Which established manufacturers will kick on this year? We asked executives from VARs and MSPs including Softcat, OCSL and ANS for their tips
Paul Barlow
Managing director, Servium
Tips: Dell EMC, HP Inc
While it's fair to say that Dell's record-breaking takeover of EMC hasn't gone completely to plan, Servium managing director Paul Barlow is betting on Dell EMC to enjoy a strong year in the channel after completing most of the heavy lifting around the integration.
"I think this year will be key for Dell EMC," Barlow (pictured) said.
"Last year they did the merger, and this year they are set up to deliver, and I think they have a very strong portfolio. There are challenges when any companies merge, but a lot of the hard work has been done, so we see them as a major player."
Having failed to achieve the cost savings and performance anticipated through its $67bn marriage with EMC, Dell is considering a reverse merger into VMware or even an IPO.
But Barlow said these financial machinations don't worry him as a partner.
"Dell EMC is a massively well-respected brand and they are of such a large scale that they are going to be around in some form or another," he said. "Nine out of 10 mergers and acquisitions don't go according to plan in terms of getting the returns and economies of scale as quickly as everyone expects. But it's my understanding that a lot of the [integration work] has now been done."
Barlow picked out HP Inc as a second tip, arguing that the PC giant had become more agile since its separation from HPE.
"HPE are still finding their feet a little but I think we'll see HP Inc become more and more aggressive, and I think we'll see innovation out of them," he said.
