The VAR Guy

Dell today sent a letter to managed service providers. The dispatch provides MSPs with an update on Dell’s partner strategy. Give it a read by visiting our sister site, MSPmentor.

Forget viral marketing. It’s time for some guerrilla marketing at Dell. Sure, the company’s Direct2Dell and IdeaStorm Web sites generate considerable online chatter. But Dell’s feet on the street are also making noise. A case in point: Dell rolled out a “Partners Wanted” advertising campaign at HP’s big partner conference in Las Vegas last week. Now, Dell Chief Marketing Officer Mark Jarvis (pictured) is joining the fun.

The VAR Guy expects plenty of readers to flame him for the headline. Sure, Steve Jobs has owned the innovation spotlight in recent years. And Dell Inc. has never been known as a resource and development (R&D) center. But instead of making the easy moves, Michael Dell is making some challenging ones — pushing deep into the managed services and software-as-a-service (SaaS) industries. With a little luck and a lot of execution, The VAR Guy expects those moves to pay off handsomely by 2009 or so. Here’s why.