This year has challenged the IT channel as never before. Whether it was learning to embrace a remote work environment and bolstering network infrastructures to support that shift, or establishing a new normal for cybersecurity, members of the IT community shared in the same struggles and found ways to overcome them all.
Looking around the channel, it is easy to see there was much to be learned in 2020 and even more to prepare for in 2021. As part of EDGE360’s mission to provide the news and information that can help you build your business, we’ve highlighted the best practices being discussed ahead of the new year.
Here are a few important insights being shared across the IT channel as we move into 2021:
The Changing Channel: How IT Vendors Should Position Partner Programs
“There are only two ways for companies to make money,” Howard M. Cohen, authorized CompTIA instructor, and a regular contributor to IT industry publications including the Channel Insider, began in a recent article “either you make new customers, or you sell more to existing customers. Cohen noted that conventional wisdom will always say that the latter is the better way to go. In his article, Cohen went into detail about what members of the IT channel can do to stay relevant in the changing market realities.
“The channel moved away from retail to corporate sales,” Cohen continued. “The big driver became corporate IT initiatives,” meaning big projects that require plenty of services to enable them. The article goes further into what it takes to reposition in the market and describes how VARs can evolve to adapt to the new trends in 2021.
Read the full story here.
Could Other Threats Hit Business While COVID-19 Continues to Dominate the Risk Agenda?
Reporting on the Healix Risk Oracle, IT Reseller dove into the potential risks ahead for both public and private organizations. “[The year] 2021 is likely to be as busy a year for challenging global events,” stated Chris Job MBE, Director of Risk Management Services at Healix International. With a new normal on the horizon, there is a tremendous need for “robust organizational resilience plans.”
IT Resellers takes you through the report and how it can set expectations for every member of the IT channel. Further, the article described the many cracks that have yet to be filled in IT, allowing partners to find areas of business where they can grow.
Read the full story here.
This Year, It’s Personal – Reflecting on 2020
In a recent blog post, Cisco’s Jen Burns, social media lead and the voice behind the @WeAreCisco accounts, shared her experience during the pandemic. She reflects on the best practices that enabled her, her colleagues, and Cisco itself to overcome the struggles of 2020. While there is much work to be done on building business in the times ahead, it is just as important to work on building a corporate culture that is adapted to the realities of today, according to Burns.
Detailing many examples of how Cisco itself was able to create a new culture, Burns’ article takes the reader through the professional and personal benefits that she and her coworkers felt. The biggest argument is that a company that is responsive to these changes will see a major boost in productivity. Read the full article to see if any of Burns’ suggestions can benefit your employees.
Read the full story here.
Tips to Improve Your Security Program in 2021
Discussing the Cisco 2021 Security Outcomes Study, Richard Archdeacon, Cisco Security’s Advisory CISO, noted “security function has an increasing need to keep up with change” in a recent blog post. Archdeacon described the results of the report in greater detail, noting that many aspects of the channel will need to adapt to better provide for the cybersecurity needs of today.
While the report is focused on the internal security of an organization, the recommendations remain the same from producer to end-user. The report helps partners to see what is needed, from Cisco’s point of view, for an organization to be safe going into 2021. Finding how to fill that role will be critical to success in the new year.
Read the full story here.
