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Craig and James are back to celebrate the holiday season with you, Nitel and Opex Technologies. First up is Jim Glackin, channel leader with Nitel, the next-gen technology services provider. It's been a big year for the company. The guys dig into the state of aggregation in the channel and have a conversation with Glackin about cost center vs. profit center. Later in the show, we get to know more about Opex Technologies. It's a well-known firm in the agent channel, but there's a whole lot you don't know. For instance, some think of Opex as a research firm of sorts? We'll dig into all of that and get some market insight straight from a partner's mouth. Of course, we would be remiss if we didn't look back on the year that was at Channel Futures. Craig and James will discuss some of the biggest stories of the year. They'll also recap the successful Channel Partners Conference & Expo and this past fall's Leadership Summit. And if you haven't heard the dates for our 2023 shows, we've got 'em.

Craig and James are here to get you pumped up for this week's MSP Summit and Channel Partners Leadership Summit. The first-of-its-kind of event will bring more than 100 sponsors and exhibitors together with the partner community. The guys will break it all down, from the education to the networking. Speaking of events, it's the return of the popular segment, "Where in the World is Edward Gately?" Our intrepid reporter checks in from the road to deliver big cybersecurity interview with Darktrace.

The Coffee with Craig and James podcast is back with a pair of big interviews. First up is Lynn Tinney, SVP of global partners at Zayo. The company has been making big strides in the channel as of late. She tackles industry trends and the company's recent M&A. Zayo has a message to share as it really bounces back in the channel. Then, James details his travels to Salt Lake City for the Telarus Partner Summit. He got a chance to sit down with co-founder Patrick Oborn to talk about how the constantly evolving industry is impacting partners. Of course, it wouldn't be a Channel Futures podcast without a preview of the upcoming MSP Summit. And Craig tortures James with a game of "Which would you rather." Will James choose to teach the channel to kids, or stand on his head? Live on a desert island only with work email? Develop a PowerPoint to convince the brass he's worth his salt?

The dog days of summer have arrived. So why not sit back with a cold glass of lemonade, and a Channel Futures podcast? We've got two of the biggest names in the channel -- Telarus and Cisco. Let's start with Telarus, whose summer got off to a hot start with the acquisition of TCG. What does this move hold for the future of tech distribution? James asked Telarus CEO Adam Edwards in a one-on-one interview. Then, James lands an interview with Cisco VP Alexandra Zagury. She describes how the company is going after the entire channel with a series of programs and new products. Where was Craig, you ask? On vacation. Or just passing the hard work off to James. Meantime, the guys will put a bow on the recently concluded Channel Partners Europe, Furthermore, they'll offer up a preview of the upcoming MSP Summit in Orlando. We just happen to be colocating it with the brand-new Channel Partners Leadership Summit. You'll learn about the event that has something for agents, VARs, MSPs and all partner types.

Craig and James beg for your forgiveness as the podcast has been on hiatus for a while. But with guests like Bluewave Technology Group and Vodia, like Die Hard 3, they are back with a vengeance. Well-known channel figures Curt Allen and Eric Brooker are new to Bluewave, but not the channel. These gents talk with the guys about the unique business model the company offers and the flood of investment money coming into the industry. Next up is Christian Stredicke, president and CEO of Vodia Networks. You might know him best as the founder of Snom. Stredicke will discuss WebRTC and other technologies impacting the IP PBX market. And it wouldn't be a podcast without a discussion of Channel Partners events. We'll have a preview of Channel Evolution Europe, less than two weeks away. Moreover, the MSP Summit in September will be here before we know it. And we're introducing the inaugural Channel Partners Leadership Summit that we are co-locating with the event. All that plus the 2022 MSP 501 reveal is almost here

The guys are back with their second pre-show edition of the podcast in the past five months. That's because the Channel Partners Conference & Expo is just a week away! Craig and James will break down some of the biggest can't-miss events of the show; plus, speaking of CP Expo, James will present an entertaining review of some beloved channel event stereotypes. The "attender vendor"? The "social butterfly?" The "sponge"? Then, the lineup of great guests continues. Craig and James talk to Ashley Rowland, founder of partner firm Adaptiv Advisors. She shares some tricks of the trade and explains why she started a second business -- one that trains fellow agents on, well, the tricks of the trade.

It's a "blockbuster" new episode of the Channel Futures podcast in more ways than one. This edition of Coffee with Craig and James focuses on the huge awards programs that Channel Futures offers. For instance, the massive MSP 501, the world's largest and most comprehensive survey of managed service providers worldwide. The application recently opened, and we've got everything you need to know to throw your hat into the ring. Furthermore, to help recognize the MSP 501, we pulled in Eric Kohl, VP of security and networking for Ingram Micro, sponsor of the program. He sits down with MSP 501 lead Allison Francis for an interview. Moreover, we released the 2022 Channel Futures Channel Influencers list since our last podcast. We'll break it down. Also, last but not least, we introduce you to the CP 101, an award for the agent community. All that, plus the return of the Coffee with Craig and James "Movie Night." The guys will take part in a movie-like trailer to promote the podcast that you won't want to miss.

Cable takes center stage in this episode as the guys sit down with the Spectrum Enterprise channel chief. Did you know how core cybersecurity is to Spectrum's business? Michelle Kadlacek, vice president and channel chief at Spectrum, shares a story about bailing out a school that had an issue with an "overachieving" student who decided to challenge its security defenses. We'll also look both backward and forward. Kadlacek describes some successes from last year and what partners can expect in 2022. Plus, the agenda for the Channel Partners Conference & Expo is taking shape; Craig and James look at the latest hot sessions added to the schedule. Finally, James takes Craig through a trivia contest involving channel news. (Let's hope he does well since he edits the Channel Futures website, after all.) We bet you'll learn something and be entertained at the same time.

The podcast is back for a new year! Craig and James are going even bigger with the guests this year. First up is Dave Dyson, CEO of Eclipse Telecom, one of the best-known agent businesses in the channel. Dyson, who never pulls punches, engages with the guys in a wide-ranging conversation. M&A? Check. Customer experience? Check? Even blockchain? You know it. He has some ideas on how all of those topics are impacting the channel and will in the years to come. Then there's Brian Gilman of IntelePeer. The company's chief marketing officer explains the increasing role of artificial intelligence in the contact center. And if you're not that familiar with the CPaaS acronym, he describes how IntelePeer recently landed in our list of "20 Top CPaaS Providers." Gilman also gets us up to speed on the latest happenings in the IntelePeer partner program. Plus, don't forget. The next Channel Partners Conference & Expo is just two-and-a-half months away. Craig and James tell you about a couple of things that are already

We're breaking out the Coffee with Craig and James stockings to celebrate the holidays! It's our final Channel Futures podcast of 2021, but we didn't skimp. James nabbed a big partner interview with Resourcive. This Mt. Vernon, New York-based company is working hard to employ military veterans. They also have a unique business model. While many companies are taking money from private equity firms, Resourcive actually provides services to them. But that's far from all. The guys will break down what's been an incredible year in the channel. Furthermore, you'll hear about some of the highlights at Channel Futures over the course of the year. And we wouldn't let you depart for your eggnog without a little holiday fun. James offers up some coal-based trivia (you read that right). And Craig dedicates a spin on a familiar song to his podcast co-host. We hope you enjoy and then return for more episodes of Coffee with Craig and James in 2022!

Thanksgiving is here and Craig and James have an aural feast for you! Just as good as turkey, am I right? First up is our latest edition of "Where in the World is Edward Gately?" Our intrepid reporter talks with industry analyst Jon Arnold about how rampant copper retirement is impacting the channel. Later in the show, James catches up with Jim Campbell, managing partner at Opkalla, an agent partner. Campbell describes what it was like to set up his business and offers advice to peers. All that plus Craig and James take a look back at the recently concluded Channel Partners Conference & Expo. Then, a look forward at next year's events. Finally, Craig challenges James to some channel trivia that goes back to his pre-teen years. Don't worry, he doesn't get embarrassed too badly.

We're not sure we could've packed any more channel goodness into this episode of the podcast. It's the pre-show edition as we put the final touches on the Channel Partners Conference & Expo. First up, we hear from one of the speakers at the show, John Iannarelli, retired FBI special agent. He's going to take us inside the mind of a cybercriminal. Furthermore, he'll offer tips to business and partners on how to protect themselves. Next, we follow that up with a "lightning round" that runs down every keynote and conference session you won't want to miss. Then we roll James' interview with Ian Keininger, Avant CEO and co-founder. He talks about numerous trends in the agent channel and offers advice to partners looking to grow their businesses. The team at Coffee with Craig & James can't wait to see you in Las Vegas, Nov. 1-4.

It's been a busy few weeks for Craig and James who are prepping for the Channel Partners Conference & Expo. As usual, CP Expo is front and center on their podcast agenda. The guys outline some of the big sessions you won't want to miss. But the guests once again bring the heat. Father and son team Ted and Jake Schuman of PlanetOne describe a new tool for partners that they say is revolutionizing the channel. Then we'll hear from Mobolaji Sokunbi of Dell Expert Network. He'll dive into trends his partner community is seeing and give us the nitty-gritty of what's happening at the tech giant. The company is also a sponsor of our diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at Channel Futures. Sokunbi will explain why DE&I is such a priority for Dell.

Craig and James are back with a vengeance after a bit of a summer vacation. And they return with some powerhouse guests. First up is Dave Young, new channel chief at Lumen. He talks about how partners might be impacted by the company's huge ILEC sale. It was one of the biggest news stories of the summer. You'll also get insight into new initiatives in the Lumen channel program and other aspects of the business he's taking on. Then we'll stay in the agent channel by talking to a couple of partners to get their perspectives on a number of issues. Want to spin up a contact center practice? Kathleen Waters, founder and CEO of Creekview Group, and David Wright, founder and CEO of Disruptive Innovations, have some advice. We'll also ask them how business has changed for partners in the past year. Furthermore, it wouldn't be an episode of Coffee with Craig and James without mentioning CP Expo. Co-located with the new MSP Summit, we're announcing a series of celebrity guests at the Channel Partners Conference & Ex

A couple of more great guests as Telarus CEO Adam Edwards and Marc Monday of Citrix join the show. First up is Edwards. Craig was on the road at the Telarus Partner Summit last week, catching up with him at one of the channel's biggest live events since the pandemic began. We discuss the growth of the service distributor's partners over the past year and planning the Summit during the pandemic. Also, we feel better about Mondays now after our interview with Marc Monday! In a fun chat, he covers everything from softball questions about coffee to some hardballs about perceived channel conflict at the software company. We'll also learn about the evolution of the desktop to the workspace. Craig and James also preview the upcoming MSP Summit, which we are collocating with the Channel Partners Conference & Expo. Moreover, they make a plea to the channel so COVID-19 restrictions at future channel events will remain at a minimum.

Channel Futures is getting ready to release its first-ever DE&I 101 list. So it seemed like a great time to catch up with two people who are driving diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the channel. Kelli McMillan of Five9 and Jamaal Savwoir of 8x8, founding members of the Xposure Diversity & Inclusion Council join the show. They discuss the group's new membership drive and tackle the controversy surrounding the term "master agent." Also joining the guys is the team from Jenne, the value-added distributor. The company's VP of vendor management and director of cloud solutions talk about Jenne's important Avaya relationship. They also discuss what it's like to serve both the traditional IT and telecom channels. Furthermore, Craig and James will get you caught up on the latest Channel Partners Conference & Expo prep. Plus, with a "space" theme, we've got a podcast that's out of this world.

We couldn't be more excited for this edition of the Coffee with Craig and James podcast. We're celebrating our 100th episode! We're notching episode No. 100 with a pair of huge channel guests. First up is Chris Jones, chief revenue officer at Fuze, the enterprise cloud communications and collaboration provider. Jones discusses his company's new partner-first initiative. He also touches on how Fuze goes to battle in the competitive UCaaS industry. Then, Joyce Mullen, a channel legend from her days with Dell's channel, joins the show. Now president of Insight North America, she reflects on her company landing the top spot on the 2021 MSP 501 list. Mullen also tackles the partner opportunity as "as a service" takes off in the industry. Speaking of guests, Craig and James have some cameos from the entertainment world wishing them well on their milestone. All that, plus the latest on the fast-growing agenda for the Channel Partners Conference & Expo and collocated MSP Summit.

Craig got a little summer R&R, meaning a bit longer of a break than usual between podcasts. But we think it'll be worth the wait. First up is Ken Presti, the stats guru at Avant Analytics. He's out with a new report that takes a deep dive into contact center as a service. Presti uncovered some interesting trends that partners should know before their next customer conversation. Then we hear from Jon Groves, CEO of Logicalis, the IT service provider. He offers insight into what it's like to become chief executive of a tech company the same month that a pandemic breaks out. He'll also dive into important industry trends impacting our managed service provider friends. Speaking of MSPs, Channel Futures released our annual MSP 501 list since we last spoke. We'll break it down. And the agenda is starting to take shape for the Channel Partners Conference & Expo in November. We promise a great lineup for the channel's biggest in-person bash in two years. Finally, we'll tell you what's coming next time in our 100t

Craig and James return with another podcast for the ages! It all starts with some "cloudification" featuring Tony Safoian of SADA. The company's president and CEO talks about the cloud wars and what it's like to be exclusive to Google. Furthermore, he explains why Google's third-place position among hyperscalers is nothing to shake a stick at. Later, Vince Menzione, founder of the Ultimate Guide to Partnering, shares his methodologies around good business partnerships. He'll offer some significant takeaways for both the partner and vendor audience. That, plus the guys dig into what's become an internet phenomenon--the "Florida Man" craze.

Gavriella Schuster of Microsoft. Michelle McBain of JS Group. Need we say more? These two powerhouses join Craig and James to preview the upcoming Channel Futures workshop on DE&I. We're hosting the event in coordination with the Alliance of Channel Women and the Allies of the Channel Council. Diversity, equity and inclusion are hugely important to these ladies who will share their DE&I experiences in technology. They're also supremely qualified to discuss the topic, as they are participating in our June 8 workshop. The 97th episode of Coffee with Craig and James touches on a topic that's critical to the future success of the channel.