Monday Morning Impact – July 10

Tech Data Enhances IoT and Analytics Practice with New Partner Solutions

Tech Data Corporation has announced several enhancements to its Smart IoT and Analytics Solutions Practice in the Americas, which offer partners one-on-one consultations and end-to-end IoT design services.

Among the highlights, the Clearwater, Fla.-based distributor unveiled its “Smart IoT Scale Model,” which showcases how IoT and analytics solutions can drive business outcomes, as well as how connected things provide value in specific vertical-industry settings.

In addition, Tech Data will now distribute the Cisco Smart+Connected Digital Platform for creating a smart city framework, and has partnered with Quantela Inc., a digital technology solutions company focused on IoT, to offer its partners a solution to deploy and manage their customers’ smart-city solutions.

The distributor also announced a distribution agreement with iValu8, a retail software partner that delivers solutions to help businesses drive customer acquisition, traffic and intelligence through social and digital marketing solutions.

Tech Data has additionally formalized a distribution partnership with Molex, a provider of electronic components and solutions, for Transcend Network Connected Lighting solutions, delivering Power over Ethernet (PoE) lighting solutions through the channel.

Channel Impact^®
The announcements combine to provide a turnkey approach to help partners enter the IoT and smart cities space. In some cases successful execution of these strategies may spell the difference between long-term success and eventual acquisition by a larger competitor.

CompuCom Unveils SmartNOC Service

CompuCom Systems, Inc., a Charlotte, NC-based managed services company, has launched its SmartNOC service, providing network monitoring and management expertise and services for mid-sized to large businesses that might not otherwise be able to afford their own network operations center.

“With over 25 years of experience and more than 2.4 million network devices under our management, CompuCom has an excellent understanding of the levels of service businesses require from their IT environments,” said Christopher Opat, SVP of CompuCom’s Cloud Technology Services. “Our clear SmartNOC bundle options, combined with per-device pricing, enables us to offer a unique management service that empowers smaller companies to take advantage of the same level of network management that our enterprise clients enjoy.”

Organizations can also combine SmartNOC with CompuCom’s complementary services, including Managed Server Services, Managed Storage Services, Managed Security Services, and SmartDesk Solution in order to further trim IT-related expenses.

Channel Impact^®
The offering can provide Fortune 500-level capabilities to lower tiers of the enterprise segment, thus saving money or freeing up IT teams for strategic initiatives.

Worldwide Technology Rolls out New Services Program

World Wide Technology (WWT), a suburban St. Louis-based integrator, has announced EA+, a program of services intended to guide enterprise buyers through the entire process of defining, choosing and implementing a complete software stack.

EA+ manages the software buying process, from initial purchase, to implementation, to renewal. Clients gain exclusive access to WWT’s $150 million Advanced Technology Center (ATC), a dedicated testing environment where proposed software solutions of any type can be evaluated before they are rolled out. Technologies from Cisco, Microsoft, Dell EMC, HPE, NetApp, VMware and F5 are preconfigured into a fully scalable environment designed to reflect virtually any software scenario.

“EA+ is a complete rethinking of how enterprise agreements work,” said Dean Romero, practice director for software and lifecycle services at WWT. “Instead of just being a pricing tool, we’ve turned it into an asset that delivers business outcomes.”

Consultation services and workshops will also be available through the program.

Channel Impact^®
This move is compatible with the industry’s shift towards to a more software-centric business model with a multi-vendor environment. In addition, by codifying specific processes for hardware acquisition, customers may be able to get a better handle on “shadow IT” that is procured without participation from IT.