5 Companies That Came To Win This Week

The Week Ending April 5

Topping this week's roundup of companies that came to win is Intel for expanding its data center portfolio, including the debut of next-generation storage and memory devices that the chipmaker hopes will expand its presence in the data center storage arena.

Also making the list this week are Wasabi for launching its new Wasabi Partner Network channel program, NetSuite for stepping up its partner efforts with its new SuiteLife channel initiative, and Verizon – both for launching its 5G service and for scoring highest in the RootMetrics wireless service performance tests. And rounding out this week's list is FireEye channel chief Chris Carter for coming out on top of the 2019 CRN Channel Madness Tournament of Chiefs.

Not everyone in the IT industry was making smart moves this week, of course. For a rundown of companies that were unfortunate, unsuccessful or just didn't make good decisions, check out this week's Five Companies That Had A Rough Week roundup.

Intel Rolls Out Massive Data Center Portfolio

Intel was showing off its technological prowess this week when it unveiled a bevy of new compute, network and storage products that will push the chipmaker deeper into the data center.

Intel announced that its long-awaited, second-generation Xeon Scalable processors are now available. The processor family, which was previously known under the code name Cascade Lake, is the first Xeon group to support the new Intel Optane DC persistent memory, which provides up to 36 terabytes of system-level memory in combination with traditional DRAM. Xeon Scalable is aimed at high-end workloads such as artificial intelligence and packs a 30 percent price-performance increase.

Intel also introduced two new storage products: A duel-port version of its Optane storage module and a new member of its "Ruler" family of high-density flash storage modules that comply with the Enterprise & Data Center SSD Form Factor standard. Also introduced was the Optane Data Center Persistent Memory, a new module that offers performance approaching that of DRAM, but doesn't lose data if the module loses power.

The new products will accelerate modern computing workload, including artificial intelligence tasks, and are targeted at the same mission-critical applications that Intel is targeting with its new second-generation Xeon Scalable processor.

Wasabi Aims To Disrupt Storage Market With New Partner Network

Wasabi launched its Wasabi Partner Network – the cloud storage startup's first-ever partner program – in a move the company says will arm the channel with a margin-rich, differentiated storage offering to compete with public cloud giants Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google.

The new partner program is a volume-based incentive plan designed to boost partner profitability when selling the Wasabi cloud storage service that Wasabi touts as one-fifth the cost and six times the performance of Amazon S3.

Wasabi’s new two-tier partner program includes a partner portal, sales and technical training, marketing resources and volume-based incentives.

Verizon Launches 5G, Comes Out On Top In RootMetrics Report

Communications giant Verizon this week had two big wins: it turned on its first 5G Internet service, and it once again finished first in the respected RootMetrics report on wireless service performance.

Wednesday Verizon announced that it had begun rolling out high-speed 5G Internet by turning on the service in Chicago and Minneapolis. Verizon said the ultra wideband 5G network offers speeds up to 1 Gbps – between four and 10 times faster than typical LTE speeds.

And for the 11th consecutive test, Verizon's mobile network was judged tops in performance by the RootMetrics evaluation performance tests. RootMetrics tests and grades the four leading carriers (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile) for service reliability, speed, data connections, calling and texting.

NetSuite Vows Biggest-Ever Investment In Its Partner Ecosystem

NetSuite wins applause this week for launching an initiative that represents the ERP and CRM application vendor's largest-ever investment in its channel operations.

NetSuite, acquired by Oracle two years ago, has recorded rapid growth as an Oracle subsidiary and the new SuiteLife initiative is expected to further fuel that expansion with new channel enablement programs, marketing and technical support resources, and a focus on industry expertise.

At the company’s SuiteWorld conference in Las Vegas this week, NetSuite told partners that SuiteLife is designed to help them grow existing practices and shorten the time for new partners to realize their first successful customer engagement.

SuiteLife builds on SuiteSuccess, a customer engagement methodology NetSuite launched two years ago. SuiteLife includes new online services, including subscription support plans that provide partners with access to specialists throughout the company to help partners deliver new solutions to customers more quickly.

FireEye's Chris Carter Wins 2019 CRN Channel Madness Championship

FireEye channel chief Chris Carter outlasted a field of 32 of the IT industry's top channel executives to win the 2019 CRN Channel Madness Tournament of Chiefs.

Carter, who took over as FireEye's vice president of channels for the Americas in 2016, won the Channel Madness championship matchup against Jeff McCullough of NetApp with 62 percent of the vote.

Under Carter, FireEye has doubled the size of its Americas channel staff to more than 40, increased its share of product business flowing through the channel from less than 70 percent to 90 percent, and dramatically boosted partner profitability by enabling the channel to provide managed and deployment services with margins in excess of 50 percent.