Week 20 - Aug 19
Walt's Spin
This week: Traveling by train, robots in the woods, work from anywhere is still a hot subject. Greg speaks with West and Ken about the future, telepresence, robot dogs, and the Work From Home, (#WFH) movement entering the Last Days as corporate bosses force workers back to the fields.
I was on a train. With WiFi and a snack car. With layovers, on short trips, the time invested in travel can be the same, if not less and somebody else is driving. There are drawbacks but if you plan ahead, which I did not, luggage can meet you at your destination. The views are unobtainable from a plane, bus, or automobile. DOTC Recommended.
I'm looking forward to a quick live stream this Wednesday with West and Ken - you should attend. We're going to discuss the newest impacts on the industry and I hope to cover topics that include hired media bullies, the robot dog market, new pivot opportunities for dealers, channel resilience, and more.
Speaking of pivot points, check out West's article mirroring one of my postulates that managed IT services is NOT a panacea - like managed print services, managed IT services has a shelf-life.
In sad news, Labor Day has been set as the drop dead date for knowledge workers to return to the cube farms for most knowledge workers - ignore increased productivity, happier employees, parents, and children, and reduced costs. Upper and middle management are fighting for their lives, and are exercising their hollow mandate, by 'cracking the RTO whip'. I am not a fan of the cube life. I find it restrictive and insidiously manipulative.
But to each...
The recession is either here or around the corner(by year-end). Some feel the IT channel is not only recession resistant but might be a cure. Check out Larry's take.
The dog days of summer are here, Space Force is letting them out. Yup, robot dogs are going to patrol Cape Canaveral defending Space Marine vehicles. Kind of poetic in a 1970's SciFi way. I know what you're thinking, "Robot guard dogs? Great, now we're going to be up to our ears in unemployed German Shepards." I thought the same thing.
In the Quick Clicks, catch content about biodegradation, why your boss is envious of you, how to sell copiers that cost more and flying cars. "Scroll away Merrell, scroll away".
Check out the crazy weather caster glitch and then have a great weekend!!
Cheers!
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Join Us, on the 24th of August, 2022
Live Streaming is Fun
We're going to have a riveting, two-way, conversation about technology, the future, and robot dogs. Come in and contribute to the conversation; add your insight, experiences, and thoughts.
It's only 30 minutes, but we promise to pack as much excitement and factual content into each and every one.
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The Channel Is A Recession Insulator, An Inoculator
“the thing about the channel itself is that it is truly a recession insulator. It’s an inoculator.”
"...Successfully navigating uncertain economic conditions is more easily achieved when business leaders have options," said Walsh as he wrapped up his presentation.
At a time of economic uncertainty, channel programs provide companies with greater levels of flexibility. “The channel can give you scale when you can’t afford scale,” said Walsh. “The channel can give you flexibility when you need to be agile in making decisions in adjusting your routes to market.”
Read it here.
领英推荐
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Robot Dogs and Space Force
Is a Space Force Fido in your future?
Two "Quadropedal Unmanned Ground Vehicles," as manufacturer?Ghost Robotics?calls them, put on a demonstration of their capabilities at the installation late last month.
Among the way the robots might be used at the Cape is for security patrols, responding to launch mishaps, and augmenting the small team that rides out hurricanes at the installation.
Read here.
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Diversifying your Dealership? Forget About Managed IT...
Look over the horizon
Some say volumes will come back to 80% pre-pandemic levels while others say it will be more like 56% to 60%.?
No matter whose numbers are correct, double-digit declines in page volumes mean our channel has to diversify to grow. You already get that. Question is, what to diversify into? Managed IT like everybody else?
Maybe not.
You already know lots of dealers chasing managed IT, yes, but there are some key reasons why it may not work for your dealership:
Read the rest here.
#WFH Work from Home a thing of the Past
A return-to-office showdown is coming in September.
Companies such as Apple and Peloton have told corporate and office-based workers in the US to come back next month, and whether they do will say a lot about the ever-shifting balance of power between bosses and their underlings.
If the latest calls for “RTO” sound familiar, they are: Last summer, many companies targeted Labor Day in the US and Canada as the inflection point for remote workers to return to their cubicles. The Delta variant of COVID-19 upended those plans, prompting leaders to look to early 2022, but the Omicron variant soon scuttled that. Apple has pushed back its RTO nearly half a dozen times in the past year.
Read, it here.
Quick Clicks