Ecosystem
Ecosystems and channels in transformation mode
I have lived and breathed software channels my entire career. I learned how they worked as a young product manager for Finland’s second-largest software ERP company. My channel career took off when I became head of development for a Finnish data warehousing/analytics company, where we built channels in Western Europe and the US. I learned…
Read MoreWill AI break the business model for some channel partners?
Some writings on the web made me “compelled” to think about AI and how it might impact channel partners. To give some context to my thoughts, I should give some background. I have lived and breathed the channel for 30+ years within the software industry. My boutique consulting company, TELLUS International, has been the foundation…
Read MoreBenefits of Partnering?
In my previous blog entry, “Elements of effective partnering with Microsoft,” I highlighted a few key elements that I know Microsoft appreciates in its partners. The world is full of solutions; each partner wants to be part of the winning story, but it takes hard work to succeed. In this blog, I focus on what…
Read MoreElements of effective partnering with Microsoft
I often get a question from partners about what one needs to have in place to partner effectively. I always say that the relationship is an investment, both sides need to gain from it, and the partner should not automatically expect there to be an interest by Microsoft. In my tens of business design session…
Read MoreEffective Office365 Education using Stories
Continuous updates of software have increased the need for continuous learning The question that many organizations are struggling with is how to ensure that their employees are effective in their use of different digital tools. The software industry has changed dramatically over the past few years. I grew up in the era of floppies, disks,…
Read MoreCan a strong channel partner program give you a competitive edge?
Can a strong channel partner program give you a competitive edge? That is what software vendors are contemplating on. When you add the transformation of business models for both the ISV and channel partners, you have multiple dimensions that will have an impact on the success of your channel efforts. What has not changed in…
Read MoreKey learnings from Microsoft WPC 2015
I wanted to share my thoughts of the key learning’s from Microsoft WPC 2015. It is now more than two weeks since we had the magnificent Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference in Orlando, Florida. Since the conference, I have been busy working with follow-up and some projects. During the past two weeks I have also actively…
Read MoreCloud business changes roles and responsibilities
Cloud business changes roles and responsibilities, no question about that. An interesting incident happened to me today. My production Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2015 Online environment (Update 1, May 2015) was updated last night. This was an event that I had been waiting for and I really love some of the new features this new release…
Read MoreChannel compensation terms and margins in SaaS business
Channel compensation terms and margins seems to be a difficult topic for many software vendors (ISVs). My work takes me to many different places around the globe with the opportunity to talk to channel partners and software vendors. In a recent ISV seminar where I was talking about channel compensation models, I got a question…
Read MoreMicrosoft Office 365 channel is not only about margins anymore
If you are a traditional independent software vendor (ISV), you might be surprised when talking to channel partners that are looking for Office 365 solutions. The reality is that margins that most ISVs offer to its channel partners do not carry the cost that channel partners take on to build its cloud practice. Channel partners are…
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