www.techdata.ca
September/October 2011
6
Happy—whatever!
8
Redefining Value Added Distribution
Executive Address
12
Helping children in need
15
Manufacturers highlight their SMB product offerings
19 21 Comments, suggestions? Tell us what you think! Have your questions or comments published in the next Tech Times!
From the Editor
Community Connection SMB Spotlight Hotspots Featured products from some of Canada’s leading IT manufacturers
Special Digital Signage Section A must read feature on this growing market! • A Sign of the Times • NEC Defines Digital Signage • Ergotron’s Interactive Arm • Changes to the Lineup • HP Digital Signage- The Time is Now
Tucson Tune into Storage 32 IBM and Tech Data in Arizona
34
Tech Times features Next Digital Inc. of Edmonton, Alberta
38
Tech Times speaks with David Fleury from Brocade Canada
TechSelect Member Profile The Voice of the Vendor
Editor Ryan McMenamie Art Direction and Design Julie MacAulay Contributing Writers and Editors Irene Buchan, Ryan McMenamie Project Manager Vanessa Rodrigues Tech Times is published and distributed six times per year to channel resellers across Canada. ©2012 Tech Data Canada Corporation. Prices, promotions, offers & terms and conditions of sale subject to change without notice. Errors and omissions excepted. All manufacturers’ names are registered trademarks of their respective corporations. This publication comes to you free from Tech Data Canada Corporation. We received your mailing address from your Tech Data customer account information. To make changes or to unsubscribe, please contact your Tech Data sales team at (800) 668-5588 or notify us at emailcanada@techdata.ca. www.techtimesmagazine.ca
www.techdata.ca
January/February 2012
Happy (Insert Clever Comment Here)! I want to say Happy New Year, but somehow that seems so cliché. I like to think of myself as one of those creative types who always has something clever and unique to say. But alas, there isn’t a more fitting phrase—Happy New Year it is. Normally I would be staring at my Starbucks cup hoping for a bit of inspiration, but today it is Tim Hortons, and while both are great coffees, it just doesn’t seem to have the kick I need today. As I write this, I am listening to a channelbuzz.ca podcast featuring Rick Reid. Not to be biased, but it’s actually really good and fun to listen to because of Rick’s honesty and humour. It was a great reminder of what Tech Data has accomplished in 2011, and what we hope to achieve in the coming year.
from the
I’ve posted the podcast to Tech Data’s Facebook page, and I highly recommend you check it out! Rick talks about SMB, AIS, ATSC and DS, and that’s a lot of acronyms! Speaking of DS (Digital Signage), this issue of Tech Times is dedicated to that burgeoning market. Tech Data has just signed a slew of new DS vendors with more additions planned for 2012! Add that to our already impressive list of world-class vendors, and it’s easy to see why we are the premier digital signage destination for the channel.
leaders. In addition, we have some insights of our own to add to the mix to ensure you have the most relevant information on trends in this exciting market. With just a month under our belts in the New Year, we already have a couple exciting announcements. First is the availability of accessTD, a new mobile app for your iPhones and iPads. Further into this issue, you will find information on how to download and access tutorials. Secondly, we are pleased to introduce techtimesmagazine.ca. This will be your portal to access back issues and exclusive online content in addition to managing your Tech Times subscription. If someone within your organization is not already receiving Tech Times, spread the word, and send them to techtimesmagazine.ca! I hope you enjoy this first issue of the New Year!
Ryan McMenamie Manager, Communications ryan.mcmenamie@techdata.ca
facebook.com/techdatacanada twitter.com/techdata_canada
Within this publication, we have a special digital signage insert with articles provided from some key channel
January/February 2012
www.techdata.ca
www.techdata.ca
January/February 2012
ExecutiveAddress
January/February 2012
2012: Redefining Value Added Distribution 2011 was a good year for Tech Data Canada, and we were all very busy while experiencing year over year growth. Our ‘Shift to Value’ was completed, but we continued to focus on Redefining Value Added Distribution by challenging the existing legacy model of current VAD providers. The fact that we were chosen as Microsoft’s exclusive VAD for virtualization solutions validates our ongoing strategic initiative of offering more than just Pick, Pack, Ship. For example, the offering in our Configuration Centre is second to none. When our VAR partners come in for tours and see first-hand the full spectrum of Tech Data’s capabilities, they quickly realize the positive impact we can have on the end-customer when we work together. What’s truly motivating is the camaraderie and sharing that occurs during tours as new concepts come to life thanks to the ideas of our partners. That’s why our entire executive team likes to remain personally involved in continually engaging our VAR community, whether it’s through tours of our Configuration Centre and ATSC or regional events such as the Business Builder Tour and Winner’s Circle. I recently was part of a podcast on channelbuzz.ca and was asked to give a summary of the year that was 2011, as well as the outlook for 2012 from Tech Data Canada’s perspective. Based on what we’re seeing in the market, it looks as though large corporate entities in Canada are ready to increase spending, and there are some robust opportunities that will arise. SMB communities will continue to be a strategic focus, and that’s one of the areas where Tech Data’s suite of value added services and offerings can help drive more business in the channel. In terms of the outlook for hot products, we expect strong growth from our Advanced Infrastructure Solutions (AIS) business with high-end server/storage and security solutions. I’m also always asked about the impact of the Cloud and I can tell you that Private off-site data centre “clouds” are already here and growing. But regardless of whether it’s an off-site data centre or an on-site server/storage solution, there will always be hardware requirements, and thus the VAR,
Vendor and Distributor relationship will continue to be as important as ever before. It may be a new year, but old values hold true. We will always be first and foremost about building strong and mutually successful relationships, and in turn our entire partner ecosystem will grow steadily and organically. May you and your families have a happy and healthy 2012!
D.R. Rick Reid President, Tech Data Canada
www.techdata.ca
Community Connection Values in Action to Help Children in Need
We’ve talked at various times in the past about Tech Data’s Shared Values; those traits that we espouse internally and that we fundamentally believe make us The Difference in Distribution. The five values – Integrity and Respect, Teamwork, Partnership, Passion for Winning, and Ownership – guide us in our daily interactions with our valued vendor partners, customers and internal clients. 12
January/February 2012
www.techdata.ca
It was these same values – particularly Integrity and Respect, and Teamwork - that inspired us this past holiday season to work with the Peel Children’s Aid Foundation Holiday Wishes Program to bring some much needed Christmas spirit to 53 young members of our community in need. Through the program, children are sponsored and participants purchase specific items requested by that child. Each child is asked to list a gift and clothing item that they’d like to receive, along with sizes and personal preferences, and after that, the sponsors go shopping and play Santa for some very appreciative children. For the second year in a row, many of our employees participated as individuals while others used this as a great team-building and bonding experience with peers and co-workers. Our Human Resources department used the Holiday Wishes Program to improve the holidays for two young children. The department members pooled their funds, decided what to purchase, and shopped as a team. Said www.techdata.ca
The holidays are a time for all of us to realize the many things we have to be thankful for, and participating in the Holiday Wishes Program reminds us that our peers and co-workers are to be counted among our many blessings. Lucy Mazzitti, an HR Generalist who has been with Tech Data for two years, “The Children’s Aid Foundation Holiday Wishes Program was a great way for us to join together as a team to provide for those in our community less fortunate than ourselves. It was fun to do with my peers, and was a great way to give back to those who really need it the most.” David Brewer, our Inside Sales Specialist
for IBM, went to great lengths to track down some highly coveted Barbie sheets for a young girl who had made that very specific request. Having difficulty finding them locally, he managed to find them online and had them shipped to relatives in the United States, who in turn had them couriered to Mississauga, just in time for the Children’s Aid pick-up deadline. Though it was hard to find the sheets, and he ended up paying more in freight than the actual value of the gift item, “It was worth it,” said David, “knowing that I was able to find the exact thing she was wishing for.” The holidays are a time for all of us to realize the many things we have to be thankful for, and participating in the Holiday Wishes Program reminds us that our peers and co-workers are to be counted among our many blessings. We encourage all our business partners – vendors, customers and suppliers alike – to participate in similar initiatives next Christmas or throughout the year. One thing is certain; you get more out of it than what you put in!
January/February 2012
13
small to medium business High-Performance, reliable stacking switches for Small Business from Cisco! Cisco Small Business Stackable Managed Switches form the core of a small business network, offering the perfect mix of configurability, speed, and stability to help keep your customer’s network running smoothly at a price they can afford! Available in a variety of port and speed configurations these switches give you greater control over network traffic as well as support the network as it grows to adopt advanced technologies and applications in the future reducing the need to implement additional upgrades later. For more information call your Tech Data sales representative today at 800.668.5588.
Highly Secure Connectivity for Small Offices The Cisco® RV110W Wireless-N VPN Firewall combines simple, highly secure wired and wireless connectivity for small offices and remote workers with a high-speed, 802.11n wireless access point, a 4-port 10/100 Mbps Fast Ethernet switch, an intuitive, browser-based device manager, and support for the Cisco FindIT Network Discovery Utility, all at a very affordable price. For more information call your Tech Data sales representative today at 800.668.5588.
NEW! Cisco OnPlus Service: Manage Small Business Networks - Simply and Affordably! Cisco OnPlus™ Service is a cloud-based platform that provides Cisco partners with visibility into their small business customers’ networks, helping them deliver managed network services easily and affordably. OnPlus Service is based on a simple model featuring a lightweight network appliance, a partner portal, and a convenient subscription plan that covers all elements of the service. For more information call your Tech Data sales representative today at 800.668.5588.
18
January/February 2012
www.techdata.ca
HotSpots The World Leader in Notebook Security! Deter thieves from stealing your notebook and the personal information on it. The Patented T-bar locking mechanism and super-strong carbon tempered steel cable provide maximum protection that attaches to the standard Kensington security slot found in 99% of notebooks and computer devices. Superior strength and innovative design is backed by Kensington, the world leader in notebook security. Highlighted Skus: TD#331043 – Standard TD#31646C – Custom (Special Order) TD#29376V– Clicksafe ® Keyed Laptop Lock – New! TD#26086Z – Combination Laptop Lock – New!
BONUS Receive $10 OFF TD#331043 (February 1st – March 31st)
The Lexmark T650n Mono Workgroup Printer now with $100 in Lexmark Rewards dollars Resellers can sleep easy at night when selling the Lexmark T650n Mono Printer. Why? Because it’s one of the most reliable workgroup printers available and well...it just works. Which is why you’ll find T6xx Series printers located in some of Canada’s most-demanding customers. Because it just works. TD SKU: 42653I
www.techdata.ca
January/February 2012
19
A Sign of the Times-
Beyond Digital Signage 101 By Ryan McMenamie
A few issues back, you may remember I talked a little Digital Signage 101. Looking back at the article, it was a good start, but it was still a little two dimensional in thought. That’s why it’s great to have assembled some articles from the minds of our leading vendors to give their perspective on the digital signage marketplace, where it stands now and the outlook for the future. Welcome to a very special Tech Times digital signage feature.
22
January/February 2012
www.techdata.ca
Each vendor will have their own unique viewpoints because as you have probably noticed, digital signage isn’t just about retail anymore—and the digital signage being used in retail just isn’t about looping images or playlists. We are entering a more sophisticated era in signage where analytics and security are seamlessly integrated into more elaborately integrated systems. A recent article by Christopher Hall at DigitalSignageToday.com caught my eye, and gives an interesting glimpse into the potential of this medium beyond just thinking about displays and content. In it, he talks about advanced vending machines in Japan that not only use a translucent display to provide content over top of real products, but the ads being displayed are personalized based on the age and gender of the viewer. Of course, while vending machines are immensely popular in Japan, the same may not hold true for North America. However, imagine the potential of the root technology behind this. They are utilizing Intel’s AIMS anonymous video analytics capabilities to display ads based on demographics. While I imagine there are numerous privacy obstacles to overcome in Canada, it can’t be long until similar applications find their way into mainstream signage applications. While the future may look like Minority Report, I think with baby steps, it provides endless opportunities for interactivity and automation that transcends a myriad of vertical markets. Again, I’ve personally been in the digital signage game since 2006 or so. I was with organizations that dabbled in face recognition as early as 2007. Interactive kiosks, while available, were priced a little beyond the reach of those with evertightening budgets. I’ve seen many www.techdata.ca
grandiose predictions made each year about how astounding digital signage will be in the coming year. I have no such prediction, but what I do know is that it is more of an evolution than a revolution.
Still overwhelmed? Don’t forget you have the one-stop convenience of Tech Data pulling together the best offerings from the world’s leading vendors. What works for one customer may not be applicable to another—thus we offer choice.
However, this is a blessing for you the VAR. It’s not too late to get on board and add digital signage to your offering. In fact, while many of you are already inside enterprise environments installing server/storage solutions, it’s not an unimaginable stretch to incorporate integrated signage applications for corporate communications, boardrooms, inventory control, lobbies and waiting rooms. Be
creative. Look around you when you are on site at a customer location and think about how digital signage could potentially help solve a customer’s problems. Whether it’s reduced perceived wait times in a retail scenario or providing key medical health information to those going in for surgery, there are indeed problems to be solved! Be the solution. We fully understand this may seem overwhelming to some of you who come from a pure IT background. Make no mistake, these are no longer just plug and play DVD solutions—these are IT implementations requiring network expertise including security, software, racking, and cables. It’s familiar territory with a different twist. Instead of unseen, invisible data, you are now implementing solutions where the data is dynamic, interactive and beautiful! Still overwhelmed? Don’t forget you have the one-stop convenience of Tech Data pulling together the best offerings from the world’s leading vendors. What works for one customer may not be applicable to another—thus we offer choice. With multiple vendors in each category and with expertise in every vertical market at price points to match the budget of almost all your customers, we can alleviate all the worry while providing you with profit.
You have the full support of our internal resources to help you with any implementation questions you may have. You aren’t alone in this endeavor. You have the strength of Tech Data at your back. Get out there and light up the world! Enjoy the articles in this special section created just for you. January/February 2012
23
NEC Defines Digital Signage NEC Display Solutions is an industry leader in digital signage and provides expertise in creating customized display solutions. Whether the application requires large-format displays or professional installation projectors, we can fulfill any digital signage need. NEC specializes in the retail, hospitality, restaurant and healthcare markets, as well as many other industries. NEC supplies its customers with professional- and commercial-grade large-screen LCD displays for use in digital signage applications such as airports, hospitals, retail stores, corporate offices and quick-serve restaurants. Our award-winning products offer essential technologies required for digital signage installations and focuses on innovations, like LEDbacklighting technology, to lower your total cost of ownership. NEC’s portfolio also includes professional installation projectors packed with power and brightness. Select models include a stacking capability that boosts an image’s brightness up to 24,000 lumens, prevents the complete loss of an image and a solution for large screens or environments with heavy ambient light. Do you have NEC displays but don’t have appropriate content to use? NEC can help you break through the everyday clutter of messaging your audience encounters. No matter your budget or timeframe, NEC can create content to fulfill your every wish. From bright, static imagery and messaging to intricate, animated video, we can do it all for you at a competitive rate you’ll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. To get started with your new content, contact your NEC representative or email contentcreation@necdisplay.com. If you have the content, but don’t have the resources or time available to dedicate to the management of your network, NEC can provide assistance. Whether it’s
www.techdata.ca
personalized web-based training on our VUKUNET content management software, VUKUNET system setup assistance or presentation and schedule creation, NEC can help with this undertaking. For more information, email contentmgmt@ necdisplay.com. NEC is redefining the industry by offering a content management software (CMS) at no charge to any network operator. The full NEC digital signage software management platform is a robust software as a service (SaaS) solution that is fully hosted, managed and supported by NEC. It meets or exceeds the capabilities of many commercial SaaS digital signage solutions, but has none of the startup or substantial monthly subscription fees that keep many networks from profitability. Visit www.neccms.com for more information. NEC has a supportive, dedicated sales team that is trained in helping customize your digital signage opportunities. From start to finish, NEC can create a comprehensive, cost-effective digital signage network to complete your solution. For complete access to everything NEC, visit NEC Partner Net at www.necdisplay. com/partners. This one-stop vehicle is designed to provide you with information on everything from current promotional offerings and pricing to account status and product information. The improved NEC Rewards program provides you with incentives for selling NEC LCDs and projectors. This program allows you to get paid in less than 48 hours, upload SPIF claims online and earn up to an extra $15,000 per year for meeting sales goals. For more information and to enroll, visit NEC Partner Net.
January/February 2012
25
Ergotron’s latest addition to their robust line of Digital Signage mounting solutions, the Interactive Arm.
Lift, swing or turn your display in any direction! 20-inch (51 cm) vertical adjustment, 17.5-inch (45 cm) to either side. Introducing the fully height-adjustable TV/Display Wall Mount… the Interactive Arm. Now anyone can effortlessly move their TV/Display into multiple positions with only a light touch! No more awkward viewing angles and sore necks. In your home, revolutionary design allows you to interact with your TV when watching movies, gaming, exercising and more. Used in digital signage applications, you can position your large display in almost any position and dramatically change the position as needed. With the addition of the Interactive Arm to Ergotron’s full suite of floor to ceiling signage solutions you never need to look elsewhere to mount to displays for the most powerful impact for the audience.
www.techdata.ca
Little effort, big impact. That’s the value from Ergotron! • Boost profits and increase traffic with Ergotron digital signage mounting and mobility solutions. • Our products set new standards for ease of installation and are readily adapted to the unique conditions of any location. • Professional grade ceiling mounts provide single and back-to-back flat panel mounting options. With versatility and flexibility built right in, these mounts are ideal for any ceiling application – whether TV viewing or digital signage. • Mobile MediaCenter: Get optimal positioning for both seated and standing audiences, in any application, in any part of your facility. For more information visit http://techdataca.ergotron.com for more information.
January/February 2012
27
Changes to the Lineup Digital Signage Edition
Tech Data Canada recently announced the expansion of its already impressive line card to include five additional digital signage vendors with even more planned signings for early 2012. The five new members of the Tech Data family of vendors include: ComQi A global leader providing a powerful multi-channel message management platform that controls a network’s content and infrastructure, closing the loop between digital signage, mobile, web and social media within a venue. Premier Mounts An industry leader and innovator for projector mounts, flat-panel display mounts, and carts and stands. Peerless Industries Inc. A leader in the audiovisual mounting industry for over 40 years, Peerless provides innovative solutions that focus on quality, ease of installation and functionality. Draper Inc. Draper is the largest manufacturer of specialized lifts for video projectors and flat panel displays as well as the second largest manufacturer of projection screens in the world. Da-Lite Screen Company Founded in 1909, Da-Lite is the leading producer of high quality commercial and residential projection screens worldwide. continued on page 31
28
January/February 2012
www.techdata.ca
Digital Signage Market Matures, Makes VARs’ Integration Expertise Relevant Born in the broadcast and AV realms, digital signage traditionally boiled down to ability to display a preset, often looping media playlist on large displays. Distribution models varied from sneakernet to simple networks delivering scheduled media to the screens. Relative simplicity of requirements encouraged a price-based race to the bottom, often squeezing any profitability from the solutions. Resulting ‘budget’ (in functionality and price) solutions required a high degree of involvement on the part of the user and offered limited functionality improvements compared to printed signage. As the industry matures, more intelligent IT-driven solutions begin to offer increased functionality to customers, while yielding increased profitability to the VARs delivering the systems. Looping Playlists are Dead In what perhaps is the largest advantage of digital signage over static posters, signage networks are finally leaving behind the manual playlist loop in favor of using data and IP triggers to automatically generate content. Resulting systems offer increased relevance, functionality and reduce Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for the customers. In retail, data-driven systems enable head office-driven digital signage content that is in-tune with a local store’s inventory, adjusting airtime for promotions as store inventory fluctuates. If jeans are sold out – no more “2-for-1 Denim” ads; instead customers are enticed to check out the khakis, which unbeknownst to them hit the ‘aged inventory’ threshold in the inventory database. For corporate communications and manufacturing, data-driven digital signage offers the ability to dynamically communicate calendar events, metrics and performance KPIs (with database content automatically formatted and inserted in dynamic templates) without the need to manually update or constantly publish new slides or content. For public venues, integrated data-driven solutions deliver intelligent way-finding systems that are aware of tenant relocation (fed from a dynamic central database) and offer built-in instant disaster response 30
January/February 2012
capability (based on content triggered by interfacing with the facility’s emergency system control panel). The above solutions are no longer competing on the basis of lowest cost per delivering a playlist loop to a display. Instead, these connected, integrated systems address customers’ critical content requirements by automating query and delivery of relevant, formatted information to the displays. For the customer, such integration means increased value and reduced TCO, removing the need for constant management and intervention to ensure relevant on-screen content. For the solution provider, it means a more profitable, value-based solution, instead of a race-to-the-bottom of selling a one-size-fits-none ‘solution in a box’. The Time is Now At HP Retail Solutions, we have already noticed a dramatic increase in frequency of customer requests that place a high priority on data and systems integration. As part of an overall evolution of the industry, these requests will be best suited to integrators with middleware, database and systems integration experience. IT VARs entering this segment will benefit by investing in content, software and field services capabilities in addition to engaging in strategic partnerships that allow for the delivery of complete solutions to the customer.
www.techdata.ca
continued from page 28
Changes to the Lineup Digital Signage Edition “We are extremely excited at the rate of which our digital signage vendor community is growing,” said Greg Myers, vice president, marketing at Tech Data Canada. “Tech Data is providing VARs with unparalleled choice in every component of digital signage from projectors and displays to cables, mounts, switches and software, so that in the end, they in turn can provide the ultimate total solution to their customers.” Tech Data Canada’s digital signage line card already includes dozens of world-class vendors including BenQ, Cables To Go, Ergotron, HP, IOGEAR, LG, NEC, Samsung, Intel, SIIG, Inc. and ViewSonic. With its continued investment in internal resources and strategic vendor partnerships, Tech Data Canada is committed to taking a leadership role is this burgeoning market. Months after the merger between EnQii and Minicom Digital Signage, www.techdata.ca
“Tech Data has been a great partner, enabling ComQi to scale its operations while improving quality and responsiveness to customer needs” Dave Haar, AVP, Channel Sales North America, ComQi
ComQi emerged as more than just a digital signage company - a multichannel message management organization. Digital signage has become part of a larger picture that links it to mobile, social and local channels that put the consumer at the centre of the platform and offer whatever modules or functionalities that are needed for
total engagement. ComQi recently announced apartnership with Path Intelligence which allows ComQi to offer proof of performance and measure the impact on the consumer. ComQi’s EnGage platform handles all digital media programs and content from a single web interface. Digital Signage, Music, Lighting, Virtual Mannequin, Large Displays, Window Projection, Holographic Projection, Whispering Windows, Delay Mirror, Touch Screen, Son et Lumière, and such Mobile Experiences as Group Buying, Voting, Couponing, Picture Upload, QR codes, Shazam, and more are now all part of ComQi’s solutions under its multichannel message management. ComQi is targeting three main verticals for its solutions: retail, food services and ad networks. It reaches them either through its direct sales force or by partnering with systems integrators, distributors and marketing agencies to sell its solutions. ComQi is based in New York with offices in Jerusalem, Toronto, London, Paris, Hong Kong and Shanghai.
January/February 2012
31
32
January/February 2012
www.techdata.ca
www.techdata.ca
January/February 2012
33
TechSelect Member Profile In this issue, we travel out west to talk to TechSelect member, John McLaughlin of Next Digital, located in Edmonton, Alberta
Tell us a little about your organization. Next Digital was established in 2007, and is one of Western Canada’s fastest growing IT service providers. We offer IT expertise in hosted desktop services and virtual server hosting, network design and implementation, helpdesk services, on-site and remote support, security consulting and hardware/ software procurement. We have a variety of private sector and government clients in both the enterprise and SMB space around the world. We take pride in developing lasting relationships with our customers that allow them to focus on their core business and have confidence that there will be an IT infrastructure in place to support that goal. At Next Digital, we have a strong customer service focus. We seek out only the best and brightest technicians to provide services for our customers. Our team of experienced IT professionals takes a proactive approach to keeping technology running smoothly while avoiding unnecessary downtime. When challenges do arise, our team responds quickly and efficiently to get customers up and running. Our outstanding communication and reporting processes keep clients informed and in control of their service at all times.
What are your thoughts on the industry in general? Over the years, technology has become a necessary part of business. Business leaders now see value in ensuring that the technology in their business is maintained and kept up to date. With that, we have seen a huge influx of IT service providers. Organizations rely on companies like ours to be trusted advisors, keeping them informed on what changes are happening in the IT landscape, and planning ahead to ensure their business is ready for those changes. There is still somewhat of a negative perception when it comes to working with IT organizations. With no official governing body in the IT industry, business is won
34
January/February 2012
Edmonton Office - from left to right: John McLaughlin - Managing Partner, Shawn Kubiski - Managing Partner Andrew Jackson - Managing Partner
by competence and trust. It is up to honest and proficient companies to help change that perception in the marketplace. We are proud to being doing our part.
What challenges are you facing and how do you overcome them? The biggest challenge would definitely be attracting and retaining great people. We do this by fostering a great corporate culture. We have a fantastic group of people Calgary Office - from back left to right: who work together towards Stephen Leber – Business development a common goal who are not Niek Jongerius – Branch Manager and Sr. Systems Analyst afraid to share knowledge with Barry Wilson – Systems Analyst Cory Lievers – Systems Analyst one another. Everyone who walks into our office can feel size, it is not economically feasible. As the positive energy. We have worked really a result we end up leaving much needed hard to get the right people on board. Our profit on the table. leadership team has done a great job of making Next Digital “the place to work”. What are some of the goals for your
What would you like to see from vendor partners? How effective are their channel programs? We would like to see more consistency in promotions/rebate programs. It just about takes a full-time employee to navigate these promotions, and in a company of our
organization for the next five years? We are currently in the midst of putting our strategic plan together which includes or goals for the next five years. I can say that we are focusing on aggressive growth both organically and through acquisition; basically, world domination. ☺
www.techdata.ca
Connected us with the Vendor Partners in a more personal way. We are not a huge company so to be able to build relationships with vendors, and provide feedback on how they can help companies like ours is invaluable. Connected us with the leadership team at Tech Data. Once again, we are not a large company, so it is great to have the opportunity to sit down and build relationships with the leadership team at Tech Data.
What is your outlook for 2012?
How has the TechSelect program helped you? Or helped you meet your organization’s goals? The program has helped us out in three ways: Connected us with other like-minded companies across Canada. We are big
believers in open and honest dialogue with our competitors, even within our geographical area. TechSelect has allowed us to do that with a group of companies that otherwise would have been impossible to connect with.
I am perpetual optimist. I think that we are very blessed to live in Alberta, which is arguably the best place economically to be in the world right now. We have historically experienced double digit growth in every year of our existence, and I think this year will be no exception.
36
November/December 2011
www.techdata.ca
38
January/February 2012
General Manager, Brocade Canada
David Fleury
In this edition of Voice of the Vendor, we are very excited to bring you David Fleury, General Manager, Brocade Canada. Brocade has some prestigious testimonials on file, not the least of which is CERN, the top European laboratory for particle physics. In terms of “Big Data,” it doesn’t get much bigger than that!
What are the responsibilities in your role? I am responsible for Brocade’s Canadian operations. I lead a team of sales and technical professionals that are responsible for our customer, Systems Integrator, OEM and Distribution relationships in Canada. How did you get started in the industry? I was involved in the massive shift taking place from the consumables (film) business to the digital /computer technologies at Kodak Canada in the early 90’s. I was given the opportunity in 1992 to manage Kodak Canada’s digital portfolio of products that included electronic printing systems, digital colour proofing, digital photography and Photo CD. I then became involved in helping customers adopt digital technology in the printing and entertainment industries. I joined Brocade in 2000 when my business partners and I sold our Motion Capture company to a venture capital firm. I have been very fortunate to work with great customers and business partners throughout my career, and this is particularly true of Brocade. What challenges you? Taking our Canadian business to the next level and doubling our Ethernet business again in 2012. We will build on the confidence our customers and partners have placed in our datacenter solutions. We will help our customers move to a common “converged” networking platform with our Ethernet Fabric switches to address the complexity of deploying Cloud. With our expanded Campus Ethernet solutions, 2012 will see us helping customers improve network performance, scalability and ease of management capabilities at the edge their networks – at an industry leading price-point. Overall, Brocade provides a very compelling end-to-end networking alternative versus our competition. This will help differentiate our Systems Integrator and Reseller Partners with solutions that offer superior technical capabilities at a lower cost. If one were to search Google for Ethernet Fabrics, Brocade appears near the top of the list. Would you consider this to be one the key differentiators between Brocade and its competitors? Brocade is the leader in Fabric networking technologies and has been providing these capabilities in our networks since 1995. Brocade has brought our knowledge and expertise of Fabrics to Ethernet networks. Fabric Ethernetbased networks aid in the mobility and the management of virtual applications that enable the Cloud. We are adding 15 to 20 new Ethernet Fabric customers each quarter in Canada. Some of the largest enterprises in Canada are now deploying Brocade Ethernet Fabric switches to power their Cloud offerings. It has been the most successful product launch we have had in Canada in the 12 years I have been with Brocade.
What types of opportunities do you see for Brocade and your channel partners in the era of Big Data? As far as “Big Data,” Brocade’s core Ethernet Switch/Router, embodied in our MLX platform, leads the industry in every technical and TCO metric available, including 100GbE deployment, the combination of which led to our CERN win. I see two other areas of opportunity for our partners to work with us in 2012 – Ethernet Fabrics, and our expanded Campus offerings. Cloud, fueled by a virtualized infrastructure, requires customers to re-architect their legacy hierarchical networks. Flatter, Layer 2, “Fabric” based networks are optimal for the mobility and management of virtualized applications in Cloud environments. Brocade is the leader in Ethernet Fabrics and customers can seamlessly build on their existing networks heterogeneously to enhance these capabilities. As well, 2012 will see Brocade expand our line of Campus Ethernet products. We will add unparalleled performance, scalability (stacking) and management capabilities – at the lowest cost in the industry. With the help of our partners providing services and support, we have a tremendous end-toend value proposition to move into competitive environments, and add unprecedented value to our customers. In Canada, we are entering the prime GEM (Government, Education, Medical) purchasing season, and your products seem ideally suited to these verticals. What would be your message to resellers in addressing these very important markets? These are three of the strongest markets for our Ethernet products in Canada. We offer industry leading technical capabilities – at a price-point where our customers in these segments are able to significantly reduce their TCO – and where our partners are winning in competitive bid situations. We have very strong Canadian references in each of these segments who are happy to share their success with Brocade and the benefits they have enjoyed in moving to a Brocade Ethernet network. What do you see as the biggest benefit to partnering with Tech Data Canada? Brocade is aggressively expanding our Partner ecosystem in every region across Canada. We are looking for strong partners that want to competitively differentiate their go-to-market strategy with a superior technical and TCO solution-set to address the changing networking landscape. We believe that Tech Data Canada offers our current and future partners with the comprehensive Brocade training, services and support that is integral to help our partners build next generation, cloud optimized networks with our customers.
www.techdata.ca
S o l u t i o n s I n f r a s t r u c t u r e
~Vince Lombardi
A d v a n c e d
Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.
A d v a n c e d
I n f r a s t r u c t u r e
S o l u t i o n s
S o l u t i o n s I n f r a s t r u c t u r e A d v a n c e d
After scouring the internet for revolutionary technological marvels, I grew weary of the Search Engine Optimized (SEO) results being churned out on my screen...
www.facebook.com/TDCanadaAIS
AIS -
A d v a n c e d
I n f r a s t r u c t u r e
S o l u t i o n s
FUTURE WATCH After scouring the internet for revolutionary technological marvels, I grew weary of the Search Engine Optimized (SEO) results being churned out on my screen. I decided to
resort to actually reading some leading periodicals in the hopes of being pointed in the right direction. Who would have thought that paper-based publications would be so convenient to read and bountiful in content?! ☺ Don’t worry, I’m not about to regurgitate a word-for-word account like a ninth grade plagiarist. I prefer to think of it as summarizing. Seriously though, the more I read, the more excited I get about technology. I’m really not one for the latest smartphone or tablet though they indeed have great importance in our business, and certainly dominated this year’s CES. I prefer to seek out the unusual and less traditional technologies to get an idea of what the future could look like. Whether such technologies come to commercial fruition is entirely unpredictable (or is it—see Big Data further down), but who doesn’t like to have fun speculating? HANDS UP, BABY HANDS UP On my technological journey, I read about a school that had sensors at the cafeteria cash registers allowing students to pay for meals simply by waving their hand. The engineering behind this is Fujitsu PalmSecure™, a non-invasive, contactless identification system utilizing vascular pattern biometric technology. In layman’s terms, it reads the patterns of veins in the palm of a student’s hand, and that information is linked to a credit card (I assume one belonging to their parents). The same technology can be used by healthcare facilities to identify patients even if they are not conscious! Will this technology leap right over the smartphone “digital wallet” technologies being professed as the impending retail revolution? Or is the thought of someone reading your veins just creepy? AIS AIS --
BIG DATA Since I make a hobby out of monitoring the latest keyword trends that make up the technological landscape, it has come to my attention that a certain phrase is catching up to the “Cloud”—and that is “Big Data.”
Will this technology leap right over the smartphone “digital wallet” technologies being professed as the impending retail revolution? Or is the thought of someone reading your veins just creepy? But just how BIG are we talking? Is it the activities of 800 million Facebook users? Is it what’s stored on your 500GB hard drive or perhaps your company’s entire network? Maybe it’s the 15 petabytes of data that CERN generates in a year. Think bigger. According to Scientific American, plans are underway to create a “Living Earth Simulator” that will be able to project models for everything from global economic developments to potential epidemics. With the proliferation of
digital information, the disciplines of computer science and human behaviour, biology and psychics are now seeking to mash their data together to not only explore complex “what if” scenarios, but to actually develop models that can make incredibly accurate predictions so that world leaders can make BIG decisions. Such a grandiose proposal is not without its obstacles. Some speculate that data points could potentially be in the “number-of-stars-in-the-universe” range making it beyond our capabilities. Other factors include the general complexity of human behaviour, along with concepts that include strange terms like “Chaos Theory” and “feedback loops.” Perhaps the greatest challenge will be our brain’s own ability to make sense of the recommendations being offered by supercomputers. The question becomes ‘Would we ever just blindly follow the instructions put forth by technology?’ Perhaps we should ask the thousands of drivers who have found themselves stuck on a one-way, dead end street thanks to their GPS. Scared yet? On a positive note, the Living Earth Simulator project will use “as much hardware as it takes” so that sounds like good news for the channel—at least if you are able to sell into the United States. Perhaps in Canada we could create a supercomputer to determine the correlation between rising ticket prices and Stanley Cup victories. www.facebook.com/TDCanadaAIS www.facebook.com/TDCanadaAIS
S o l u t i o n s
We’re looking forward to hosting you in our ATSC!
I n f r a s t r u c t u r e
To book your ATSC tour or for more details, please go to www.atscsolutions.ca, send an email to ATSC@techdata.ca or call Richard Toledo, our Technology Services Manager at 800-286-6800 Ext 26877.
A d v a n c e d
Our state-of-the-art facility is home to a multitude of advanced technology solutions and is available to help you position products and solutions to your staff and customers alike! Don’t live in the Greater Toronto Area? No problem! We have remote demonstration capabilities, and in fact, over 30% of our demonstrations to date have been conducted for customers outside of the GTA!
A d v a n c e d
I n f r a s t r u c t u r e
S o l u t i o n s
AIS EmployeeSpotlight S o l u t i o n s
In this issue, Ryan McMenamie sits down with Martin Kavanagh, Cisco Specialist, in the Technology Services Division. How long have you been with Tech Data? A little over a year. Time flies when you’re having fun!
What has been your biggest success since joining Tech Data? The re-launch of the ATSC. We completely retooled the ATSC with the latest Cisco equipment, and added many other vendors such as Avaya, HP, Lenovo , IBM, and Fortinet .
I n f r a s t r u c t u r e
“We completely retooled the ATSC with the latest Cisco equipment, and added many other vendors such as Avaya, HP, Lenovo , IBM, and Fortinet.”
Martin, when I recently held a press conference and used the ATSC as the backdrop, I was very impressed with how easy it was to use the online booking tool. Furthermore, everyone I dealt with in the ATSC was very responsive to my specific needs for the day. Is this the typical level of service to be expected by resellers and vendors or were you only being extra nice because I work here? Regardless of whom it is, we are all very proud of the new ATSC, and we go out of the way to make sure people enjoy the ATSC experience.
Which technical certifications do you hold? CCIE in Routing and Switching, Cisco CME Voice, Cisco Firewalls Specialist and Tandberg TCAP. What was your most memorable Tech Data moment of 2011? The official launch of the ATSC, and meeting Mississauga Mayor, Hazel McCallion. It was especially exciting to make a video call to her using the Cisco 9971 Video Phone. Are there any updates to the ATSC for 2012 that we can share with our Tech Times readers? Yes, we are constantly updating the product in the ATSC. Early in the new year, you will see Cisco/Tandberg TelePresence plus Cisco Cius and Virtual Destktop. We will be adding some new vendors as well.
A d v a n c e d
There still may be VARs out there that aren’t quite sure what the ATSC can do for them. Do you have any thoughts that could perhaps alleviate any trepidation they may have about utilizing their centre? I think once they try it, they will see how it helps move the sales cycle forward, and as you emphasize, it is their ATSC. The feedback we have had so far has been very positive. We are here to facilitate their sales cycle by helping them showcase the product that their customers are interested in, and to this end we welcome feedback that helps us serve them better. Every time I walk by the ATSC, I see you tinkering away. Do you ever go home? What do you like to do in your spare time? Yes, I do go home occasionally, and I like golfing and having a pint of Guiness at the local pub as well. Do you have any New Year’s resolutions, and when do you think you will break them? No, just sticking my tactic from last year: “No more New Year’s resolutions!” ☺
www.facebook.com/TDCanadaAIS
AIS -
S o l u t i o n s I n f r a s t r u c t u r e A d v a n c e d
Even Techies can be Social!
tweet
If you like your social media more on the technical side then you should join the conversation at :
SWEET
facebook.com/TDCanadaAIS twitter.com/TDCanadaAIS
ANYONE can subscribe to Tech Times now by going to www.techtimesmagazine.ca!
AIS -
We are looking for input not just from sales, purchasing and marketing, but your technicians as well. If they aren’t regular readers of Tech Times, tear out this page and give it to them! And post it on your bulletin boards!
www.facebook.com/TDCanadaAIS