Coffee with Craig and James

In this episode of the Channel Futures podcast, we talk to Channel Acuity's Cary Tengler and Onward Communications' Tricia Ward about the ramifications of ScanSource's announcement that it will start a customer-facing agency that works alongside Intelisys, its tech services distributor business.

The guys welcome esteemed channel analyst, Jay McBain of Canalys, now a colleague of Craig and James, to the podcast. He offers a great take on artificial intelligence in the channel, Broadcom's acquisition of VMware, and previews some of his many sessions at the upcoming Channel Partners Conference & Expo.

The latest Channel Futures podcast takes a deep dive into what you need to know for this year's MSP 501, the largest and most comprehensive survey of managed service providers worldwide. Debbie Kane with the Omdia Channel Research & Consulting Practice joins Craig and James to discuss reasons for applying, as well as changes to the 2024 application that make it easier to submit. Learn more about the application and apply here: https://www.channelfutures.com/about-msp-501

The Channel Futures podcast welcomes Amy Bailey and Kathryn Rose of the Channel Marketing Association. Plus, the latest editions to the Channel Partners Conference & Expo agenda. And the guys play a game of Family Feud. There's actually a tie-in! Go here to take the Channel Marketing Association's salary survey before it closes!: https://form.jotform.com/233326429723154

Craig and James sit down with Opkalla's Keith Hawley to learn more about the channel partner's business model, how to talk with customers about artificial intelligence, and much more. Plus, we preview some big changes to the upcoming Channel Partners Conference & Expo, March 11-14, in Las Vegas.

The Channel Futures podcast wraps the year with a look back at the biggest stories in 2023 as well as the most memorable moments from Coffee with Craig and James from the past 12 months. The guys also welcome Steven Karachinsky, CEO of Ziro, a company that truly defines "channel convergence" in the way it straddles both sides of the indirect sales channel. Plus, Craig offers up a channel take on "A Visit from St. Nicholas." Happy Holidays, everyone!

Bridgepointe Technologies is doing things a little differently in the channel, the company's co-founders told Channel Futures at this month's Bridgepointe Tech Summit. Bridgepointe has been growing both organically and through acquisition. In fact, at this fall's Bridgepointe Tech Summit, attendance doubled over last year. One of those attendees was Channel Futures' own James Anderson, who caught up with co-founders Scott Evars and Brian Miller for a wide-ranging interview for the podcast. Of course, the guys will spend part of this podcast episode getting you read for the Channel Futures Leadership Summit, Oct. 30-Nov. 2, in Miami Beach. It's not too late to register!: https://channel.informatech.com/leadershipsummit/2023/registrations/Attendee

Parents often are flattered when a child follows in their footsteps. But it doesn't happen very often in the channel. That's why ZLH Enterprises is such an interesting case study. Craig and James caught up with Zina Hassel, CEO of ZLH Enterprises, and daughter Jodi, vice president at the technology advisor company, to learn what it's like to work together at the same company. The mother-daughter team also dish on past experiences in the industry and some of the trends they are watching. Zina Hassel will participate in a session at the Women's Leadership Summit portion of the upcoming Channel Futures Leadership Summit in Miami. And speaking of Leadership Summit, the guys walk you through a few more sessions that they expect will be must-attends at the event, which kicks off Oct. 30 in Miami and runs through Nov. 2. It also features the MSP Summit and the popular MSP 501 gala. All of that, plus Craig and James dish on one of the big headlines of the week -- channel stalwart John DeLozier's new job at ConvergeOne. If none of that floats your boat, we've got fantasy football, a milestone birthday and James' battle with the dreaded COVID.

The most successful partner businesses don't get there by accident. A dedication to proven channel partner strategies helped them become the companies they are today. Channel Futures, its parent company, Informa Tech, and research arm Omdia, have a new, first-of-its-kind service available to the entire channel community that's poised to make a huge impact on decision-making for companies that choose to take advantage of the offer. That's why Craig and James invited Debbie Kane and Devan Adams, the team behind the brand-new Channel Futures research and consulting practice, to the podcast. They discuss the goals of the new practice and share some of the information they've already unveiled that might just surprise you. You'll also find out how to take advantage of their research. Of course, we'll update you on the latest sessions added to the Channel Futures Leadership Summit agenda and talk about the news stories of the week we've found to be most compelling. Go here for access to Debbie and Devan's work, on the Omdia Channel Partner Strategies Intelligence Service webpage: https://omdia.tech.informa.com/products/channel-partner-strategies-intelligence-service

When software-defined wide area networking broke onto the technology scene in the late 2000s, and a number of years later in the channel, few knew how much it would change the network landscape. It has gone on to become one of the industry's most preeminent technologies and a staple in channel partner portfolios. SD-WAN has only exploded since more people started working from home at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. That was part of the impetus for Expereo, the SD-WAN and cloud connectivity provider, to launch a survey of 650 CIOs. It brought about some compelling results in the company's new Enterprise Horizons report. In this edition of the Coffee with Craig and James podcast, Expereo president of the Americas Scott Zarriello joins the guys to explain some takeaways from the report. He also covers the evolution of SD-WAN technology. Also on the podcast, Craig and James break down a handful of sessions that have just been added to the Channel Futures Leadership Summit agenda. It's coming up Oct. 30-Nov. 2, in Miami. All of that plus the return of Movie Night! What would the Craig and James podcast look like if it were a movie? We have the exciting trailer!

In this edition of the Coffee with Craig and James podcast, we get the inside scoop from the guys at techology advisor ARG. ARG chief revenue officer Mike Shonholz and chief engagement officer Steve Kopp have seen a lot in their years of experience in the industry. That background has been key to pulling off some very successful acquisitions over the years. Craig and James sat these gents down for an ARG perspective not only on M&A, but also the company's overall inorganic growth strategy, what its "IT Clarity" branding is all about, and to get some general advice for some their peers in the channel. Moreover, we'll offer up our first official preview of this fall's Channel Futures Leadership Summit, which in addition to being home to the MSP Summit and Women's Leadership Summit, will take an extensive look at marketplaces and how they're impacting the channel. All that, plus James gets a little revenge on Craig for his little "easter egg" stunt around numbers on the last podcast. It's the return of Channel Mad Libs!

Craig Schlagbaum might very well be, as James puts it, the "O.G." of the channel. As senior vice president at Comcast Business/Masergy, he's one of the longest tenured channel executives. You could almost say he "grew up" in the channel. So we thought it would be great to pick his brain on topics ranging from his longevity, to relationships with technology service providers and much more. Furthermore, with the next Channel Partners event, the Channel Futures Leadership Summit, still nearly four months away, Craig and James thought it was a perfect time to highlight some of the things you might've missed on our media platform, Channel Futures. All of that, plus Craig once again tries to prove his manhood by humiliating James in a round of trivia, this time focused on, as an homage to our guest, cable TV.

The Channel Futures podcast duo is back after a brief hiatus due to travel, and they're welcoming Palo Alto Networks into the coffee house. Channel leader Tom Evans joins the conversation to discuss the latest cybersecurity threats, updates for Palo Alto partners and predictions for the future. Craig and James also get you caught up on final numbers from the Channel Partners Conference & Expo, as well as their trip to London representing Channel Futures at the annual Informa Awards. Don't forget that you can watch this podcast. The video is here: https://www.channelfutures.com/podcasts/coffee-with-craig-and-james-episode-124-palo-alto-networks

MartinWolf M&A Advisors founder Marty Wolf joins Craig and James this week on the popular Channel Futures podcast. Wolf offers an overview of the M&A landscape and delivers practical advice for any partner business considering selling or taking private investment. It also serves as a preview for some keynote and conference sessions that focus on mergers and acquisitions at the Channel Partners Conference & Expo in Las Vegas, May 1-4. Speaking of CP Expo, Craig and James will do a final breakdown to get you ready. It's not too late to register!: https://channel.informatech.com/lv/2023/registrations/Attendee

It's MSP 501 season. The final day to apply for the biggest and best awards program in the channel is April 30. With that rapidly approaching deadline in mind, we decided to dedicate this podcast to the Channel Futures MSP 501. First, we welcome in Ginette Andre, senior marketing associate for Channel Futures and VIP liaison for the MSP 501. Ginette offers up some frequently asked questions for candidates who are applying for the list. Then comes the team from Ingram Micro, sponsor and longtime supporter of the 501. The distributor's execs discuss the value of landing on the list. They also cover some important managed service provider trends for 2023. Also, it wouldn't be an episode of the podcast without talk of the Channel Partners Conference & Expo. James tells us about two of the sessions he'll be hosting and why you should be there. Finally, what's in a name? A common email mistake that flusters some of our colleagues. Apply for the 2023 Channel Futures MSP 501 here: https://channelfutures.tradepub.com/free/w_chag101/prgm.cgi?a=1

The Channel Futures podcast this week welcomes in Phil Soper, North America head of channel sales at Hewlett Packard Enterprise. He gets us caught up on the HPE Partner Ready Vantage program and the company's as-a-service efforts. Craig and James also cover the networking opportunities not to miss at the upcoming Channel Partners Conference & Expo. The big show is less than six weeks away — here's where you can register: https://channel.informatech.com/lv/2023/registrations/Attendee

The Channel Partners Conference & Expo is less than two months away and Craig and James are all over it. In this episode of the podcast, you'll learn about more incredible keynotes slated for the event. CP Expo is May 1-4, at the Venetian in Las Vegas. And for a guest, we have a special treat. Ronnell Richards, sales consultant extraordinaire to the channel, joins the guys for a conversation. They touch on sales tips, relationships between partners and TSDs/vendors, and much more. The news discussion of the day will center around a couple of things. First, James talks about an acquisition by HPE that could have significant channel implications. 5G, once overhyped, might be making another run at celebrity status. Also, our Channel Futures' Channel Influencers for 2023. The list is out, and features a lot of names in the channel who are having a big impact. The guys will explain how the team came up with this year's honorees.

A best-kept secret no more, the Alliance of Channel Women (ACW) plays a huge role in our industry. The organization promotes both established and up-and-coming channel sales professionals, including the camaraderie and mentorship to elevate their careers in what's traditionally been a male-dominated field. ACW is kicking off a spring membership drive, so it's a great time for Craig and James to learn more about the group. The guys welcome ACW board member Kelly Danziger to the show. (Her day job is Craig and James' boss as general manager of Informa Tech Channels, Channel Futures' parent organization.) The guys also discuss some of the big keynotes at the upcoming Channel Partners Conference & Expo. Furthermore, we've got fun with technology trivia and a test of ChatGPT technology.

Coffee with Craig and James, the Channel Futures podcast, welcomes Scott Kinka, chief strategy officer with Bridgepointe Technologies. Bridgepointe is truly one of the hottest companies in the channel, growing both organically and inorganically, via acquisition. The guys also give you your first taste of the keynotes and conference sessions at the upcoming Channel Partners Conference & Expo, May 1-4. We told you last time about keynote speaker Capt. Scott Kelly, but that's far from all. From a guy who lived in a van to a NASCAR driver, there's some really cool content on tap. We talk about it in this podcast. And that's just scratching the surface. Craig and James also will discuss the news of the week, including the staggering number of layoffs impacting the channel. Communications platform as a service (CPaaS) is also a topic, as Channel Futures introduces a new video segment. If you want to see us on video, head over to Channel Futures: https://www.channelfutures.com/podcasts/coffee-with-craig-james-episode-118-bridgepointe-technologies

It only took 117 episodes of the Channel Futures podcast for Craig and James to make their video debut together. In this premiere Channel Futures TV episode of Coffee with Craig and James, we welcome Cato Networks leader Frank Rauch. He was one of the biggest newsmakers of the past week, just joining the SASE provider on Jan. 10. The guys also give you a sneak preview of the keynote retired astronaut Capt. Scott Kelly will deliver at the Channel Partners Conference & Expo, May 1-4, at the Venetian in Las Vegas. All that, plus a recap of some of the biggest news so far this month.