People on the Move | The Oxford Group

Zscaler Appoints HP, Symantec Exec Global VP of Sales

Zscaler has named William Welch as its global vice president of Sales and chief revenue officer, responsible for furthering the company’s worldwide growth.

Cyber-security providerZscaler has appointedWilliam Welch as the company’s latest global vice president of Sales and chief revenue officer, tasked with growing the company’s sales and channel organizations and furthering Zscaler’s growth worldwide.

Welch is a 25-year veteran of the technology industry, and has held executive level positions as vice president and general manager for Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) Software Americas and as vice president of Sales Specialists in the Americas for Symantec (SYMC). He also has served in executive level positions with companies including Oracle (ORCL), Sun Microsystems and BEA.

Zscaler plans to utilize Welch’s experience to continue its growth in the security-as-a-service and unified security and compliance platforms, according to the announcement. The company recently announced its business has grown by 93 percent year over year, due in part to the shifting security market.

“As a proven sales and channels leader with many years of private and public company experience, Bill has an exceptional track record of leading and scaling high-performing sales teams while delivering rapid growth,” said Jay Chaudhry, CEO of Zscaler, in a statement. “As we look to scale our global business dramatically in 2015 and beyond, Bill’s expertise will be invaluable in the public market.”

“With a new major breach announced nearly every week, there is simply no company better positioned to help organizations of all sizes deal with the security and compliance challenges brought upon by the ever increasing global threat landscape,” said Welch. “I’m excited to be part of the most disruptive and innovative team in the security market and look forward to scaling our sales and channel capabilities to further accelerate Zscaler’s already rapid global expansion.”

Steve Newton Appointed Aria Networks CEO

Aria Networks has appointed Steve Newton as CEO, replacing former company head Tony Fallow.

Aria Networks has appointed Steve Newtonchief executive officer, replacing former CEO Tony Fallows, who has left to pursue other opportunities, according to the company.

The announcement comes in conjunction with the close of a new funding round expected to help the company grow its leadership position in the burgeoning software-defined networking (SDN) market, the company noted.

“Aria Networks is already working with many of the largest Internet companies in the world,” said Newton, in a statement. “As user demand for data continues to grow exponentially, the software solutions provided by Aria Networks become ever more relevant to Internet service providers, network and cloud operators. I am delighted to lead the company into a new era where our applications and software-defined network services will enable Aria to rapidly scale.”

Newton has more than 25 years of experience in the telecommunications sector. Hejoined the company in 2012 when he was appointed to Aria’s board of directors.

The company’s latest round of investments was lead by Seraphim Capital, with the goal of increasing Aria’s ability to provide customers with additional capacity planning and orchestration solutions. Financial details of the funding were not disclosed.

Former CEO Fallow’s LinkedIn profile curently lists him as the vice president of Global Sales and Operations at Versa Networks, a California-based virtualized network functions and services provider.

Birch Communications Taps Former IBM Program Manager as Vice President

Birch Communications today announced it has hired former IBM Program Manager Michelle Ansley as its vice president and chief administration officer. What will her role entail? Here are the details.

Birch Communications Vice President and Chief Administration Officer Michelle Ansley.

Birch Communicationstoday announced it has added former IBM (IBM) Program Manager Michelle Ansley as its vice president and chief administration officer.

The Atlanta-based data and voice services provider said Ansley will lead its human resources and facility management operations and is expected to help Birch advance its business strategies as well.

“Human resources and oversight of facility management for all Birch locations are vitally important to our growth, and I am confident that [Ansley’s] extensive experience combined with her unique mix of operations, project management and business development expertise will be a valuable asset to Birch,” Vincent M. Oddo, Birch’s CEO, said in a prepared statement.

Ansley possesses over 20 years of human resources experience and has held various human resources and facilities management positions at the executive level.

Prior to joining Birch, Ansley served as vice president of human resources at technology consultant ASAP Solutions and senior vice president of shared services at foreclosure processor Prommis Solutions.

She also has held various human resources, learning and development, technical and program management positions at IBM.

Birch targets growth in 2015

The vice president and chief administration officer role is new for Birch, and Ansley’s executive-level experience could help Birch grow in 2015, a company insider told Talkin’ Cloud.

Birch continues to focus on growth through both organic sales and acquisitions, the company insider said, and Ansley is expected to help Birch expand globally.

Click here for Talkin’ Cloud’s Top 100 CSP list

The data and voice services provider added IT and telecommunications companyCbeyond last April and pointed out that the acquisition created “a nationwide communications, cloud and managed services provider with approximately $700 million in annual revenue.”

Birch also updated its product portfolio this past October and opened a new sales officein Livonia, Michigan last month.

Avnet Taps Patrick Zammit to Lead ATS

Patrick Zammit replaces Phil Gallagher as global president of Avnet Technology Solutions, where he will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the division.

Patrick Zammit, global president of Avnet Technology Solutions

Avnet (AVT) has named Patrick Zammit as the new global president of Avnet Technology Solutions, responsible for masterminding the strategic direction and daily operations of the group. He assumes the position immediately and reports directly to Avnet CEO Rick Hamada, according to the announcement.

Zammit succeeds former global president Phil Gallager, who announced his resignationin September, citing a desire to “focus on new career opportunities in line with his personal goals,” according to the distributor.

“I believe Patrick is the right leader to take advantage of new opportunities for profitable growth at Avnet Technology Solutions, which will contribute to the long-term success of Avnet,” said Hamada in a statement. “He has expertise in managing complex multicultural and geographic markets and is known as a passionate business leader with the ability to develop strategies that deliver market-leading results.”

Zammit joined Avnet in 1993, and has served as president of Avnet Electronics Marketing EMEA since 2006. He also held executive leadership positions at EBV Elektronik prior to his tenure with the distributor.

Gallagher will remain with Avnet to oversee the transition, according to the company.

NetSuite Names Former Microsoft Exec Studer to CMO Post

NetSuite has named Fred Studer, a former Microsoft and Oracle top marketing executive, to its chief marketing officer post, and charged him with overseeing the company’s worldwide marketing initiatives.

Cloud CRM and ERP provider NetSuite (N) has named Fred Studer, a former Microsoft (MSFT) and Oracle (ORCL) top marketing executive, to its chief marketing officer (CMO) post, and charged him with overseeing the company’s worldwide marketing initiatives, including awareness and adoption of its business management software platform.

The San Mateo, CA-based NetSuite, which concentrates its marketing efforts at mid-sized organizations, large enterprises and divisions of large enterprises seeking to upgrade their client/server ERP and other systems, said Studer’s experience in product and corporate marketing will help flesh out the cloud application provider’s go-to-market strategy.

Moreover, Studer, regarded as a marketing whiz, likely will benefit NetSuite’s channel organization and help partners elevate their marketing campaigns and strategies.

“Fred’s broad experience in enterprise and consumer technology, his innovative approach to marketing and his incredible enthusiasm are an ideal fit as NetSuite continues to lead the way forward in the market for cloud-based business software,” said Zach Nelson, NetSuite chief executive. “Being a passionate marketer myself, I am excited to be working with another marketer with such a creative and innovative flair.”

Nelson has been handling NetSuite’s CMO duties since David Downing exited last year after five years with the company.

Studer’s background includes a seven year stint at Microsoft, where he led product marketing for Dynamics CRM and maintained responsibility for Dynamics ERP products Dynamics AX, NAV, GP, SL, and industry solutions. While at Microsoft, Studer also served as Microsoft Office business general manager handling U.S. subsidiary revenue and P&L for Microsoft Office products.

Microsoft’s Dynamics ERP and CRM rival NetSuite’s product suite in the business management software space.

Prior to his Microsoft tenure, Studer served a 12-year stint at Oracle, most prominently as its marketing group vice president responsible for identifying opportunities, creating strategy, and generating awareness and demand for Oracle applications and industries solutions.

“NetSuite has amazing prospects for continued significant customer growth over the coming years, its strategic direction and track record for innovation mean that the company is extremely well positioned within its market,” said Studer. “NetSuite’s passion for building long-lasting customer success and developing innovative products were significant factors in my decision to join the company,” he said.

For Q3 2014, NetSuite reported $143.7 million in sales, a 34 percent increase over the same period last year. The company lost $29.3 million, or $0.38 a share, for the period, nearly doubling the $16.8 million, or $0.23 a share, it lost at the same time last year.

NetSuite recorded its ninth consecutive quarter of more than 30 percent year-over-year revenue growth as well as Q3 earnings that exceeded its outlook.

The company expects 2014 sales to come in at about $550 million and revenue to spike in 2015 to upwards of $725 million.

Unisys Taps Altabef, Former Dell Services President, as New Chief Executive

Unisys has named Peter Altabef, a 20-year industry veteran with extensive channel experience, as its new president and chief executive.

Unisys (UIS) has named Peter Altabef, a 20-year industry veteran with extensive channel experience, as its new president and chief executive, replacing J. Edward Coleman, who abruptly announced in early October he would step down on December 1 after six years at the company’s helm.

In addition to his executive duties, Altabef also has been granted a seat on Unisys’ board of directors. Paul Weaver, currently serving as Unisys’ interim board chairman, will assume the role on a permanent basis effective January 1, 2015, and Janet Haugen, Unisys chief financial officer (CFO), who’s temporarily been holding down the chief executive slot, will yield to Altabef.

“The board of directors has completed an intensive search process and we are extremely pleased to welcome Peter Altabef, a highly-regarded and experienced IT executive, to the helm of Unisys,” Weaver said.

“As an industry veteran, Peter brings outstanding leadership skills, a track record of delivering top and bottom line results and strong operational execution skills, which will complement the strengths of the existing management team,” he said. “With these attributes, we are confident that Peter will guide Unisys to profitable revenue growth.”

Altabef’s background includes stints as enterprise applications provider Micros Systems’ president and chief executive from January 2013 until Oracle (ORCL) acquired the company this past September. He previously served as Perot Systems president and chief executive from 2004 – 2009 until its acquisition by Dell, when he transitioned to Dell Services president until exiting the company in 2011.

According to a Unisys SEC filing, Altabef will be paid an annual base salary of $972,000 with the opportunity to earn a bonus of at least 125 percent of that figure. He also will be granted 30,000 restricted stock units and options to acquire 140,000 shares of Unisys common stock on January 5, 2015. By April 1, 2015, Altabef will gain another 70,000 performance vesting restricted stock options.

“I have long been impressed by the quality of services and solutions that Unisys brings to the world’s largest companies and government organizations to solve their increasingly complex and mission-critical IT challenges,” Altabef said. “I am pleased to be joining the senior leadership team at Unisys and working with the Company’s talented people around the world to accelerate its progress, leverage growth opportunities and create added value for our clients and shareholders.”

DH Kass | The VAR Guy

Trace3 Names Tyler Beecher New CEO

IT solution provider Trace3 has appointed Tyler Beecher as its latest chief executive officer, succeeding company founder Hayes Drumwright, who will take on a new leadership position as executive chairman of Trace3.

In his new role as CEO, Beecher will be tasked with helping Trace3 to reach its eventual $1 billion annual revenue goal. He previously served as executive vice president of Sales for Trace3, where he was responsible for leading the global sales team and developing management-training programs to accelerate sales and improve customer service. During his tenure as Sales VP, Cisco Systems (CSCO) in 2013 named Trace3 its Innovation Partner of the Year.

“In the short term, we plan to reinforce Trace3’s identity for having the industry’s most elite engineers in Big Data and cloud computing, and broaden our expertise in adjacent sectors that support our transformed data center message,” said Beecher in an email message. “Longer term, we expect to continue our ongoing transformation of Trace3 as a full-services IT solutions provider, including unique new consulting strategies to promote organizational health and management leadership training, which none of our competitors have focused on yet.”

Before joining Trace3 last year, Beecher served as director of Enterprise Sales for NetApp and has also led sales teams at companies including EMC, Cisco Systems and 3Com.

“Tyler is a world-class technology executive who brings extensive experience in the IT trenches to our leadership team,” said Drumwright. “His deep background and broad knowledge prepare him to take Trace3 to the next level of operational excellence as a high-growth company and industry disruptor.”

Drumwright launched Trace3 in 2002 as an IT systems VAR, from which the company has evolved into a full-service partner for IT services such as Big Data consulting forms, cloud computing companies and datacenter infrastructure implementers, according to the press release. Under his leadership, Trace3 reached $420 million in revenue in 2013.

In February, Trace3 kicked off a new, triangulated program to link CIOs with technology suppliers and venture capital firms in the hopes of establishing itself as a technology facilitator to its customers.

Adam Famularo Named Verizon Channel Chief

Verizon (VZ) has appointed channel veteran Adam Famularo as the new vice president of Global Channels, the company announced this week.

Prior to joining Verizon earlier this month, Famularo spent the past 16 years at CA Technologies (CA), where he worked directly with channel partners and solution providers to create channel organizations, MSP channels and other channel-related strategies. Famularo said he believes Verizon needs to build a channel that compliments its customer segmentation strategy and ultimately aligns itself with the way partners work in each specific region.

I believe there is a massive opportunity at Verizon to change the way IT is delivered,” said Famularo in a statement. “The fact that Verizon truly sells solutions into the marketplace—software, hardware, IT services and network—in a way that makes sense for IT very much appeals to me.”

Famularo plans to spend the next several months learning everything he can about Verizon’s channel strategy, including spending time with partners to learn about individual preferences and the dynamics of the markets they are serving. He will work with Janet Schijns, vice president of Corporate, Medium and Indirect Channels at Verizon Enterprise Solutions Group, to build a strong channel business between the two groups and build on the success of the Verizon Partner Program.

“When I look at Verizon, it can take the power of the network and the infrastructure services they can deliver through the cloud and then marry that to other companies’ software and hardware,” said Famularo in an interview with The VAR Guy. “They can deliver real solutions with the marketplace that change the way customers use technology.”

Michael Dell Revels in IT Industry Disruption

A few years ago no would have predicted Dell would be the only end-to-end supplier of IT systems in the market, much less the fact that 40 percent of its revenues are now generated by its channel partners.

At the Dell World 2014 conference this week Michael Dell made it clear that as the CEO of a privately held entity he is now reveling in not only those two facts, but also the level of disruption now occurring across the server market.

With IBM (IBM) selling off its server division to Lenovo and Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) announcing that it is splitting into two companies, Dell said he sees no upper limit to the amount of growth Dell can drive through its channel partners.

To that end, Dell announced this week it is making additional investments in the channel, including:

Programs to accelerate storage sales
Sales tools for enabling upgrades to Windows Server 2003 platforms that are nearly end of life
Additional rewards for partners that grow Dell PC and enterprise sales
Greater access to demo equipment
A doubling of the company’s investment in lead generation campaigns for the channel; and
Better financing terms.

At the same time Dell is also moving to transform how IT is actually consumed in the age of the cloud. Dell announced the beta of a Dell Cloud Marketplace through which it will allow customers to buy cloud services from infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) providers. Once that marketplace goes live Dell also plans to resell software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications through that online market.

Dell also announced new Core Client Solutions and Workstation Competencies and plans to make advanced competencies in Storage and Identity and Access Management available in the coming months. Finally, Dell is investing millions of dollars to beef up its internal IT systems and provide additional tools for lead management, deal registration, training, certification that will all be mobile-enabled. As part of that effort, Dell committed to reducing cycle times for deal registration approvals, quotes and orders; adding business to business capabilities; and automating rebates and marketing development funds management and incentive payments.

Coupled with a new innovative converged server aimed specifically at taking blade server market share away from Cisco Systems (CSCO), Dell said recent moves by both HP and IBM have more to do with artificially trying to shore up shareholder value than they do with anything to do with the interests of customers or solution providers. As a private company, Dell is no longer beholden to a “90-day shot clock” that is based on the quarterly expectations of Wall Street analysts.

Dell declined to release any financial statements, but the company did claim that Dell was the No. 1 storage supplier in the first half of 2014 based on total terabytes sold for internal and external storage, according to industry analyst firm International Data Corporation (IDC) data, and for the second straight quarter Dell was the only major vendor to generate year-over-year growth in both rack and blade servers, according to IDC data.

Dell Software also registered double-digit revenue growth and the company’s PC business just recorded its seventh consecutive quarter of year-over-year (YoY) gains in global share. According to IDC, Dell’s U.S. PC share is now 24 percent, a 3.1 percentage-point increase over last year and that in the last quarter Dell grew PC shipments by nearly 10 percent.

Dell conceded the company is also taking advantage of its status as a private company to aggressively price products in specific target segments where it wants to gain share. In addition, since establishing relationships with distributors, Dell is now being invited into more deals than when it manages relationships with partners directly.

By any measure, Dell claims that Dell is now growing faster than any of its tier one competitors. And given the current level of disruption in the market and latest product announcement, Dell said he doesn’t see that changing anytime soon.

8X8, RingCentral Leaders in UCaaS Market

Unified communications (UC) providers 8×8 and RingCentral are the two companies dominating the UC-as-a-service (USaaS) market in the third quarter of 2014, according to a new study by Synergy Research Group. 8×8 and RingCentral each own a market share of just under 13 percent, cementing them as the twin 800-pound gorillas in the UCaaS market.

Current OTT (Over the Top Technology) UCaaS figures accounted for 57 percent of quarterly business suite revenues, while private circuit UCaaS accounted for 30 percent of revenue, according to the study. Hybrid deployments made up the remainder of third-quarter revenue. North America continues to be the largest UCaaS market in the world, claiming 85 percent of total worldwide revenue.

Mitel Networks (MITL), meanwhile, continues to gain ground and market share, with the company adding a 60 percent year-on-year increase in revenue and adding more than two times the number of subscribers to become the fastest growing company in the industry. The company has also reported a 30 percent year-over-year increase in market revenues.

Mitel has been a hot name in the UCaaS market for the past several months, with the company aggressively pursuing an acquisition of ShoreTel (SHOR), a rival unified communications company. Earlier this month, Mitel CEO Richard McBee penned his third letter to ShoreTel’s board of directors, following a proposed acquisition price increase to $8.50 per share, or roughly $574 million.

“This is an exciting and disruptive market which is shaking up the old order in enterprise communications, enabling UC to be more broadly adopted in smaller offices and planting the seed for cloud deployments in mid-to-large enterprises,” said Synergy Research Group’s founder and chief analyst Jeremy Duke, in a statement. “The recent tussle between Mitel and ShoreTel clearly demonstrates how important UCaaS and cloud are to traditional enterprise UC vendors and we expect to see more such activity.”

Thus far, ShoreTel has rebuffed all of Mitel’s attempts to acquire the company. Following the Mitel’s most recent offer, ShoreTel’s board urged its stockholders to exercise restraint in selling off their shares until the offer could be properly reviewed. ShoreTel has remained quiet on whether it plans to accept the terms of the acquisition.