The cloud and Internet of Things (IoT) are creating new business possibilities for value-added resellers (VARs), systems integrators (SIs) and other solution providers despite past predictions of the “disintermediation of the channel.”

However, the nature of the cloud marketplace and the way in which IoT initiatives are actually deployed also make it harder for hardware vendors and software developers to track how their systems and applications are sold and utilized.

This creates a myriad of channel sales, marketing, billing, compensation, support and compliance issues that need to be addressed if the cloud and IoT markets are going to continue to expand via third-party channels.

Click here to read THINKstrategies’ perspectives about the challenges of tracking these issues, and how Zyme is addressing these issues in Sandhill.com.

Dave O’Callaghan,  Senior Vice President of Global Channels & Alliances at VMware has agreed to be a keynote speaker at the third annual Cloud Channel Summit on Monday, November 4 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA. VMware has also become a Marquee sponsor of this year’s executive forum.

Click here and save $100 by registering now for the Summit!

Dave joined VMware as its “Channel Chief” in June 2013. Previously, he led O’Callaghan Capital, a go-to-market consultancy for high tech companies, and served as VP of Worldwide Distribution and VP of Sales for the Commercial West Area at Cisco Systems. Prior to working at Cisco, Dave was VP of the Western Region at Hitachi Data Systems. He has also served as a Commissioner on the Governor’s Commission on Science and Technology in Colorado, and is a Board Member for Colorado State University’s Industry Advisory Board.

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A new generation of online marketplaces is making it easier for enterprises, as well as end-users, to acquire Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications and Cloud Computing resources on-demand. These new Cloud-based marketplaces are also redefining the types of companies that are offering SaaS and other Cloud solutions, as well as how they interact with the Cloud vendors. Click here to read my views about the rapid evolution of Cloud marketplaces in ec-bp.com. To learn more about the changing nature of channel relationships in the Cloud, join us at the Cloud Channel Summit on Monday, November 5 in Mountain View, CA.