Penton Technology's Channel Think Tank Asserts Industry Thought Leadership with New Members, eBook and Video Series

SAN FRANCISCO, June 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Penton Technology Channel Think Tank today introduced new members, a new eBook entitled, "The New Channel for the Digital Transformation Era," and a new video series as part of its mission to advance the industry's collective intelligence around go-to-market strategies and channel partnerships.

Launched in 2016, the Think Tank is a vendor-neutral, technology-agnostic group of industry leaders who collaborate to pursue thought leadership, research and advocacy on behalf of the information and communications technology (ICT) channel. The Think Tank is a joint venture between Penton Technology and the Channel Partners brands. Its members include some of the industry's most influential channel chiefs and business practitioners from the world of hardware and software, telecommunications and ICT services delivery.

Members include:

• Dawn Lindsey, Head of Partner Marketing and Programs, BigCommerce
• Sandra Glaser Cheek, Vice President, Global Channel Sales & Marketing, Brocade
• Jason Phipps, SVP Global Sales & Marketing, Ciena
• Bill Corbin, SVP Alliances & Strategic Partnerships, CenturyLink
• Craig Schlagbaum, Vice President Indirect Channels, Comcast
• Lief Koepsel, Sr. Director, Channel Marketing, Fortinet
• Jim Chow, Head, Global System Integrator Partnerships, Google Cloud
• Andrew Pryfogle, Senior Vice President, Cloud Transformation, Intelisys, a ScanSource company
• Sal Patalano, Chief Revenue Officer, Lenovo Software
• Christopher Rajiah, Managing Partner, Lanka Venture Partners
• Karl Fahrbach, Head of Global Channels General Business & Global Channels, SAP
• Greg Dixon, CTO & Technology Evangelist, ScanSource
• Shawn Toldo, VP WW Solution Partners, VMware

The ultimate goal of the Think Tank is to better enable businesses whose mission is to help end customers embrace digital innovations. The 2017 agenda is devoted to helping the channel transition to new business models, embrace new partner types, and attract a new generation of workers. This is especially critical when the channel is shifting from the sale of physical goods to the delivery of digital services.

"If ever there were a time when the technology channel needed new thought leadership, now is the moment," says Penton Technology Channel Managing Director Kelly Danziger. "We are proud to be at the epicenter of the generational, technological and business revolution now under way."

Adds Think Tank Founding Member Greg Dixon, "Whether it's developing thought leadership on the future of technology channels or paving the way for a new generation of workers, I am proud of the work we are doing on the Think Tank. The work will shape the channel for the new era of digital transformation."

The thought leadership, community engagement and digital materials produced by the Think Tank will be showcased on the Penton Technology Channel websites, including MSPmentor, The VAR Guy and Talkin' Cloud, the Channel Partners brands sites Channel Partners Online, Channel Partners Conference & Expo and Channel Partners Evolution as well as other vertical industry sites across Informa Business Intelligence such as Data Center Knowledge, Windows IT Pro and IndustryWeek.

Art Wittmann, Vice President, Channel Partners brands comments, "There is tremendous synergy between the Channel Partners and the Penton Technology Channel brands. By working closely together we will introduce new business concepts and advance the industry."

The Think Tank is managed by Penton Technology Channel Editorial Director T.C. Doyle; TCC CEO, Theresa Caragol; and Danziger. The Think Tank will meet throughout the year at Channel-focused events. The next meeting will take place at Channel Partners Evolution 2017, September 25-28 in Austin, Texas.

For additional information on the Think Tank, visit MSPmentor at www.MSPmentor.net, The VAR Guy at www.TheVARguy.com, Talkin' Cloud at  www.TalkinCloud.com.

About Penton Technology's Channel Brands
Penton Technology's channel brands define emerging IT markets and disrupt established IT markets. Its communities include: MSPmentor (www.MSPmentor.net), The VAR Guy (www.TheVARguy.com), Talkin' Cloud (www.TalkinCloud.com), the WHIR (http://www.thewhir.com/) and WebHostingTalk (http://webhostingtalk.com).

About Informa
Penton Technology, Think Tank, MSPmentor, The VAR Guy, Talkin' Cloud, the WHIR, WebHostingTalk, Channel Partners Online, Channel Partners Conference & Expo and Channel Partners Evolution are part of Informa, the international business intelligence, academic publishing, knowledge and events group. Informa serves commercial, professional and academic communities, helping them connect and learn, and creating and providing access to content and intelligence that helps people and businesses work smarter and make better decisions faster.

Informa has over 7,500 colleagues in more than 20 countries and a presence in all major geographies. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a member of the FTSE 100.

Media Contact:
T.C. Doyle
Channel Content Director
Penton Technology
[email protected]

SOURCE Penton Technology