How to benchmark your security capabilities Know what you want to be famous for An award-winning focus When innovation isn’t enough Lookout Moves East with Tech Data Tech Data Blog Tech Data Europe Tech Data LinkedIn How to benchmark your security capabilities Posted by Diana Gayri on Nov 24, 2021 4:22:55 AM It’s no secret the cybersecurity market is booming in response to all the threats out there. Good security is seen as the catalyst for enabling digital innovation, which in turn provides a competitive advantage. Those resellers who can bake-in security to the digital solutions they offer customers are going to have the advantage in a competitive landscape. But what is considered good security? And importantly, how do you know if the security solutions you are offering your customers are better or worse than others? For this, you need to look at some decent benchmarking. Good news! Tech Data has partnered with Canalys to give all our partners free access to a powerful cybersecurity benchmarking tool called Alys. The assessment has been designed with speed and simplicity in mind, without the need to disclose intimate organizational data such as financial results. By spending 15-minutes completing 24 high level business related questions across four key lines including the companies overall security focus, threat hunter abilities, managed security practice efficacy and position as trusted advisor to your consumers. You will receive a detailed report on where you stand verses others in your market. The report also comes with a series of useful recommendations. A copy will also be sent to your Tech Data account manager who can help you look at the results and recommend the right enablement programmes tailored to ensure that your business can get up to speed, or indeed take the next steps to become a cybersecurity leader in your area. To take advantage of the free diagnostic tool get in touch with your Tech Data account manager or access directly via the below links: For Tech Data partners: http://www.candefero.com/survey/surveystart.php?id=905 For Cisco partners: http://www.candefero.com/survey/surveystart.php?id=906 Read More 0 Comments Click here to read/write comments Know what you want to be famous for Posted by Neil Cornish on Nov 22, 2021 7:13:57 AM Every week we are meeting with partners who have new solutions they want to get to market. Some of these businesses are owned and managed by serial entrepreneurs, but most are created out of passion or necessity. And sometimes both. Read More 0 Comments Click here to read/write comments An award-winning focus Posted by Neil Cornish on Nov 15, 2021 7:31:37 AM Last week saw the return of one of the fun nights in our Industry’s calendar, the CRN Channel Awards. A real face to face event, back home at Evolution in Battersea Park. Read More 0 Comments Click here to read/write comments When innovation isn’t enough Posted by Neil Cornish on Nov 8, 2021 6:25:28 AM Regular readers of the blog, (about 1000 of you), will appreciate the focus the Tech Data Ecosystem team has had on developing sustainable, innovative partnerships over the past two years, bringing new solutions to our wider community. Read More 0 Comments Click here to read/write comments Lookout Moves East with Tech Data Posted by Dan Steel on Nov 1, 2021 11:50:16 AM We’re delighted to announce that our partners in the East Region countries, will for the first time be able to access the incredible security tools from Lookout. Read More 0 Comments Click here to read/write comments Managing the solution firehose Posted by Neil Cornish on Nov 1, 2021 7:15:30 AM CRN, attending an Industry Channel Conference in Atlanta last week, reported that the co-founder and CEO of Edge Solutions, an Atlanta-based solution provider, said that “Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it feels like solution providers are drinking out of a firehose, with a myriad of new vendors and a slew of very difficult challenges that are facing our clients.” And, with social media now playing an ever-increasing part in bringing new innovations, industry solutions and reference stories to a wider audience, the role of the IT salesperson has changed significantly. With reduced, or in many cases non-existing, face-to-face selling time over the past 18 months, industry sellers are having to re-invent their role. Once upon a time the salesperson was the conduit to the Enterprise IT Director for new announcements. He or she would provide insight into what his or her other customers were doing and what had and hadn’t worked. The objective was to become the customers trusted advisor on all things IT. Today the chances are the customer has read or watched more relevant content impacting their business than the salesperson. They see the latest announcements, albeit précised, and see industry references and attend events on-line. Instead of the traditional, random news article from the CEO, the CTO is getting links to suggested solutions from all over the business. In this changing environment, the salesperson’s advice and guidance has to be more specific and watertight. Industry trends and recommendations can quickly be checked. Consultants’ reports litter the online space. Company success claims can be investigated within 30 seconds through a search on Companies House. Generic statements on what the market is doing, and why the customer needs your solution, requires real supporting evidence, now more than ever. Being the thought leader for your customer has become much harder But just as the “next big things” that require the customers attention gush out on to social media, the internet also provides the seller with access to in depth data. What are the real numbers behind the growth claims? Who really is delivering as opposed to making a lot of noise? What impact has implementing a new solution really had on a referenced business? Are other partners really signing up to sell a vendor’s solution? With so many innovators looking for routes to market; some with substantial funding enabling them to appear in your customers inbox, how do you decide to engage with a new innovator? And which one? Some questions to consider. Is the solution something your customers would benefit from and why? Could you offer the solution partner a new route to market? And by doing so, do you further secure your customers business and trust? If you don’t, could a competitor partner with them and would this threaten your existing base? If the answer to all these is yes, then it might be worth looking further. Are they an experienced, well-funded business? Do they have any references you would recognise within the sector? Do they have ties to one of your vendors? And, have they joined the Tech Data Ecosystem? Everyday new businesses are contacting us with their solutions. It maybe we have already met them, researched them and are trying to find partners for them to work with. Helping our anchor partners manage the firehose of new innovators and identifying relevant, potential solutions for them to take to their customers, is something the Tech Data Ecosystem has been focussed on for over two years. So, if you are an innovator looking for a new route to market or an anchor partner trying to select the appropriate innovation partner, then please get in touch. We look forward to working with you. The Tech Data Ecosystem Team Read More 0 Comments Click here to read/write comments A matrix of matrices Posted by Neil Cornish on Oct 25, 2021 7:15:50 AM With digital transformation accelerating the pace of change in many industries, fuelled by a need to automate, as key skills become scarce across our industry, how do traditional channel partners adapt their go to market strategy? Read More 0 Comments Click here to read/write comments 5G opportunity, 3G risk Posted by Neil Cornish on Oct 18, 2021 7:16:57 AM This week our industry press has been covering how the lack of resources, combined with supply chain issues, is slowing the roll out of 5G networks. With the US reporting over 10 million job vacancies, finding people with 5G networking skills to accelerate the deployment, whilst there is a reported lack of components for 5G base station upgrades, will undoubtedly impact timescales. This will delay the introduction of some services and increase the price for both commercial and domestic consumers. For most of us 4G will continue to take the strain for the next 12 months. But there is a flip side to the 5G story. That of the phasing out of 3G. The major network operators want more Spectrum for 5G and in many cases that means shutting down 3G. This might not seem of great importance, we have 4G on our phones. Well most of us do. However, 2019 estimates suggest 30 million people in the US still relied on 3G network coverage for their phones. That’s a lot of new phones required by February 2022, the first shut down date for 3G services. Others will follow during 2022. In the UK, EE have confirmed they will switch off their 3G Network by the start of 2023. Many parts of the world still rely on 3G coverage for their mobile phone networks. According to Statista, there were over 4Bn 3G subscriptions in 2020, representing approximately half of all global phone subscribers. Mobile subscriptions worldwide 1993-2019 | Statista. But it is not just the phone user that the lack of 3G will impact. Many organisations have 3G devices within their businesses. Fleet management systems, building security operations and health services have been developed using 3G as the network of choice. How many users are aware of the need to upgrade over the coming months? How many existing health service applications are built on roll outs of 3G devices? Their early iPads and other tablets not yet upgraded to 4G. And typically designing, procuring, roll out and support doesn’t take a few months to execute. And if it isn’t in next financial year’s budget, then where’s the funding coming from? The 3G network is also relied upon in emergency response systems. Some in car SOS systems and call button services for the elderly, have been built using the 3G network. The Toyota Website for North America states “Toyota Safety Connect® will no longer function as of November 1, 2022. Affected Safety Connect® services include Automatic Collision Notification, Enhanced Roadside Assistance, Emergency Assistance Button and Stolen Vehicle Locator”. Not all manufacturers appear to be informing their customers though. And there is little advice on upgrades to enable these services. Presumably hoping you’ll buy a new car... if you can find one of course. We need to begin to identify those areas where 3G is part of today’s solution. What we don’t know is the knock-on effect of those we won’t find. Who knew that when gas was too expensive to keep fertilizer plants open, the result would be a lack of CO2, leading to a shortage of some foods on supermarket shelves? If the service provider hasn’t planned or can’t afford to upgrade, and the elderly can’t afford to pay, what happens to that service? And more importantly to the people who rely on it. We have examined the complexity of supply chains in previous articles. Soon we will begin to see the impact of the introduction of 5G. Great new services, creating new innovations and speeding up the arrival of automated cars, trucks and drones. Improving virtual reality experiences and enabling the metaverse. New, and ever more complex, supply chains will be built both to deliver and use 5G technology. But due to the need for greater density between antennae it will be a long time before we see the wide coverage we have with 3G and 4G. There are still many supply chains and related services built on 3G. We need to find them, assess the risk and understand the impact of these losing access to a 3G network. And then plan for the alternative. Some are already assessing; others saw it early and moved. However, many are unaware of either the timing or the potential impact to their businesses. At Tech Data we have the people with the skills to help understand the challenges and opportunities being faced through the introduction of 5G. We have access to the technology, vendors, partners and solutions that can help you build out a new, viable alternative. So, if you are a partner with a solution or service that needs upgrading, or one who has skills and solutions to help, please get in touch. This challenge will be a lot easier when addressed by the ecosystem as opposed to individually. We look forward to hearing from you. The Tech Data Ecosystem Team Read More 0 Comments Click here to read/write comments Making us Think! Posted by Neil Cornish on Oct 11, 2021 7:34:04 AM The last four weeks have reflected a level or normality returning to our working lives. Schools are back, the traffic is back, and the headlines are no longer all about Covid – food shortages and the lack of PlayStations for Christmas as I write. We can now travel abroad (I’m in my Spanish office today), attend events and meet people face-to-face. Read More 0 Comments Click here to read/write comments Nudge, nudge Posted by Neil Cornish on Oct 4, 2021 5:55:32 AM Gradually we are all being nudged back to the office. And on making my first post-pandemic visit to the Tech Data London office last week, I was presented with a “welcome back” box which was a really nice idea. (Thank you Directors). And there are plenty left for those still to take the plunge. Nudge. 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