Canalys announces fourth annual Channels Forum in EMEA

Canalys today announced the launch of its fourth annual Channels Forum, to be held from 3 to 5 October 2011 in Barcelona. Keynote presenters will include HP President and CEO Léo Apotheker, Canalys President and CEO Steve Brazier, as well as industry leaders from AMD and other major IT vendors. The event’s theme, ‘From cloud to clarity’, will spur debate and provide channel partners with a comprehensive industry perspective on cloud computing.

The Canalys Channels Forum is the only independent event that unites senior managers from leading technology vendors, distributors and channel partners to discuss industry trends, forge new business relationships, and create sales opportunities. In addition to vendor keynotes, the event will feature customer views from a panel of CIOs, best-practice workshops, more than 2,000 senior one-to-one meetings, and a prestigious Gala Dinner, among other networking activities.

“The Canalys Channels Forum offers us a valuable opportunity to meet with the best channel partners and distributors across the region,” said Alain Valluy, EMEA Channel Director at Brocade. “The 2010 event was a success in our eyes, as we were able to network and discuss business opportunities with a varied array of partners, strengthening relationships with the organizations that are the lifeblood of our business. As 2011 is heralded as the year when companies begin to leverage the opportunities presented by the cloud, Brocade is looking forward to helping partners ensure they have the skills and expertise needed to prosper.”

This year’s event theme, ‘From cloud to clarity’, focuses on the risks and rewards of cloud computing for the channel community. Workshops will examine topics such as which cloud model will rise fastest, and whether channel players should secure hosting options with service providers or ride the coat-tails of vendor-managed programs.

‘Despite cloud computing’s widespread media coverage, the business benefits and pitfalls for channel partners have yet to be quantified,’ said Canalys Principal Analyst Alastair Edwards. ‘Even after very rapid growth, there is uncertainty over how much of a customer’s computing workload will move to the cloud. Channel partners need to ensure that they have the skills and tools to deliver solutions that meet a host of customer criteria, including cost, scalability, performance and security.’

Event attendance is by invitation-only, with distributors selecting their best, most influential partners to join them in Barcelona. Leading distributors Tech Data, Ingram Micro, Magirus, Arrow Enterprise Computing Solutions, Avnet and Specialist Distribution Group (SDG), have already confirmed their participation, with others to join in the coming weeks.

‘We look forward to participating again this year, as the Canalys Channels Forum delivers the best combination of one-to-one time with vendors and distributors and content that impacts our bottom line,’ said Kjell Gabrielsson, moln.net Manager at Office IT-Partner.

The Canalys Channels Forum 2011 will take place at the Palau de Congressos de Catalunya. Journalists can contact Gemma Edwards via press@canalys.com to obtain a press pass. Channel partners can contact one of the participating distributors to secure an invitation. More information about the event can be found at www.canalyschannelsforum.com.

About Canalys

Canalys serves the technology industry with high-quality analysis, produced via a rigorously consistent methodology that is complemented by attentive customer service. Members of its talented, ambitious and globally integrated team are leading-edge users of technology. Canalys deploys innovative, web-based solutions to gather research, connect communities and provide customer-friendly deliverables. These investments underpin the company’s long-term approach to consistent, profitable global growth.

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