Monday Morning Impact – August 28

Published On: August 28, 2017Categories: Buzz, Uncategorized

Study: C-Level Execs Fear “Missing Out” with the Cloud

More than 80 percent of C-level execs and other IT leaders are either “extremely” or “very” concerned about missing out on cloud advancements. That’s according to a recent survey conducted by Commvault, a New Jersey-based vendor specializing in enterprise backup, recovery, archive and cloud offerings.

The survey concludes that “fear of missing out” (FOMO) is driving business leaders to move full speed ahead on cloud strategies, with 93 percent of respondents stating that they are moving at least some of their processes to the cloud. In addition, 56 percent of respondents stated that they have moved or intend to move not just some, but all of their processes to the cloud.

“C-level and other IT leaders are rightfully concerned about keeping up with cloud developments,” said Don Foster, senior director of solutions marketing for Commvault. “To be innovative in this transformation, organizations of all sizes must have a clear understanding of how new cloud technology developments enable pragmatic and efficient means for how data is moved, managed, protected and most effectively used with cloud technology, either on-premises or with a cloud provider.”

The research also showed that 75 percent of business leaders viewed data protection and backup as one of the cloud projects that are most impactful to their business — more than any other cloud project. However, despite seeing data protection and backup as the most impactful use case for the cloud, 63 percent were extremely concerned or very concerned about being able to recover data quickly from the cloud.

According to the study, the biggest barriers to moving more apps and data to the cloud include the sheer volume of data (68 percent), and staff skills (65 percent). Only one percent of business leaders described their cloud journey as “Frustrating,” and 13 percent found it “Expensive,” -while 51 percent described it as “Innovative” and 35 percent called it “Exciting.”

The survey targeted C-level executives in industries including but not limited to tech, financial services, manufacturing, healthcare, retail and telecoms in the US.

Channel Impact®
The data suggest that partners may be able to deepen relationships with customers by acknowledging these fears and developing proactive strategies to address them.

Samsung Announces New Investments In Partner Training, Demand Generation

Samsung Electronics America has announced new investments in its channel program for its Mobility, Professional Display and SSD Solutions. The company’s latest advancements include an enhanced training and certification, expansion of its marketing concierge support, and a new initiative to accelerate mobile-first strategies.

“Our channel partners are a critical extension of Samsung’s sales force and we continually invest in their enablement to drive growth,” said Kevin Gilroy, executive vice president and general manager of Samsung Electronics America. “Today’s advancements will raise our channel training, demand generation and mobility initiatives to a new level, providing partners with resources to gain deeper knowledge on Samsung solutions, and position themselves as go-to experts across vertical industries.”

The updated training and certification program, which is available through the company’s partner portal, is structured in a three-tier format that includes Sales Specialist, Expert, and Master. Partners can become certified on Samsung’s enterprise mobility, professional display and SSD solutions, including third-party accreditations.

Samsung has also expanded its Marketing Concierge tool to support all registered partners, regardless of size. Previously, only Gold and Platinum partners had access to this benefit, which provides access to third-party marketing platforms that provide tactical expertise for co-branded campaigns, reporting, and access to automated tools for online and social media marketing strategies.

The company has also introduced a new Mobility Solution Provider Program (MSPP) dedicated to the recruitment of partners who can excel at developing next-generation mobility solutions around Samsung devices. Through this program, partners that meet set criteria receive access to sales and marketing resources, leads, and volume incentive rebates.

Channel Impact®
The updates are clearly intended to help develop stronger allegiance of the partner base, as well as help partners to adopt new, emerging business models, as well as extend their footing in the mobility space.

Tenable Rolls Out New Security Channel Program

Tenable, Inc., a Columbia, Maryland-based security vendor, has unveiled “Tenable Assure,” a new MSSP program designed to help partners build long-term, consultative relationships with customers, helping them translate raw security data into a metrics-driven program where every business decision factors in what the company calls, “Cyber Exposure.”

“Partners are critical to our mission of empowering organizations to accurately understand, represent and reduce their cyber risk across the rapidly changing modern attack surface,” said John Negron, chief revenue officer at Tenable. “We’re investing in our partners to help them remain competitive in a market that is rapidly evolving and together we’re building a world-class revenue-generating machine that will not only accelerate Tenable into the next stage of growth, but benefit our partners directly as well.”

Tenable Assure, which takes effect on September 1, 2017, focuses on providing partners with the ongoing training and certification they need to provide their customers with strategic counsel, pragmatic solutions and custom services for securing the modern attack surface. A deal registration component is also included.

The Tenable Assure launch comes on the heels of the company’s recent announcement of record second quarter results with over $50 million in billings, representing over 50 percent growth year-over-year.

Channel Impact®
This move represents the company’s first major channel initiative in support of the MSSP space. The training also focuses on strategies through which MSSPs can effectively function as an extension of the customer’s own IT security resources. This is intended to reflect the industry’s shortage of cyber professionals.

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