Tiffani Bova
Research Director, Gartner (Analyst Chair IT ChannelVision)

Not only has the IT market become a solutions market, but it is also seeing the introduction of technologies and trends that will change the way IT is delivered in the future. What do these trends mean to your business? What should you do today to be ready for tomorrow? In this presentation, you'll hear first hand from a Gartner analyst market trends and predictions, professional services outlook, alternative delivery model impacts and key changes in the channel over the next 5 years.

Charles Smulders
Managing Vice President, Gartner

How is the relationship between users and IT providers changing?

• How will the client environment evolve during the next five years?
• What steps must IT providers take to remain relevant to customers?

Laura McLellan
Research Vice President, Gartner

Gartner provides an IT Services market landscape, including which services are fastest growing and most profitable. Challenges for the IT Services market and what that may mean to resellers who sell and provide services are discussed. Finally, what the drivers will be that create opportunities in IT services will be covered.

David Willis
VP Distinguished Analyst, Gartner

Buyer expecations for network systems are rapidly changing, evolving from basic connectivity to advanced collaboration applications, security, mobility, and application awareness. The world of unified communications has exploded with offerings from Cisco, Microsoft, Nortel, Avaya, and others, transforming mere dialtone into applications and all forms of integrated communications. What is the value proposition? What are the most common usage models? How do the vendors compare, and how will the future evolve? This session will cover Unified Communications along with other technologies and services that your customers are going to be demanding soon.

Craig Zarley
Industry Editor, Everything Channel

2008 seems to be a perfect storm impacting corporate and public sector IT spending. The country remains at war, the subprime mortgage debacle and high energy prices are sending shock waves through the U.S. economy and a new administration will take over in Washington. Executives representing Everything Channel's VAR Business 500 list of the nation's largest solution providers will discuss what all of this means for IT spending and discuss how and where they hope to find pockets of opportunity for the rest of the year and in 2009.

Scott Qunital
Vice President of MSP Sales, West Region, Kaseya

Delivering proactive IT services is one of the biggest trends affecting re-sellers, VARs and systems integrators. The latest advancements in IT automation allow the traditional channel partner to transition their business from a reactive break/fix model to a recurring revenue model of managed services. Providing insight into positioning your business in a tight economic climate, Kaseya offers a valuable perspective on:

• Determining what services to offer and how to bill
• Creating profitable recurring managed service revenue
• Positioning your services as cost saving, productivity enhancing solutions
• Introducing innovative and more cost efficient service options
• Considering out-tasking options for growth and expanded capabilities
• Promoting the "Green IT" initiative
• Improving client service levels, satisfaction and retention rates
• How to demonstrate the economic value of a managed service agreement to existing customers

Linda Braun
Senior Director, IT Channel Sales, Ricoh

Ricoh's HotSpot Printing Technology provides the ability to securely print documents, emails and web-content from internet-enabled notebooks, cell phones and handheld devices. Versatile and brandable, fully embedded in a powerful desktop printer and a true One-For-All Solution, these innovative fully integrated printing solutions can perform daily networking printing tasks for stationary employees in addition to supporting mobile user needs.

• Hospitality - Make Every Guest's Stay More Productive… Ricoh HotSpot printing technology increases loyalty among business travelers with easy, convenient mobile printing.
• Education - Mobilize Campus Printing to Minimize Costs and Support Needs…Ricoh HotSpot printing technology combines the freedom of mobile printing with access control to manage student printing and support across the campus.
• Retail - Turn Mobile Customers into Paying Customers…Ricoh's HotSpot printing allows you to offer fee-based mobile printing services to customers on the go.
• Corporate - Empower employees and visiting executives with secure mobile printing…easily print from beyond your personal workspace. Ricoh HotSpot mobile printing allows you to stay connected wherever business happens.

Shaun T. Jones
Vice President, WW Channel and General Business Marketing, IBM Software Group

Competitive differentiation is becoming increasingly dependent on the software infrastructure of an organization. As you help your customers address their needs for integration and innovation, IBM software can help you grow your business and profits with the broadest and deepest software portfolio and Business Partner support in the business. Learn how to deliver value to your customers while increasing your margins, maximizing your returns and expanding your business into higher value market segments.