1. Welcome! Storage Channel Dinner Seminar

2. Top 10 Channel Challenges 1- Learn new technologies 2- Win new business 3- Keep customers 4- Recruit skilled professionals 5- Effective sales/marketing pitches 6- ID managed services opportunities 7- Troubleshoot tech problems 8- Maintain margins 9- Evaluate vendor partners 10- Talk tech in business terms (Source: April 2008 Channel Media Group Readership Survey)

3. Tonight’s agenda 5:30pm-5:45pm – The Profitable Edge: Keynote Heather Clancy 5:45pm-6:15pm – Top Storage Trends: Storage Expert Greg Schulz 6:15pm-6:45pm – Vendor Showcase – Nexsan, Intronis 6:45pm-7:15pm – Meet the Experts; Networking break; Dessert! 7:15pm-7:45pm – Data Growth Opportunities: Analyst Mark Peters 7:45pm-8:30pm – Q&A: Greg Schulz, Mark Peters, Heather Clancy 8:30pm-8:45pm – Raffle; Closing remarks; Receive Survey Results!

4. Keynote: Heather Clancy The Profitable Edge

6. May 12, 2008 Heather Clancy Vice President, Strategic Communications Planning for successful growth

7. Reading Today’s Market For Tomorrow’s Opportunity …

8. Game-Changing Trends Wireless/Mobility Web 2.0 Software as a Service 3-D Computing Environmentalism

9. Applying New Business Discipline …

10. Talk Solutions, Not Products Develop strategic, business-side relationships Start dialogue outside the IT department Inspire larger transactions Realize higher customer retention rates Experience higher services mix, gross margins and operating margins

11. Listen to Your Engineers Use your closest ongoing link to true customer pain points wisely Seek a real-world perspective on appropriate architectural designs that can be deployed, again and again Reward insight and advice about how ongoing maintenance costs be turned into new budgets

12. Select Vendors Selectively Examine their communications strategy What is your resource commitment and what’s the quid pro quo? Field compensation strategy Tiering policies Value vs. volume philosophy Is the margin worth the effort?

13. Partner Strategically Test before you invest: Bring new technologies, products to services to customers in conjunction with another VAR or application developer Set ground rules for collaboration, especially when it comes to customer touch points

14. Brand Thyself, Not Just Suppliers Engage in two-way dialogue with customers and influencers Create a marketing message for your company’s entire value proposition Explore the worlds of Web 2.0, esp. blogs and social networks

15. Conclusion: Think Long Term Understand key performance indicators and how much they can bend Take focused, phased risks Create a business plan — so you know where and when you should diverge Require (and recognize) staff buy-in