Attend the Agent-VAR Partnering Workshop

The big story in the channel in early 2012 is the continued rapid rise and growing significance of the VAR.

VARs are the “It Girl" in the channel today, to paraphrase an image minted by Channel Partners Editor-in-Chief Khali Henderson earlier this year. Why?

Partners are required to provide more and more sophisticated services to SMBs and SEs, and the distinction between telecom services and IT services is vanishing faster than an ice cube discarded on a Las Vegas sidewalk. Businesses want integrated solutions that help them build business and limit costs. Their trusted partner must be able to help them by providing technology solutions, not merely telecom services, or certain types of telecom services.

Integrated solutions require a level of technological sophistication that the “transaction" agent simply cannot bring to the party. Hence, the importance of VARs in today’s channel. And, hence, the interest of partners who need to muscle up on technology in partnering with VARs.

Channel Partners has linked arms with CompTIA, the IT industry association,  to bring the best content possible to attendees at the Channel Partners Conference & Expo in Las Vegas, March 26-29. Channel Partners and CompTIA will be producing a workshop entitled "Agent-VAR Partnering Best Practices" on Wednesday, March 28, beginning at 2 p.m. The workshop is open only to partners, and registration is required. The workshop is sponsored by World Telecom Group, the prominent master agency.

This will be the third agent-VAR workshop that CompTIA and Channel Partners have produced. We do original research and conduct live text polling in the workshops. The workshops have been growing in popularity.

Registrations for the March event are already over 100. So today is the right time to register if you want to be assured of a seat at the agent-VAR table. Go here to register.

Keep an eye on Channel Partners for the best coverage of the hottest topic in the channel this year. And make sure you schedule yourself into the agent-VAR workshop for  some of the best programming in the world on this critical subject.

Larry Lannon is group publisher of VIRGO ’s Communications Network, which includes Billing & OSS World , Channel Partners  and V2M.