Trad Distribution Discovers App Store

Tech Data recently announced its new StreamOne Solutions Store. It’s an appstore, but not aimed at either end users or mobile devices. StreamOne is aimed at VARs, and offers software discovery and licensing. It does not compete with or replace Tech Data’s traditional software alliance programs (Oracle, IBM, Microsoft, etc.), it is designed for simple self service licensing and downloads – an AppStore for the channel.

The StreamOne Solutions Store will be made available as a rebranded white-labeled offering later this year. This will enable VARs to offer their own webstore/appstore to their customers. Within the first few weeks, TechData added 25 software vendors to the store, and it sees a huge pipeline building of initial interest with over 200 vendors.

Software distribution has definitely changed. The retail stores are nearly all gone, but until recently, software has still seen a lot of retail packaging. As the industry moves to downloadable software – the role of the distributor needs to evolve – it’s a sea change to the cloud. Apple’s Appstore concept combined shopping, licensing, distribution, and installation into one. TechData doesn’t attempt installation, but believes StreamOne can be a highly efficient solution for shopping, licensing, and distribution. Solutions include enterprise, desktop, and software services.

StreamOne is linked to TechData’s customer accounts including their line of credit. VAR logins will have different levels of access to control purchases. The store has multiple views including newest and most viewed, and of course a search capability to find specific software and/or identify potential solutions. It also offers a quoting tool VARs can customize with specific margin, logo, and contact information. After the quote is created, the VAR can then email it to the customer directly from StreamOne.

It also positions Tech Data for the next generation of cloud services, including hosted unified communications. To get into the StreamOne as a vendor, Tech Data requires vendors complete an application to assist in identifying a vendor’s channel readiness. This includes a vendor’s go-to-market strategy – particularly regarding how the vendor mitigates direct and channel sales efforts. Tech Data also assesses each vendor's maturity regarding distribution including their licensing programs and APIs.

StreamOne is not open to the public and does not intend to offer free solutions.

TechData.com gets over 1.4 million unique visitors a month, and the company has over 22,000 active resellers in the US, many of which are clamoring for simple, channel-friendly, software solutions. The company took more than two years to develop StreamOne, and still has lots of features planned, such as recurring transactions.

StreamOne provides an example of how an Appstore concept doesn’t need to bypass the channel, and creates a significant opportunity for ISVs and service providers to reach a larger audience.

Dave Michels maintains a blog at TalkingPointz.com.