Channel goes regional

Nick Tidd, 3Com's VP of worldwide channels, will serve his last day as the networking vendor's channel chief as the company shifts its strategy to focus more on a regionalised channel model, says ChannelWeb.

Tidd, who served as 3Com's channel chief for more than two years, joined 3Com in 1997 as part of its acquisition of US Robotics. He spent five years running 3Com's North American channels.

"3Com has made a decision that they need to be closer to their customers," Tidd said in an interview, adding that 3Com will focus more on "direct touch" and "regional channel programmes" going forward.

Embotics, a virtualisation company, has begun its first reseller programme. The Embotics Partner Programme is a network of technology and solution partnerships in North America, Europe and Asia, and is part of the company's strategy to sell 100% through the channel, says eChannelLine.

"Our go-to-market strategy is very channel-centric," said David Lynch, VP of marketing at Embotics. "We have some direct sales people but their job is to engage with customers and then bring them to our channel partners."

The programme aims to provide Embotics' value-added resellers with a first-to-market advantage by supplying customers with comprehensive control software that is designed to identify, track, secure and manage enterprise-wide virtual machines.

Software leviathan Microsoft rocked the channel boat last week by extending its hosted services to businesses of all sizes, potentially positioning itself as a competitor to its partners, says vnunet.com.

Launched last year, Microsoft's Exchange Online and Sharepoint Online were made available to enterprises only, to allow its channel partners to support the SME space.

Clare Barclay, director of partner strategy and programmes for Microsoft UK, said the move is due to the rapid acceleration of the vendor's software-plus-services model.