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Podcast 087: Inside Ingram Micro’s SMB Alliance Community

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Paul Hager
Paul Hager

Good evening, channel partners. Welcome to ChannelE2E Podcast 087 — our latest conversation with Darren Gottesmann, director of SMB sales at Ingram Micro. Plus, Paul Hager, president and CEO of Information Technology Professionals, an MSP in Wisconsin, joins us. We discuss the role Ingram Micro SMB Alliance plays as Hager and community members strive for business growth. As president of SMB Alliance, Hager also describes how he expects the community to evolve in 2017.

Reaching Gottesmann: Instead of driving you to a generic website, Gottesmann would like to hear from listeners directly. You can email him or dial his cellphone: 646-234-5840.

Here's the conversation:

Podcast discussion (times are approximate):

  • 0:00: Introductions
  • 0:41: SMB Alliance's focus
  • 1:31: How Hager got involved with SMB Alliance
  • 3:16: Hager describes his own MSP's evolution
  • 4:23: Hager's journey to managed services, and SMB Alliance's role in that journey.
  • 6:29: Gottesmann compares and contrasts Hager's business to that of other SMB Alliance members.
  • 8:51: Outcomes from 2016 for SMB Alliance and Hager.
  • 11:31: Goals for 2017 for SMB Alliance and Hager's own business.
  • 15:45: Can SMB Alliance grow without losing its "personal" touch?
  • 19:01: Hager's advice to MSPs and VARs curious about the SMB Alliance.
  • 20:40: How to reach Gottesmann via phone to talk one-on-one about SMB Alliance.
  • 21:37: Conclusion

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Joe Panettieri

Joe Panettieri is co-founder & editorial director of MSSP Alert and ChannelE2E, the two leading news & analysis sites for managed service providers in the cybersecurity market.