Sonicwall Partner Conference

I have been in Las Vegas this week for the Sonicwall Partner Conference being held at the new Plazzo Hotel. Another fantastic venue and great job by the Sonicwall crew. Matt Medeiros kicked off the event Sunday afternoon with his state of the union address. I really enjoy Matt. He is energetic and leads the company the way it should be led - with passion from the heart. I get jazzed every time I am able to spend a little time with him. He is infectious with his love for the vision he has for Sonicwall. Leadership comes from the heart, and being around leaders like Matt gives me an example to follow and a company to get excited about.

2008 is going to be a break out year for Sonicwall. The key phrase I heard over and over was "everything is going to be new" this year. They have a fantastic product roadmap across all their lines of business. But key to it all is they remember the partner. They are listening to feedback and working hard to correct some of the issues they have experienced in the rapid growth they have had. Support is being brought back internal to Sonicwall and much more of it back to the US. They have heard the channel loud and clear.

Matt said one thing in his keynote that has stuck with me. "I've never seen a company cost cut itself to prosperity". Truer words have never been spoken. With the uncertainty of the economy, some companies are trying to adapt by slashing all kinds of things. Expenses and people. While I know we all have to control our costs, the ability to endure tough times is not handled by slashing things, particularly key components of the company like sales and marketing expenses for example.

The true test of my believing in a company is what I actually do about it. Two years ago or so when I heard Mark Hurd at HP, I immediately went and purchased some HP stock. I did the same when Steve Jobs came back to Apple. I now have Sonicwall in my investment portfolio. I am a believer in their future. This is not a solicitation for you to do the same, but I believe in putting my money where my heart is, and right now, it is totally in the Sonicwall camp. They understand the future, and it is now.

Thanks for a great week in Vegas!