hodges joins host Larry Walsh to discuss how cultivating a relationship with board members while zeroing in on the power of the channel can lead to unparalleled opportunities for growth and a more unified value set across an organization.

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Changing Channels Is a Channelnomics Production

Follow @Channelnomics to stay current on the latest #research, #bestpractices, and #resources. At @Channelnomics – the voice of thought leadership – we define #channel trends, chart new #GTM strategies, and #partner with industry leaders to champion #diversity in the channel.  

Episode Resources

Host Larry Walsh: https://bit.ly/3beZfOa

Guest Michelle Hodges: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellewhodges/

Rob Rae, senior vice president of Datto, joins Channelnomics’ Changing Channels host Larry Walsh to discuss why vendors often struggle when building service channels and how to get the most out of MSP relationships. 

As the shift away from transactional sales models and toward service- and consumption-based paradigms progresses, vendors are realizing that managed service providers may be the ideal target for building out their indirect sales.  

That’s because MSPs are entrenched in current revenue models, are used to selling to their customers, and already have a good installed base of customer and consumer services. But one problem remains – the mistaken presumption that MSPs will act in a way that aligns with what vendors know about their resellers and integrators.  

Vendors are designing channel programs around how they want to work with the market, not necessarily how partners or MSPs are working with their customers. That creates a gap between what the vendors are trying to do and what they’re actually doing.  

One vendor with a keen awareness of what it takes to bridge that gap is Datto. The company has long been a key player in working with MSPs – championing them as bona fide partners and supporting them in getting their products to end users. Datto has developed MSP relationships that not only ensure its success in a changing industry but also allow it to work side by side with competitors and other service providers. The goal: to cultivate an integrative community that facilitates constant support for MSPs while stimulating the continued buildout of the consumption model.  

By persistently networking, communicating, and building on its relationships with partners, Datto fosters a climate of collaboration to keep MSPs running smoothly and create a positive partner experience. Rob Rae, senior vice president of Datto, joins Channelnomics’ Changing Channels host Larry Walsh to discuss how Datto is leveraging its years of experience to ground its partner program in the concept of community and help MSPs grow their businesses.  

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Channelnomics: https://channelnomics.com/  

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Changing Channels Is a Channelnomics Production 

Follow @Channelnomics to stay current on the latest #research, #bestpractices, and #resources. At @Channelnomics – the voice of thought leadership – we define #channel trends, chart new #GTM strategies, and #partner with industry leaders to champion #diversity in the channel.   

Episode Resources 

Host Larry Walsh: https://bit.ly/3beZfOa 

Guest Rob Rae: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robtrae/ 

Credits 

Production: Changing Channels is produced by Modern Podcasting. For virtual content capture and video-first podcasts, check out http://www.modpodstudio.com. 

Host Larry Walsh: https://bit.ly/3beZfOa 

Voice-Over: Denise Quan 

Craig Crescas, Cloud Solution Architect at Microsoft, and Mathew Batterbee, Global Head of Business Applications at Ingram Micro Cloud, join Changing Channels host Larry Walsh to discuss how partners can leverage the benefits of advanced cloud applications and help customers do the same.  

As the digital transformation continues to barrel ahead, with no signs of slowing down, advanced cloud-based applications are increasingly imperative in helping organizations to automate processes, maintain accurate records, and facilitate better customer experiences.  

The challenge many businesses face is setting up and operationalizing that cloud-based software. When customers don’t have the expertise or resources to bring their cloud vision to life, their quest for digital transformation fails. That’s why customers need partners with the skills and know-how to help them get the most out of their cloud investment.  

It turns out that partners face the very same challenge as customers – a lack of experience and resources. Building practices that go beyond the deployment of simple, common cloud applications takes time, money, and, most important, the acceptance of risk. But the truth is that advanced cloud applications represent a big opportunity for solution providers given partners’ under-penetration in that area and customers’ need for support there. As the saying goes, where there’s mystery, there’s margin.  

Vendors need to better prepare partners to offer more advanced cloud applications such as CRM and ERP. Doing so is a win-win. While customers get the help they need to address business challenges, partners get a chance to capitalize on this cloud market opportunity. 

A vendor at the forefront of dispelling the mystery of how partners can break into advanced cloud services is Microsoft. With Microsoft Dynamics 365, the company has developed a set of advanced applications designed to help take organizations’ digital transformation capabilities to the next level. More significantly, though, the company has built its own training program for Dynamics 365 to simplify the learning process for partners and grant them the skills and resources they need to get the most out of their investments.  

As the technical environment transitions, Microsoft is guiding partners on how to embrace the benefits of Dynamics 365 and engage in a business-led, rather than tech-led, conversation with customers. The goal: more open discussions between partners and customers and an overall better experience for customers as partners gain the ability to understand their aims, challenges, and growth inhibitors.  

Microsoft is a supporter of cloud research conducted by Channelnomics in partnership with Ingram Micro Cloud, which is why we’ve invited them here to share their thoughts on leveraging advanced cloud applications and taking advantage of the market opportunity they present. Craig Crescas, Cloud Solution Architect at Microsoft, and Mathew Batterbee, Global Head of Business Applications at Ingram Micro Cloud, join Changing Channels host Larry Walsh to discuss how Microsoft helps partners and end users harness the power of advanced cloud applications.  

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Changing Channels Is a Channelnomics Production 

Episode Resources 

Guest Craig Crescas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigcrescas/ 

Guest Mathew Batterbee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathew-batterbee-7580a8ba/ 

Credits 

Host Larry Walsh: https://bit.ly/3beZfOa 

Voice-Over: Denise Quan 

Ted Schuman, founder and CEO of PlanetOne, joins Channelnomics’ Changing Channels host Larry Walsh to discuss how vendors can better leverage data to improve customer experience and communication across the channel.

It’s easy to say we’re living in the data age, and that data is the new fuel of the business engine, but it’s a lot harder to execute on that vision than it seems. Big Data remains one of the biggest challenges many companies face as they seek to collect, manage, normalize, and analyze it to create single points of truth.

Technology vendors are increasingly adopting data-centric models and strategies to drive partner behavior and performance, and to get more value out of the channels in which they invest. Making plans to do all this is the easy part; yielding deliverable results is the challenge.

Even for companies that successfully harness data, making it actionable is a whole different story. That data is essentially useless unless it can be made consumable and broken down in a way customers and partners can understand and capitalize on.

A vendor at the forefront of leveraging data to enhance the customer and partner experience is PlanetOne, which has long been known as a key technology sourcing partner. With Sentient, a scalable business intelligence platform, the company is giving vendors, agents, and customers visibility into the entire sales lifecycle – prospecting, provisioning, project management, activation, etc. – through a single pane of glass.

PlanetOne is using its new platform to ensure the constant availability of real-time data analytics that can be used to generate actionable results according to users’ needs. Through its automation capabilities, Sentient ensures effective internal and external communication to keep customers up to speed and create a positive partner experience.

Ted Schuman, founder and CEO of PlanetOne, joins Channelnomics’ Changing Channels host Larry Walsh to discuss how Sentient is enhancing the human experience and helping customers launch and expand their businesses.

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Changing Channels Is a Channelnomics Production

Episode Resources

Guest Ted Schuman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ted-schuman/

Credits

Host Larry Walsh: https://bit.ly/3beZfOa

Voice-Over: Denise Quan

Louise McEvoy, vice president of U.S. channels at Trend Micro, joins Channelnomics Changing Channels host Larry Walsh to discuss how channel professionals can change their mindset and embrace the reality of change.

We’ve probably all heard the saying, “the only constant in life is change,” and it’s true. The channel is on the brink of a major transformation. Shifting priorities, digital transformation, and new sources of revenue mean that vendors and partners alike are being forced to re-evaluate their go-to-market strategies. At this pivotal point in time, all channel professionals have the same two options: Buckle up and embrace the ride or risk falling off the bandwagon completely.

There’s no denying that change is difficult. Stepping out of one’s comfort zone without a clear vision of the results can be a risk. But it can be one that’s very much worth taking. Getting stuck in the past allows no room for growth, in the channel or otherwise. Moving forward helps to build endurance, and that can be the determining factor between success and failure in the channel. Building endurance and embracing risk can unleash an exhilarating sense of liberation and pave the way for new opportunities.

A channel leader at the forefront of embracing change is Louise McEvoy. The vice president of U.S. channels at Trend Micro has long been a fierce advocate of getting comfortable with transformation and encouraging others to do the same. Not one to shy away from speaking her mind, McEvoy is no stranger to venturing out of her comfort zone. In 2018, she successfully summited Mount Everest, making a decision to “put aside the pain, acknowledge it’s there, and just keep moving forward.” Since then, McEvoy’s mentality of resilience has been tangible both on and off the mountain.

McEvoy, like other channel leaders, understands there’s a chance of failure when undertaking any new business venture. But fear of failure is not something that prevents her from taking risks. Instead, she dives into every new project by focusing on excelling in the areas she knows she can control. To McEvoy, change is synonymous with opportunity, and it’s this message she hopes to impart to the next generation of tech leaders.

In this edition of Channelnomics’ Changing Channels, McEvoy joins host Larry Walsh to discuss how embracing change and the risk that goes along with it, both in and out of the channel, can lead to unparalleled opportunities for growth.

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Channelnomics: https://channelnomics.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/2NC6Vli 

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Changing Channels Is a Channelnomics Production

Follow @Channelnomics to stay current on the latest #research, #bestpractices, and #resources. At @Channelnomics – the voice of thought leadership – we define #channel trends, chart new #GTM strategies, and #partner with industry leaders to champion #diversity in the channel.  

Episode Resources

Host Larry Walsh: https://bit.ly/3beZfOa

Guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/llmcevoy/

Credits

Production: Changing Channels is produced by Modern Podcasting. For virtual content capture and video-first podcasts, check out http://www.modpodstudio.com.

Host Larry Walsh: https://bit.ly/3beZfOa

Voice-Over: Denise Quan

Changing Channels host Larry Walsh recounts the highlights of 2021’s 26 episodes with some of our top guests and industry luminaries.

Many people in the world would say that 2021 is not a year they’d want to repeat, given the ongoing pandemic, inflation, and supply-chain disruptions. Suffice it to say that the world is hardly back to normal. But the channel perseveres. In 2021, Changing Channels invited some of the top channel executives and thought leaders to share their experiences and insights on a variety of strategic and operational topics. Over the course of 26 episodes, our guests spoke about enabling fluid workforces, pricing strategies and methodologies, cloud adoption trends, partner enablement, management strategies, international expansion, and much more.

Picking our favorite moments from more than 14 hours of conversations wasn’t easy, but we did manage to select some memorable highlights, including these:

• Lori Cornmesser, vice president of worldwide channel sales at CyCognito, on becoming a channel chief again (time mark: 2:06)

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Channelnomics: https://channelnomics.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/2NC6Vli 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Channelnomics 

Changing Channels Is a Channelnomics Production

Follow @Channelnomics to stay current on the latest #research, #bestpractices, and #resources. At @Channelnomics – the voice of thought leadership – we define #channel trends, chart new #GTM strategies, and #partner with industry leaders to champion #diversity in the channel.  

Episode Resources

Host, Larry Walsh: https://bit.ly/3beZfOa

Guests

Lori Cornmesser: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loricornmesser/

Christian Alvarez: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianaalvarez/

Frank Rauch: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankrauch/

Joe Sykora: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joesykora/

Alyssa Fitzpatrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alysfitz/

Renee Bergeron: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reneebergeron/

Bill Cate: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billcate/

Mary Beth Walker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-beth-walker-a276b2184/

Denzil Samuels: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denzilsamuels/

Credits

Nick Tidd, vice president of global channel sales at Poly, joins Channelnomics’ Changing Channels host Larry Walsh to discuss how vendors can better meet customers’ evolving technology needs.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way the world thinks about work as employees grew accustomed to using their own devices and technology platforms. Now, as employees return to the office, they’re seeking the same rich technology experience to which they’ve become accustomed. Employers are stepping up to meet employees’ demands, upgrading their existing technology, but in many cases, they’re rendering their old equipment obsolete in the process.

While upgrading office technology benefits workers, it also raises the question of what to do with the old equipment. In getting rid of this gear, businesses lose money and jeopardize their sustainability efforts if they don’t dispose of it with an eye to the long term. Considering the current supply-chain shortages, letting go of that old equipment seems like an avoidable waste of resources.

One company addressing this issue is videoconferencing vendor Poly, which has long been a key player in providing offices with the proper devices for communication. Now, Poly is breathing new life into seemingly worthless equipment with its upgrade program, Poly Renew. By offering customers vouchers for new devices if they turn in their old equipment to its partners, Poly is using the program to fill demand for the products customers now want. Simultaneously, Poly is providing a sustainable way for old devices to be disposed of and even refurbished.

Nick Tidd, vice president of global channel sales at Poly, joins Channelnomics’ Changing Channels host Larry Walsh to discuss how Poly Renew is protecting the end-user, redefining the value of technology, and enabling partners to play a vital role in the renewal process.

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Channelnomics: https://channelnomics.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/2NC6Vli 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Channelnomics 

Changing Channels Is a Channelnomics Production

Follow @Channelnomics to stay current on the latest #research, #bestpractices, and #resources. At @Channelnomics – the voice of thought leadership – we define #channel trends, chart new #GTM strategies, and #partner with industry leaders to champion #diversity in the channel.  

Episode Resources

Host Larry Walsh: https://bit.ly/3beZfOa

Guest Nick Tidd: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicktidd/

Sandeep Gupta, Lead of Strategic Partnerships at Google Cloud, joins Channelnomics Changing Channels host Larry Walsh to discuss how Google Workspace can help ensure productivity and meaningful connection for everyone during this transitory time. 

Spurred by difficult conditions wrought by the pandemic over the past two years, the world’s been forced to adopt more flexible, fluid work arrangements. Mobile devices, persistent high-speed Internet, and cloud-based applications make working from home relatively easy, and during this adjustment period, options for collaboration have emerged in ways we didn’t think possible before 2020. 

While working from home – and from anywhere – has its advantages, the primary goal of today’s collaboration solutions is to best enable individuals and teams to stay connected in a meaningful way and maximize productivity. 

Everything is about collaboration, regardless of where workers are. Now more than ever, users need a smooth, effortless way to communicate, share, and produce. As the world ventures even further into a hybrid environment, it’s imperative to build on what we’ve learned over these past two years.  

One company that’s making flexible collaboration and productivity its prime mission is Google with its Google Workspace collection of tools, software, products, and services. Workspace is a solution that caters to everyone – individuals, IT managers, teams, and entire businesses – to ensure that they remain linked securely and on the same schedule. 

Channelnomics invited Google, a partner in our recent cloud research, along with Ingram Micro Cloud and Microsoft, to join us for our latest podcast. Sandeep Gupta, Lead of Strategic Partnerships at Google Cloud, spoke with Channelnomics Changing Channels host Larry Walsh to explain how Google Workspace enables fluid collaboration and helps businesses achieve consistent productivity in these uncertain times.  

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Channelnomics: https://channelnomics.com/  

LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/2NC6Vli  

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Channelnomics  

Changing Channels Is a Channelnomics Production 

Follow @Channelnomics to stay current on the latest #research, #bestpractices, and #resources. At @Channelnomics – the voice of thought leadership – we define #channel trends, chart new #GTM strategies, and #partner with industry leaders to champion #diversity in the channel.   

Episode Resources 

Host Larry Walsh: https://bit.ly/3beZfOa 

Guest Sandeep Gupta: linkedin.com/in/sandeep-gupta-5626bb2 

Credits 

Production: Changing Channels is produced by Modern Podcasting. For virtual content capture and video-first podcasts, check out http://www.modpodstudio.com. 

Host Larry Walsh: https://bit.ly/3beZfOa 

Voice-Over: Denise Quan