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Executive Address 40 year milestone achievement for Rick Reid
Tech Time’s most adorable pets Paws from a busy work day to browse through our new feature
TechSelect Member Profile We catch up with Micro Logic
TechSelect Spring Partner Conference Joie de vivre!
Business Builder Tour Developing partnerships and opportunities in the channel
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Tech Data Canada Circle of Excellence award winners
Recognizing exceptional solution providers
Editor Jillian Cahill Art Direction and Design Julie MacAulay Contributing Writers and Editors Irene Buchan, Jillian Cahill, Mary Bonnici Project Manager Monisha Sharma Tech Times is published and distributed six times per year to channel resellers across Canada. ©2015 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
The Difference in Distribution
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ExecutiveAddress
40 year milestone achievement for Tech Data Canada President, Rick Reid I can’t believe how time flies and how much this exciting industry changes. 2015 marks my 40th year in the IT industry. It seems unbelievable that so many years have passed since my initial days of selling adding machines and calculators in Kitchener as a young rep working for Burroughs Business Machines. I’m incredibly proud to achieve this milestone in my career and I feel lucky and thankful to have been able to spend so many years with the great partners from every region across Canada. Having said that, I know that this is only the beginning. Just as my personal career has evolved over the past 40 years, the same is true for technology and the entire IT channel. Tech Data Canada strives to consistently provide excellence in all that we do to support our valued reseller partners. I’m lucky enough to have been able to see that growth firsthand over the last several years as we have evolved to best meet your needs. Our teams are becoming more knowledgeable and focused on the everchanging demands of the channel to assist in accelerating your growth. When I first entered the IT business 40 years ago, adding machines were in demand with customers. Cloud computing and Mobility were decades away from hitting the radar for IT manufacturers. The world has become digitally transformed. We are always connected and communicating to one another in our personal and business lives in ways we couldn’t have imagined back then. And computing demands have changed. More than ever, it is important that we listen to our reseller partners to understand their business and the tools they require for their business. For example, Cloud computing is a top technology trend for 2015 and Tech Data Canada is focused on helping solution providers across Canada build their cloud
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business. We are continuing to add value by building tools leveraging the success of our US business that will drive cloud success in the channel. We are excited about the future of the IT channel in Canada and are looking forward to seeing the next new opportunities and trends take a foothold within the IT industry. As always, we are committed to adding value and enabling the success of our channel partners each and every day. I’d like to thank all of you for your continued support and partnership over the past 40 years. I look forward to our continued mutual success for many years to come. Sincerely,
Rick Reid President, Tech Data Canada
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Paws-ing from a busy work day to browse through some adorable pet photos
We asked Tech Data employees to show off their furry friends to our Tech Times readers across Canada.
Sadie Myers - I’m all in!
Charlie McArthur - Pretty sure that fat guy in the suit ate my cookies as well!
Cocoa - I’ll make you an offer you can’t refuse.
Tango Reid - I’m much tougher than I appear, just like my Dad.
Chanchita Carrera - Mom told me to finish my salad before I could go for a spin on the wheel.
Lily Monhemius - I’m promoting a new caologne.... Wet Dog.
Bowie DeSousa - Seriously Mom! A perm? I still can’t disquise myself with these glasses!
Katy Kwan - I’m too sexy for Tech Times.
Kona and Mochi Enos - Thank goodness for breath mints.
Dashiell Voss - Are you feeling lucky punk? Well are you?
Tequila Torres - did somebody call me? Or was that last call?
Scotty Mancuso - There’s always next year Dad!
. Meet some of the most loveable pets in this first edition of Tech Time’s most adorable pets.
Jiggy McTavish - Hangin’ out with my Cheeto buddy.
Stardust Murphy - At least it doesn’t say “for sale!”
Radha Patel - Who’s the pretty bird? I am the pretty bird!
Holly Kerr - You blinked first, I know you did!
Murphy Clelland - How you doin’?
Sasha Walker - Yes I know Mom, I am your brown eyed girl...please stop singing.
Haymish Kepler-Fritter - Turn on the jets already...and some candles would be nice.
Patchy Buchan - Seriously, stop taking my picture!
Dexter Budnik- I can eat and flex at the same time. I’m that good!
Bowser Robinson - Have you ever seen a cuter smile? Well have you?
Sandy D’Sousa - Definately a better driver than my Dad.
Maxx Budge - See, I told you I ate it all!
Casey Smith - this is my doggie down yoga pose...
Bentley Priestley - does this collar make my nose look big?
Nala Cahill - I am diggin’ this sun...and the garden. Bwah ha ha haha!!
Bauer Ozturk - Safety first! I know I wear it well.
Lola Falana MacAulay - I love my Grandma and Grandpa...and cheese.
Ninja Griffiths - why am I on the dog page? I should have the whole page to myself!
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TechSelect Member Profile
In this issue of Tech Times, we sit down with Micro Logic to find out how TechSelect membership helps them connect with the right people to achieve their organization’s goals.
Tell us about your organization. Established in 1983, Micro Logic is a value-added reseller of IT solutions, specializing in data centre infrastructure and IT staff management. Our head office in Quebec City and technical centres throughout the country employ over 130 staff, including 100 computer IT technicians, specialists and an ISO 9001-2008 certified professional service team. Micro Logic’s objective is to become the leading value-added reseller in the industry. We offer competitive prices, a wide selection of products, a personalized approach through our assigned account representatives and our practice specialists, sound advice and informed recommendations, privileged and personalized business relationships, speedy and reliable delivery service, client satisfaction policies exceeding the industry’s standards.
From right to left: Stéphane Garneau – President, Rodolphe Cantin – Enterprise Solution Specialist Steeve Lirette – Account Manager, Guy Gagnon – Director of technical and professional services
plan, we have hired and created several expert teams and launched many offers. We have a solid foundation, experience, maturity and an unblemished reputation.
What are your thoughts on the industry in general? These are challenging times for the industry as the public sector has reduced their investments in IT to a minimum. Resellers must increase their efforts in order to spot new opportunities and bring them to fruition. What challenges are you facing and how do you overcome them? Micro Logic has chosen to be the best in our field which means accepting to constantly challenge our own limits, agreeing to be in perpetual state of evolution, accepting to never take anything for granted and exceeding expectations. We aim at maximizing the return on investment, minimizing infrastructure costs and optimizing our client’s operational efficiency. Within our growth and investment
“We are connecting with the right people!” What would you like to see from vendor partners? Partners should offer proper support reflecting the new reality of client’s needssupport to include help in order management, software assets and procurement programs. Remaining competitive while still offering the best service and products to their clients will always garner success.
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What are your organization’s goals for the next five years? In the next three to five years we plan to transform our product sales revenue. Our marketing efforts in outsourcing IT staff, our specialized services and our knowledge and experience in cloud computing should all contribute to increasing profits. How has the TechSelect program helped you? Or helped your organization’s goals? The fact that we are able to connect with members from all over the country has permitted us to gain more perspective in pursuing and achieving our goals and improving our processes. We are connecting with the right people! What is your outlook for 2015? We anticipate a good year that will reflect our investments of the past, our continued efforts in building our sales team and our constant search for new opportunities. We will also increase our endeavours in providing speedy and efficient order processing thus furthering customer satisfaction.
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”Joie de vivre”
translated is the enjoyment of life. The term can also be used to mean the joy of conversation, the joy of eating or the joy of good company which is why it is the perfect expression to describe the most recent gathering of the TechSelect Canadian community. Joie de vivre…TechSelect! In early May over 50 member representatives, along with both level one and two sponsoring vendors and the extended Tech Data team spent four sunny days in beautiful Montreal for the TechSelect Spring Partner Conference. The record-high member attendance made this TechSelect’s largest participating group. Solution providers from across the country heard from leading IT manufactures on the latest technology and opportunities and contributed to workshops focused on sharing of best practices. Continuing the tradition set last year, the TechSelect community participated in the second annual “Connected North Charity Games Night”. The funds collected at this event surpassed previous goals with an impressive $16,000, which brought the overall total to date collected for the Connected North Initiative to over $110,000. Additional fundraising initiatives by TechSelect reseller partners Access Group Inc., Compu-SOLVE, Graycon Group and Triware Technologies over the last few months have also contributed to this final tally. A significant amount was raised by Graycon Group of Alberta in the early stages of this initiative. “Tech Data and the TechSelect community have been outstanding Connected North partners since the launch of the program,” said Willa Black, Vice-President, Corporate Affairs for Cisco Canada. “Not only do they generously support the operational costs associated with bringing the virtual programming to the Deh Gah School, but they work tirelessly to promote the program and expand its reach and impact through events such as the games night. Tech Data’s ongoing support is key to the success of Connected North, and we are thrilled to have them as partners.” Tech Data and the TechSelect team would like to thank all those who attended and look forward to hosting the TechSelect community in Boca Raton, Florida for our Fall Partner Conference from October 6 – 9!
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Award-Winning Business Builder Tour off to a strong start
Our award-winning Business Builder Tour commenced in Quebec City in April, with the next two stops following in May in Montreal and Toronto. The Business Builder Tour has been recognized for five consecutive years as the Best Industry Event in Canada. It is designed to offer face-to-face exposure with hundreds of solution providers across the country, offering the opportunity to discuss strategy, develop plans for growth, prospect for new partnerships and develop deeper relationships. Each year, close to 1,000 solution providers attend the Business Builder Tour. The vendor showcase allows solution providers to interact with 30 vendor partners and Tech Data’s executive team to learn about the products and programs, new technology trends and solutions available to accelerate their business. Workshops hosted by key IT manufacturers provide the opportunity for enhanced knowledge and information sharing. This year’s workshop series also features Tech Data Canada’s Mobility and Cloud strategy sessions. “Our award-winning Business Builder Tour is all about making connections, developing partnerships and building opportunities in the channel, said Irene Buchan, Director, Marketing, Tech Data Canada. “Each year we continue to build upon the event’s previous successes to ensure that we feature elements that will appeal to multiple roles within each reseller organization. We successfully bring key members of the IT industry together under one roof to enable our reseller partners with the opportunity to discuss strategies to accelerate their business.” Visit www.tdbusinessbuilder.ca to learn more about Tech Data Canada’s Business Builder Tour and to find out when we will be in a city nearest you!
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Congratulations to this year’s Circle of Excellence award winners! Each year, Tech Data recognizes reseller partners from across Canada that have demonstrated best-in-class commitment to the channel and in partnership with Tech Data. They have shown excellence in revenue achievement, along with strong dedication and leadership. The nominees for the awards are reviewed by Tech Data’s executive team who are looking for resellers who have demonstrated excellence in four key categories: growth, partnership, electronic commerce integration and joint strategic initiatives. This year’s Circle of Excellence reseller award winners include: • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
CDW Canada (National Partner) Insight (National Partner) Metafore (National Partner) Boardwalk Communications (Western Region) Long View (Western Region) WBM Office Systems (Western Region) Decisive (Capital Region) IMP Solutions (Eastern Region) Scalar Decisions (Central Region) SolidCAD Solutions (Central Region) ISA (Central Region) GlassHouse Systems (Central Region) Micro Logic (Region du Quebec) Les Systemes NWD (Region du Quebec)
Tech Data executives will be visiting each of the winning reseller partners throughout 2015 to personally distribute the Circle of Excellence awards. Each of the recipients will also receive a commemorative plaque.
Congratulations to all of this year’s Circle of Excellence winners!
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