January February Tech Times by Tech Data

January/February 2013

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January/February 2013

Ring in the New Year In our first issue of 2013, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m excited to share with you our upcoming events, new opportunities and initiatives. This issue addresses the role technology plays in our everyday lifestyle from work to play, especially as peripheral products and mobility devices become a necessity, not an accessory, to keep everyone in touch and informed. As always, our coverage includes ample advice to help you manage growth with articles on GEM selling strategies, peripherals and highlights from our recent vendor partner events. In this issue, Tech Times connects you with industry thought leaders from HP at the recent HP Discover event in Frankfurt, Germany where HP CEO Meg Whitman and HP Storage chief David Scott outlined their companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plan to extend 3Par to the midmarket. Whenever you need to increase productivity, learn new selling strategies, or learn about the latest products and services you will discover the information you need to know in Tech Times.

Ann Cain, Manager, Communications ann.cain@techdata.ca

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January/February 2013

Executive Address Happy New Year!

Comments, suggestions? Tell us what you think! Have your questions or comments published in the next Tech Times!

HP Discover Frankfurt 3PAR Heads for the Midmarket

Your GEM Connection

Windows & Office Partner Summits

Maximizing Opportunities Gear up for Microsoft Bootcamps

Peripherals: It’s a Lifestyle

Meet David Brewer, IBM Technical Support Specialist

Grab it by the Horns

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Touch of Technology AIS Employee Spotlight HP & Tech Data NMSO TechSelect Member Profile ClientServ Technologies supports national clients

The Movember Effect Moustache growing efforts raise funds

TD Event Calendar Upcoming 2013 Events

Creating Holiday Memories

Andrew Eppich shares HP’s focus for 2013

Community Connections Voice of the Vendor

Editor Ann Cain Art Direction and Design Julie MacAulay Contributing Writers and Editors Irene Buchan, Ann Cain, Robert Dutt Project Manager Ralitsa Naydenova Tech Times is published and distributed six times per year to channel resellers across Canada. ©2013 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.

January/February 2013

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January/February 2013

ExecutiveAddress

Whatever you do or dream you can do – begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it. -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Happy New Year! While I know that the new year officially started on January 1st, at Tech Data we’re actually celebrating the beginning of our new fiscal year on February 1st so in fact, we’re already a month or so into the year 2014! I was recently asked to participate in a discussion focused on making predictions for 2013, and while it would be wonderful if our fiscal calendar afforded me the luxury of being able to accurately forecast exactly how we’ll all fare in 2013, sadly that’s not the case. Having said that, I do spend the vast majority of my time talking to various industry leaders – on both the manufacturer and VAR sides – so I’m pleased to share with you the insight I’ve gathered as I’ve met with you at your offices, at industry events, and maybe once or twice on the golf course last summer. First and foremost, the low margin and aggressive competition we’ve all become accustomed to will continue to create challenges for us all this year. In fact, I believe there will be increased margin pressure this year, which means we’ll all have to find ways to adapt, and potentially change how we continue to deliver value to our customers while living in this hypercompetitive marketplace. One of the changes that I think we’ll start to see more of as a result of increased competition will be more and more reseller amalgamation. Joining forces and creating new value propositions for your combined customers is one way to combat margin erosion, and can be a very positive change for all involved.

in order for your business to run more effectively, please reach out to me directly to let me know. And similarly, if there’s something we’re doing right - something that helps you in your business - let me know that as well. As much as I like to hear constructive feedback from you, I’m always happy to get positive feedback as well. I’d love to receive your questions, comments and suggestions at rick.reid@techdata.ca. And speaking of positive feedback, I’m delighted to let you know that Tech Data was named Distributor of the Year at the Reseller Choice Awards for the sixth year in a row! While we aim to do a good job for you each and every day in the hopes of earning your business, the icing on the cake is when we can also earn your vote for Distributor of the Year. Sincere thanks and best wishes for a prosperous 2013.

D. R. Reid President, Tech Data Canada

Tech Data regularly uses data provided by NPD, an industry research firm that focuses on sales through the channel. The NPD data for 2012 tells us that while the industry suffered and declined 3% overall, Tech Data revenues remained flat. In these trying times, I’m fond of saying that ‘flat is the new up,’ so I’m generally happy with how we completed the year. This doesn’t mean, however, that we don’t have room to improve. If there’s something we need to do better or change

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January/February 2013

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The company used the grand forum of its HP Discover event in Frankfurt, Germany as the scene for the big announcement, and Tech Times was on hand for the unveilings. The company called its 3PAR StoreServ 7000 family products “the first tier one storage for the midrange,” and David Scott, senior vice president and general manager of HP Storage, called the midrange a new $11 billion (U.S.) market opportunity for the 3Par brand.

formerly known as LeftHand preacquisition), but Joyce minimized that internal competition, particularly because the company has worked to redefine LeftHand as a software-only solution, still based on the company’s ProLiant servers.

months in advance, to the point where there are 1,500 channel sales people trained on the 7000 series at launch date, and meaning that “immediate availability” of the products includes immediate deliverability from the channel.

“Overlap is not necessarily bad – there are different types of customers,” he said, noting that at this point, the StoreVirtual/LeftHand and 3PAR teams are “pretty much combined.”

“It’s amazing we haven’t had more leaks than we had,” Joyce said, reflecting on the sheer number of partners brought inside on the news so far in advance.

“We believe it brings effortless tier one performance into the midmarket,” Scott said, adding that the standard 3PAR value proposition including autonomic provisioning and management applies to the new products. “We believe we are obliterating the barriers between high-end tier one storage and mid-range platforms.”

“It’s a different approach to appliances. Traditionally, you buy a monolithic thing that sits in the corner of the data centre, but customers want benefits of appliances – quick to set up, easy to manage – but they don’t want the rigidity.”

The company introduced two new 3PAR products – the 7400, a quad-controller system, and the 7200, a dual-controller system, at price points of $32,000 (U.S.) and $20,000 (U.S.), respectively. Tom Joyce, vice president of marketing, strategy, and operations for HP Storage, said the move makes 3PAR HP’s de facto primary storage platform from the midrange through to the high end of the midmarket. The company had already moved 3PAR into the high end of the enterprise market (and into the service provider market) with the launch of the V series products, and now by bringing it down to the midmarket, the plan to expand 3PAR’s presence is nearly complete – as is the answer to the question of the roadmap for the future for the company’s EVA family of storage, a family whose place has largely been subsumed by the 3PAR platform. Joyce said the 7200 would appeal to customers who are price-sensitive, but “want a simple and repeatable solution,” while “a lot of 7400 customers will be buying a two-node version with expandability.”

With the new products attacking a large and entirely new (to 3PAR) market segment, it makes sense that HP sees an opportunity to build a much larger channel with the new products. And, indeed, it has set about doing that – perhaps the culmination of the transformation of 3PAR, a company that was largely direct selling prior to its purchase by HP, into a channel-centric company.

Extending into the midrange also creates some overlap between HP’s StoreVirtual product line (the family of products

In fact, Joyce said, the company tried something entirely new with this launch, informing channel partners about it

His strategy for further channel building: Sign up the company’s existing EVA and ProLiant partners for 3PAR. “The lion’s share of this stuff will be sold through or with channel partners,” Joyce said.

Adding eDiscovery to AppSystem With the big storage announcements out of the way, for day two of Discover HP turned its attention to big data and analytics, as it announced a suite of new solutions and services around Apache Hadoop, as well as its Autonomy and Vertica stacks. While the new services are largely an all-HP Enterprise Services affair, there seem to be ample solution provider opportunities around new additions and revisions to AppSystem – HP’s stack of its software offerings, management tools, and its ProLiant servers into an optimized stack, and usually sold through channel partners. The strength of AppSystem is that it affords customers “a modular approach” to the often monolithic challenges of Big Data, said Paul Miller, vice president of converged application systems for HP’s Enterprise Group. “It’s a different approach to appliances. Traditionally, you buy a monolithic thing that sits in the corner of the data centre, but customers want benefits of appliances – quick to set up, easy to manage – but they don’t want the rigidity,” Miller explained. “Our strategy is to provide with AppSystem the ability to offer modular building blocks, and allow customers to scale very easily.” continued on page12>

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The company announced a revised version of its AppSystem for Hadoop – first introduced at this year’s North American Discover event in Las Vegas in June – to add a new dashboard that covers more aspects of configuring and managing the open source data pool technology. After all, as Miller quipped, “you can’t spell Hadoop without HP.” To help get value out of that Hadoop (or any other unstructured data) pool, the company has revised its AppSystem for Vertica, optimizing for the latest version of the Vertica Analytics Platform, and the latest ProLiant Gen8 servers. And out of the Autonomy camp, HP added a new offering to the AppSystem lineup, bringing an eDiscovery appliance to market for the first time. The attraction, Miller said, is the combination of sophisticated eDiscovery capabilities, with the simplicity and modular nature of an appliance.

HP CEO Meg Whitman was joined on stage by Dreamworks chief Jeffrey Katzenberg and Alex, the lion from Dreamworks’ Madagascar animated film franchise.

While the value a company gets out of eDiscovery solutions varies widely depending on the litigiousness of a given country and/or vertical, it’s an attractive space for solution providers to play in, said Rafiq Mohammadi, general manager of HP Autonomy Promote, because of the margins involved with services around deployment, customization and optimization of eDiscovery. And it’s not an opportunity that depends entirely on company size – a fact that Mohammadi says he knows all too well from having been involved in a patent litigation when he was part of a five-person consulting organization earlier in his career. “Litigation can happen to any size company, so the market is tiered and the resellers in the space are also tiered in terms of the services they offer and cost structure,” he said. On another Autonomy front – one closer to home for Mohammadi’s own focus in the Promote group – HP introduced Tuesday morning the Autonomy Performance Marketing Suite, a full marketing automation solution targeted at the CMOs who are getting increasing access to and control of organizations’ marketing budgets. Mohammadi said the target customer is the “Global 1000” market, and the primary motion is with the biggest of the big global system integrators as well as marketing-specific niche integrators, but hinted that there are clear opportunities for other solution providers, particularly those looking to develop their own cloud-based marketing automation services by spinning up the Performance Marketing Suite on a cloud, with Amazon Web Services or another third-party cloud provider, or even with HP’s own Public or Hybrid Cloud offerings.

Paul Miller: AppSystem offers a modular solution to Big Data problems.

“One out of three requests I take are about our hosting strategy,” Mohammadi said, adding that because of the sensitive, and often closely controlled data involved, marketing automation lends itself well to non-multitenant hybrid or private environments. Ultimately, he said, he sees marketing automation delivered in such a way following the path pioneered by Salesforce.com in transforming CRM from a luxury for big business into something any business can purchase on a utility basis. “Our partners are very cognizant of the fact that there’s a big shift going on in terms of how services are delivered,” he said. All of the company’s marketing automation implementations are sold through or with channel partners, Mohammadi added, because of the need for customization of dashboards, vertical-specific knowledge and other partnerdelivered skills to get the most out of a solution.

HP Storage chief David Scott outlines the company’s plan to extend 3PAR to the midmarket

January/February 2013

“Everything we do in marketing automation, every deal, is touched by a partner,” he said. “We wouldn’t be able to function without the deep, symbiotic relationship we have with them.” Robert Dutt is Owner and Chief Blogger at ChannelBuzz.ca

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Your GEM Connection Maximizing Opportunities this Government Buying Season The government’s fiscal year ends March 31st, which means government agencies must use their budget dollars before then or lose them. While there is still uncertainty in the channel around what the federal government’s consolidation of IT functions through the creation of Shared Services Canada (SSC) will mean for resellers in the near future, there are still opportunities for savvy VARs serving the public sector. CIOs across federal, provincial and municipal branches are no longer thinking about what they can acquire or build within their department to meet program needs; instead they are looking for IT solutions they can leverage to deliver innovative solutions more efficiently and cost-effectively, with less risk. Greg Watson, Manager, Partner Programs at Tech Data, who has specialized in selling to the federal government and education sectors for more than 12 years, has seen firsthand the ripple effect of the creation of SSC on resellers. “One of SSC’s first steps was to slow procurement while they evaluated their existing IT assets. As a result federal spending on servers, storage and networking infrastructure has been curtailed. Federal spending in these areas has yet to return to previous levels.” Shared Services’ mandate is to bring efficiencies to the federal government through shared infrastructure in email, data centres and telecommunications. In September 2012, members of PWGSC (Public Works and Government Services Canada), and SSC met with and presented to CITPA (Canadian Information Technology Providers Association), an Ottawa-based collection of resellers, distributors and vendors with a focus on selling to the Federal Government. During this meeting, Randall Meades, Director General, Procurement and Vendor Relationships for SSC presented that the SSC currently has over 35,000 vendors of record. Mr. Meades told the audience that this number of vendors was not sustainable. As SSC develops new procurement methodologies and practices, it is a strong possibility that SSC will look to consolidate their spending using vehicles such as the RVD (Request for Volume Discount) or the Elevated Call-Up process. Both of these practices will make it more difficult for smaller resellers to continue to sell to the federal government. The goal of the federal government is to build a single email system (down from 100), across the country’s public services and reduce the number of data centres from 300 to 20, and also create a government-wide voice and data network. The government has not yet released an IT procurement policy leaving medium- to small-sized IT and consulting VARs in the dark about what the changes could mean to the way they will bid on projects in the future. Watson notes that resellers are speculating on whether the government’s plan will be successful as it has been in British Columbia or if it will fail as it did twice in New South Wales, Australia. In addition, Canada’s PWGSC’s voluntary consolidation of data centres prior to the introduction of SSC also failed and an implementation in Britain is still struggling. “There are still a lot of unknowns,” said Watson, stating “we’ll just have to wait and see”. What is known is government agencies are continuing to look to IT to satisfy their challenges. “Initiatives surrounding cloud computing and security are robust areas of opportunity, as well as measures to enhance and modernize IT assets,” said Frank Haid, Vice President of Sales at Tech Data Canada. continued on page16>

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Tech Data’s team and vendor partners’ selling strategies for public sector resellers include education on cloud computing, virtualization, mobility, and document imaging and management technology to successfully and profitably address the public sector’s objectives. Sales of desktops, notebooks and printers continue to move well in the Federal Government market. eHealth Opportunities There is tremendous growth potential within Canada in the healthcare vertical for IT products and services. “VARs have an opportunity to educate their end-customers on the best technology solutions for hospitals and physician’s offices such as transitioning to implement a virtual desktop, utilizing digital imaging solutions, shifting to voice recognition software or adding digital signage,” said Watson. eHealth initiatives to create a seamless electronic health record and a personal health record is another area where VARS can help their end-customers focus on their information management and IT directives under the guidelines of the federal government’s Canada Health Infoway and provincial eHealth initiatives. Education Sector In the educational space, notebooks, tablets and classroom carts for these products continue to sell well. With regards to the implementation of new technologies for the classroom, there is growth in the use of whiteboards, projectors, and the infrastructure required for wireless connectivity. However, there are some challenges in this area as well. In Ontario, many school boards have joined the Ontario Education Collaborative Marketplace (OECM). This group has negotiated “standing offer” type contracts with vendors that are available to school boards at any time. These contracts have sole-sourcing mandates, so it would be very difficult for a reseller to sell to a school board who is utilizing these offers. Building Relationships Haid noted that established relationships often hold the key to profitable sales. “It’s a long, complex selling process, and it helps to strengthen existing partnerships.” It’s critical for resellers to maintain relationships with the government’s key vendors of choice to remain in the running for a contract. On government contracts, many vendors will choose to partner with a single or few select resellers. In order to be successful, it’s vital for VARs to have strong relationships with both the government and the vendor. Tech Data’s team and premier vendors are on hand to support VARs as they deepen those established relationships, as well as developing new customer relationships. Assisting Resellers to Close GEM Sales this Government Season Bid support, training and credit offerings round out Tech Data’s broad range of public sector resources to help you close your next sale. “We have a wide range of finance options, including seasonal credit increases, leasing, directed payments and more, as well as Tech Data Specialists available to assist resellers with their requirements on many key vendors including HP, IBM, Cisco, McAfee, Avaya, Symantec and Microsoft,” said Haid. Resellers can also rely on the Technology Services team’s years of experience configuring products for all levels of government, and the education and medical verticals to meet your client’s exacting specifications. Tech Data can also assist VARs with hosting government officials to conduct sign-offs, either to ship immediately, or in conjunction with the Reserve Warehouse Program, which allows resellers to store products in Tech Data’s Logistics Centres. And of course, Tech Data’s special same day rush truck to Ottawa on the last business day of the month is very helpful for all those last minute Federal Government orders!

January/February 2013

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Are You Ready?

Microsoft and Tech Data invited reseller partners to Microsoft’s boot camp as part of the Canadian ‘Partner Summits on Windows and Office’ events. Attendees participated in sales training on Windows 8, the new Office, and Windows Server 2012. Microsoft Hardware, HP, Intel, Lenovo, Samsung, Sony and Toshiba showcased their latest hardware for resellers to try out. Resellers from Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver participated in the summit events which included training, partner incentives and product demonstrations. Resellers visiting Tech Data’s booth had a chance to enter to win a $3,000 CDN travel voucher. Barry Johnson from Frontier PC of Vancouver, BC is the lucky winner who will be using his travel voucher to escape winter weather for a much warmer destination.

November/December 2012

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From the moment we wake to when we go to bed, technology touches our lives. In fact, technology isn’t just part of our lives. It’s how we live. Peripherals connect technologies together, creating a world of opportunity to meet the lifestyle needs of customers. More than just for retail consumers, this lifestyle extends from home to office and back again. It’s something you may not think about every day, even as you order off a digital display at your favourite fast food restaurant, listen to your MP3 player in the car, take calls on your Bluetooth and get where you need to go with your GPS. It’s how you work. Sitting or standing, viewing your monitor, managing your documents, docking your laptop and smartphone on your desk, even keeping your cables neat and tidy, peripherals touch every aspect of your life, making them a necessity, not an accessory. From employee scheduling to point of sale systems, peripherals represent new sales opportunities. BYOD (bring your own device) is becoming commonplace in organizations large and small. Think about the impact smartphones and tablets have had on business due to their ability to provide a mobile internet and apps gateway to endless possibilities. Cloud based POS applications have also created new opportunities in retail and service industries. We crave efficiency, and peripherals meet that demand in our lives—especially in the office where business process improvement is at the top of everyone’s minds. “Innovations that enable us to work more efficiently and communicate more effectively are business priorities,” said Tech Data’s Vice President of Marketing Greg Myers. With digital displays and projectors, businesses are able to communicate with their customers, saving time and money in a variety of verticals from entertainment to healthcare to banks.

January/February 2013

Getting Your Hands on the Right Products for Your Customers

Peripherals seamlessly connect all your technology to make your lifestyle work. Tech Data connects all the products, services and tools to make your business work. “We have a seasoned sales team which is there to help resellers identify and recommend the optimal solution. We’re there every step of the way,” said Myers. From document imaging to digital signage solutions, Tech Data carries all the elements from hardware to software. “We want our resellers to be knowledgeable so they can in turn feel more confident selling the solutions to their customers,” said Myers. “Tech Data makes a commitment to the relationship with our customers to not just sell products but to enable them to become the trusted advisors of their customers with our help,” added Myers. Resellers are invited to learn how Tech Data’s Advanced Technology Solutions Centre (ATSC) can help them and their end-users through product demonstrations either in person or via teleconferencing. Contact Tech Data today at 1-800-668-5588 to see how peripheral products can help your business succeed.

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January/February 2013

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AIS EmployeeSpotlight Tech Times sat down with David Brewer, IBM Technical Support Specialist at Tech Data Canada. Q: How long have you been with Tech Data? In September I will celebrate my 5 year anniversary with Tech Data.

“Our IBM team is fantastic, and all of the sales teams I work with on a daily basis have a sound understanding of our business.”

Q: Tell me about your background? What technical certifications do you hold? I completed a three-year computer programming program at Sheridan College and have taken a number of technical and business classes through the University of Toronto. I currently hold 12 IBM certifications covering most of the IBM portfolio, including IBM System X servers, System volume and midrange Storage, PureFlex, and System P. Q: What do you like most about working at Tech Data? It may sound a little cliché, but I like the people I work with. Our IBM team is fantastic, and all of the sales teams I work with on a daily basis have a sound understanding of our business. The team is always willing to step in if I need their help responding to a customer question or urgent quote request. Q: Describe a typical day for you. I start my day checking my team’s inbox requests and completing configuration quote requests I’ve received for IBM solutions. I may jump on a conference call with a reseller to answer some technical questions and then jump back to one of the many projects that are ongoing. When things slow down a little, I will go on the IBM website to participate in a webinar or complete an online training module to keep up-to-date on new offerings from IBM. Q: What do you like the most about your job? I enjoy the variety of technical and customer support requests that I deal with on a daily basis in my role. No two days are ever the same. Q: What motivates you in your job? Quite simply, I like helping people. The opportunity to provide technical solutions that fill an end-user’s need is exciting. It fuels my desire to continue to learn technical skills and concepts, and share my expertise. Q: What has been your most memorable moment or biggest success since joining Tech Data? I have many, but one thing that I am most proud of is the success of the IBM bulk hardware maintenance agreements we sell at Tech Data. This is a project that I worked on when I started in 2008, and today it is a very successful product line for Tech Data and a valuable solution for our reseller partners.

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January/February 2013

Resellers joined Tech Data and HP executives at the Crazy Horse Stonegrill Steakhouse and Saloon in Kanata, Ontario for a fun-filled and informative evening of NMSO facts and delicious fixin’s. Tech Data’s team works collaboratively with HP’s team to ensure authorized resellers receive the best support for their NMSO sales engagement. Tech Data’s HP NMSO program goes the extra mile allowing resellers to consolidate their ordering, manage quality control, maximize the effectiveness of rebates and ensure government purchase order verification. We had an overwhelming number of resellers, Tech Data and HP participants who took their chances on Jed, the bull. Although Jed wasn’t as friendly to some as others, there were no injuries and a good time was had by all.

January/February 2013

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TechSelect Member Profile In this issue of Tech Times, we talk to

Jat Dhaliwal, Vice President of ClientServ Technologies Inc., in Richmond, British Columbia.

Tell us a little about your organization. Nastasha Baron formed ClientServ Technologies in 1994 and I’ve been with the company since March of 1995. Our primary business has always been the same – we build IT relationships through network solutions. Although we try to keep ahead of the curve, we know our strengths and we try to stay in the centre lane of our core competencies. We like what we do and that’s important because life is too short to spend fifty hours a week doing something you dislike. Most of ClientServ’s team members have worked together for over 18 years. And many of our clients have also been with us for the long term. We like to think that our clients stay with us because we provide them with the best solution for their budget, but it’s also because of the trust we’ve built with them over the years. Q: What are your thoughts on the industry in general? The industry has been growing at unprecedented rates over the last few years. Advances in technology such as virtualization, cloud, BYOD and now consumerization of IT have resulted in real enterprise projects. Over the next 18 months we’re anticipating plenty of opportunities for hardware, software and services. Microsoft will hopefully lead the way with the release of Windows 8 as a single platform for all devices. The Windows XP end of support date is a little over a year away and I believe there will be a huge opportunity for VARs as companies migrate off their old XP desktops and Office 2003, and embrace Windows 8 and Office 2013. The move to Windows 8 should also bring adoption of tablet computing to the enterprise space. Consumerization of IT and BYOD will bring new challenges for the reseller community and we will have to work with vendors and Tech Data to see how we can profit from this trend. Q: What challenges are you facing and how do you overcome them? Recruitment has been an ongoing challenge for many years. Richmond is a small IT community and finding highly skilled new

January/February 2013

ClientServ Technologies Inc., Vice President Jat Dhaliwal and President Nastasha Baron have been providing network solutions to BC companies since 1994. They have been TechSelect members since 2006. talent that fits ClientServ’s culture is difficult. It can be challenging to find staff with the right skills that click with our team members and can positively represent ClientServ in the field. Q: What would you like to see from vendor partners? As the industry continues to evolve, vendors need to change their channel strategies as well. Especially in Canada where the SMB market is so large, vendors need the channel to be their eyes and ears and penetrate this market segment for them. Vendors need to keep channel programs simple and ensure there is collaboration between the vendor and reseller communities. This will build stronger partnerships and ultimately grow both our businesses. Q: What are your organization’s goals for the next five years? ClientServ will focus on growing our services business. This is our core competency and we need to continue to evolve and improve as the industry changes. We need to continue to find innovative ways to use technology to make our customers unique in their market segment.

Q: How has the TechSelect program helped you meet your organization’s goals? ClientServ has been a member of TechSelect since 2006. The program provides an opportunity to network with similar organizations and share best practices, as well as discuss challenges and difficulties we face daily and discuss how we address them. The ease of talking with Tech Data executives and vendor partners has proven invaluable to our business. Without the program these relationships would not have been possible. TechSelect has enabled us to support our client’s regional offices across the country through the partner network, and also allowed ClientServ to provide support in BC for our fellow members in Atlantic Canada. Q: What is your outlook for 2013? Since the world did not end on December 21, 2012, the outlook for 2013 looks promising. I think BC’s real estate market and the upcoming May provincial election will play significantly in which direction BC’s economy will take. I’m always an optimist and therefore am looking forward to great things in 2013.

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January/February 2013

The Movember Effect Movember (the month formerly known as November) is the time of year when selfless, generous men, known as ‘Mo Bros’, raise funds from their moustache growing efforts to support men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and male mental health initiatives. This year, Tech Data Canada employees raised $7,300 for this important cause. “The support we received from colleagues and customers was overwhelming,” said Jason Boles, Account Manager, SMB

could maximize his donations by shaving off the moustache he’s worn since he was 15 years old. “I did this to raise awareness and promote early detection for men and women.” Tech Data customer Rob Totton of The Tech Zone in Aurora, Ontario was ‘mo-tivated’ to participate based on his desire to find a cure for cancer, “My grandfather passed away from lung cancer a few months before I was born. Cancer treatment has always been a cause that I’m extremely supportive of, as my biggest wish in life would be to have met my grandfather.” Partner Team and lead organizer for Tech Data Canada’s 2012 Movember team. Tech Data staff members Brian Ingratta, Cisco Field Sales Representative and Don McNabb, Senior Network Analyst, both of whom have sported a moustache for almost 30 years, chose to do a ‘reverse mo’. Ingratta thought he

“We had unbelievable support from friends, family and co-workers alike. A member of the Movember marketing team has offered to help us plan and strategize for next year’s Movember goal,” said Boles adding that he hopes to see more customers join Tech Data’s team in 2013.

A group of Tech Data Canada’s Movember 2012 shave-off participants. Together the group raised $7,300 for Movember.

January/February 2013

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Tech Data and Vendor Partner Events For a complete list of upcoming Tech Data and vendor hosted reseller events and to register, please visit techdata.ca and click on Events Registration to reserve your spot today.

Event Date Location HP PPS Roadshow

January 15, 2013

Liberty Grand, Toronto, Ontario

HP Storage Summit

January 17, 2013

The Carlu, Toronto, Ontario

HP PPS Roadshow

January 17, 2013

Hyatt Regency, Montreal, Quebec

ATSC IBM Open House for CRBP’s

January 22, 2013

Tech Data Canada, Mississauga, ON

HP PPS Roadshow

January 23, 2013

Metropolitan Centre, Calgary, Alberta

Avaya IP Office Technical January 28-February 1, 2013 Tech Data Canada, Mississauga, ON Implementation Workshop Avaya IP Office Technical Implementation Workshop

February 4-8, 2013

Tech Data Canada, Vancouver, BC

Cisco Workshop Wednesday

February 6, 2013

Tech Data Canada, Mississauga, ON

IBM V3700 Workshop

February 6 – 7, 2013

Montreal, QC & Ottawa, ON

Avaya IP Office Technical Implementation Workshop

February 11-15, 2013

Acclaim Hotel Calgary Airport, Calgary, AB

HP Global Partner Conference February 19-21, 2013

Las Vegas, Nevada

Cisco Workshop Wednesday

February 20, 2013

Tech Data Canada, Mississauga, ON

Avaya IP Office Advanced Applications Workshop

February 25-27, 2013

Tech Data Canada, Mississauga, ON

IBM PartnerWorld Leadership February 25 – 28, 2013 Conference 2013

Las Vegas, Nevada

Cisco Workshop Wednesday

March 6, 2013

Tech Data Canada, Mississauga, ON

Avaya IP Office Technical Implementation Workshop

March 11-15, 2013

Tech Data Canada, Montreal, QC

Avaya IP Office Technical Implementation Workshop

March 18-22, 2013

Tech Data Canada, Mississauga, ON

Cisco Workshop Wednesday

March 20, 2013

Tech Data Canada,Mississauga, ON

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January/February 2013

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

Creating Holiday Memories

Socially conscious event organizers and sponsors Vanessa Rodrigues, Vendor Marketing Manager and Irene Buchan, Director, Marketing at Tech Data Canada enjoy knowing they are helping to make someone’s holiday a little brighter.

Tech Data employees shared their generosity of spirit this past holiday season by participating in the Peel Children’s Aid Foundation’s Holiday Wishes program, through which Tech Data ‘adopted’ 16 families in need. “It means the world to us when corporate employees like those at Tech Data join together to help families in the community who are experiencing severe financial hardship and wouldn’t be able to celebrate the holidays like most of us are fortunate enough to do. Tech Data is to be congratulated for encouraging their staff to embrace the true meaning of the season and support less fortunate families so generously,” said Catherine Hinton, Executive Director at Peel Children’s Aid Foundation. Since joining Peel Children’s Aid Foundation’s initiative in 2010, Tech Data employees have fulfilled over 150 children’s holiday wishes. Tech Data and its 450 socially conscious employees support a number of local charities in the Greater Toronto Area, Montreal and Vancouver communities in which the company operates.

www.techdata.ca

January/February 2013

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January/February 2013

www.techdata.ca

In this edition of Voice of the Vendor, we sit down with Andrew Eppich, Vice President of Partners & Channels for Enterprise Group at HP Canada.

What are the responsibilities in your role? As the Vice President of Partners & Channels for Enterprise Group at HP Canada, my team and I are responsible for driving all indirect sales of HP Servers, Storage, Networking and Technology Services sales by partnering effectively with a diverse community that includes Systems Integrators, Software Vendors, Value Added Resellers and Distribution partners. Q: How did you get started in the industry? After completing an Honors Commerce Degree at McMaster University I was fortunate enough to be recruited by three very different companies – one sold tractors, the other elevators and the third was a small wireless upstart that was poised for one of the truly great ‘David versus Goliath‘ stories in Canadian business. I choose the upstart wireless company, Clearnet Communications. As one of the first few hundred employees there, I had a fantastic introduction to the Canadian Technology Industry with roles in sales, operations, and channel marketing, and contributed to one of the most successful wireless network launches in North America. With this invaluable set of experiences, I left in the late 90’s to begin an equally exciting career at HP. Q: As a high profile leader in the industry do you have any insights or advice for those just starting out? Spend time on things you are passionate about and search for opportunities that will allow you to learn from a broad range of people. You should also take chances and push yourself into places where, at first, you may be a little uncomfortable and out of your “element.” Great things happen when you are challenged and must rise to the occasion.

Andrew Eppich

Vice President of Partners & Channels for Enterprise Group, HP Canada

Q: What challenges you? My current role provides a very broad view into a variety of different types of partners that are helping to solve unique business problems for countless customers every day. The challenge, and one that I enjoy, is matching the equally broad range of solution offerings that HP can bring to bear with key partners like Tech Data. I have always been a problem solver, and by working with the largest IT organization in the world you get to help several customers with many unique challenges along the way. Q: What do you consider to be your greatest achievement? My greatest achievements would be the ones I share with my wife – we are busy ensuring our three children under six years old are healthy, happy and thriving – no small task if you meet our energetic kids. If I had to take it to the individual level, I am proud of the round-the-world journey I took with a backpack encircling the globe, from the Galapagos Islands, to Machu Pichu, The Great Wall, Everest Base Camp, Robben Island and back. The trip inspired me and I found myself joining a non-profit, Right To Play, for two additional years before finally returning to HP. The work that I did with Right To Play definitely ranks high on the list. Q: What do you see as the biggest benefit to partnering with Tech Data? Tech Data is obviously one of HP’s largest and most strategic distribution partners. Its sheer size and capacity to hold inventory provides HP with agility to quickly respond to a very demanding VAR community. Tech Data’s ability to scale its offering from the smallest transaction to the largest and most complex solutions is invaluable to HP. HP’s relationship with Tech Data has a great legacy built on integrity and trust – Tech Data’s leadership team in Canada is truly tops in the industry and I personally benefited from the insights and commentary they graciously provided when I started my new position in the partner community nine months ago. One of the first meetings I took in my new role was a tour of Tech Data’s facility in Mississauga with Rick Reid. Q: What is HP’s outlook / priorities for 2013? A primary goal for 2012, which we will continue into 2013, is to make it easier for partners to work with HP, to make partners an extension of HP. We are simplifying partner programs to enable partners to focus on what matters – driving increased sales. We’re also continuing our investments in programs and incentives, including our industry-leading PartnerOne program, to increase our partners’ bottom lines and open up new business opportunities. From my Canadian lens, I am VERY optimistic about what HP can achieve this year with our partners. In order to thrive in FY’13, we will focus on taking market share from our competitors. HP has earned a dominant position in x86 servers over the past decade and we plan to leverage this install base to position Converged Infrastructure, HP Networking, HP Storage and Technology Services. We laid out our priorities for the partner community back in October 2012 along with a declaration of our intent to do 100 per cent of Enterprise Group business through the channel. To beat the competition and deliver on that commitment, we will concentrate on three key pillars: 1. Ease of doing business 2. Profitability selling the portfolio 3. Effective engagement with our partners through simplified partner programs With a partner like Tech Data on our side, the outlook for 2013 is great – and my team and I look forward to the challenge at hand!

January/February 2013