17-May-2018 2:07 PM
Synnex Alliance wraps up for 2018: unlocking the value of partnerships
Synnex Alliance, our biggest channel event of the year, has wrapped up with four events over two months in Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney.
This year the focus was on unlocking the value of reseller partnerships by bringing attendees together with vendors to create business strategies for a future-fit industry.
With more than 40 leading vendors showcasing new and emerging technologies, attendees were given the chance to reach multiple touchpoints with vendor partners.
As part of the theme of unlocking the value of reseller partnerships, James Henderson, editorial director, IDG, hosted a panel session featuring Google, Fujitsu, Microsoft, and Datacom on tackling the triple value play: customer; partner; and the channel.
Frequently overused but seldom delivered upon, the notion of value in the channel continues to lack definition. In a market overflowing with new and emerging technologies, Australian customers are chasing innovation at breakneck pace.
Irrespective of size or sector, end-user differentiation remains key as competition continues to increase. Within the supply chain, value spans the customer, the partner, and the channel, each forming a crucial component of the overall solution.
Panellists were challenged to define the notion of value to the end user to highlight lucrative partner opportunities ahead in 2018.
Bryan Lee, head of channels Chrome OS Google, believes that in the context of the channel, value is unlocked when innovation can be brought to the customer. This is not only about solving a gap with new technology but includes providing total solutions that involve a line of business and partnerships with IT to bring an end-to-end solution that adds value to the bottom line.
Katherine Brinks, channel manager Chrome OS Google, highlighted the shift in the channel over the last five years, which has seen what can be described as a paranoia in protecting IP in the channel fade when it comes to partnering. These days, as customers want their whole solution solved, channel partners are increasingly collaborating to fulfil that journey for their customers.
James Mercer, solution director Fujitsu, defines customer value as the need to create lifelong partnerships with customers as their systems integrator and managed service provider. This includes continually improving customer satisfaction through great service and driving innovation. He also spoke about the need to accommodate changing expectations from customers who expect to be able to access applications and data from anywhere.
Steven Miller, Microsoft Australia Education Director, spoke about the need for vendors to remember end customers are their channel partners’ customer as there is always an opportunity to develop that relationship further. Vendors need to look at how their platforms can support the entire business for the end customer. This includes looking at the value that can be created across the entire suite of things that customers are looking to buy in the technology space and how vendors can provide partners with simple solutions to do this.
Peter Stein, GM Australia software and cloud alliances Datacom, spoke about the customer-centric ideal and the importance of listening to end customers and partners. He highlighted the importance for vendors to work with all stakeholders to create a solution that fits in with the customer and their core business, rather than trying to make a square peg fit a round hole.
We look forward to helping all of our channel partners navigate all of our vendors’ offerings in 2018 and beyond. Stay tuned for details on Synnex Alliance 2019. In the mean time, follow us on social media:
