Committed to the channel

Steve Demianyk says that in the IT sector one either sells indirectly or one does not

Steve Demianyk
03 May 2010

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What was your first job, and how did you get into IT?
Working in a drawing office, on the insistence of my dad. I eventually ended up running a CAD/graphics department, getting more involved in the IT side, and a few years later became account manager for a pan-European UNIX distributor.

What sport should be in the Olympics but isn't?
Football on ice. Then those overpaid prima donnas would have an excuse for going to ground so quickly!

Which fictional TV character is borrowing ideas from your life?
Luigi, the bald Italian restaurateur in Ashes to Ashes. He doesn't do much but when he does it can turn a dire episode into a classic (actually I'll come clean here and mention that he's my girlfriend's brother. I must let everyone know I have connections in showbiz!).

What is your favourite joke or the one you heard most recently?
A man goes into his doctor's and says he thinks he's a moth. Doctor: ‘You really need a psychiatrist.' Man: ‘I was on my way there but your light was on.'

What was your best business trip or junket ever?
A team-building weekend in Wales, in a rustic hut in the middle of nowhere. A great knees-up, even though it lashed it down.

Will businesses take green ICT more seriously this year?
Yes, because it saves money by reducing waste.By looking at their processes and procedures with respect to waste and recycling they will reduce the cost to get their product to market.

What does the channel most need to learn?
If the product is what the market requires, it is all about relationships, which have to be strong with training, information and sales tools freely available from the vendor.

Do vendors do enough to help their channel?
Some vendors do seem to have a confusing attitude to the channel. Either you sell your products through the channel or you don't.

Steve Demianyk is channel manager at Ipswitch