The Vendors

“ Trust men and they will be true to you. Treat them greatly, and they will show themselves great. ” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Simply said, the vendors are those companies that make the 'parts' we use to build computers. They are an ecosystem; a community of companies that have one thing in common the Channel.

The people and companies in the vendor community differ from other business communities in that they are always searching for Change. The vendor community has accepted Change as part of its business life, anticipates Change, and embraces it. Recent changes have been more dramatic than those in the past, creating a need for exponential change. Vendors know that the Channel will need more than technical training to compete for fewer business opportunities; they will need sales training to complement the technical training. They want to change channel programs to meet the needs of today's Channel player.

The vendor community provides balance for the Channel. They are our greatest fans and our most important investors. They see value in an organized Channel; a channel capable of negotiating as an entity, speaking as a [virtual] business, and acting on strategic plans. They provide more than products for the Channel; vendors provide us with partnerships. It can be a 'trust relationship' that works both ways...