**Editor’s Note: Click here to see which channel people were on the move in January or here for our most recent list of important channel-program changes you should know.**

Two hires highlight Rackspace‘s 2018 plans for the channel.

Rackspace’s Jolynn Antonacci

The company has appointed Jolynn Antonacci as senior partner marketing manger and Judy Vansell as director of channel operations. Antonacci served EarthLink as senior manager of channel marketing and events. She played a role in establishing EarthLink’s national master agent program.

Vansell most recently directed North American channel programs for Dell EMC and worked for Dell in the channel and sales since 2004. She helped organize the integrated partner program that the combined company launched in 2017.

Channel chief Lisa McLin says the two new hires bring deep experience and a strong focus on partner support.

“As businesses navigate today’s complex, fast-changing IT environment, we are enabling partners to grow through Rackspace through our unmatched portfolio of integrated services,” she said.

McLin said Wednesday that Rackspace is increasing its investment in partners.

Rackspace’s Judy Vansell

“In the coming months we will deliver new tools, product road maps, dedicated partner account managers, new field resources and joint go-to-market planning, plus a continuation of our partner incentive program and co-marketing events, all designed to make it even easier for our partners to do business with Rackspace in 2018,” McLin wrote in a blog.

She says Rackspace is working to increase its benefits and support for the channel. The company will hold a partner advisory council in March and has scheduled four “Partner Days” in conjunction with Rackspace’s Solve conferences. Rackspace rolled out an incentive program for partners selling managed hosted services last year.

Rackspace partner PlanetOne Communications praised its relationship with the company.

“Working with Rackspace has been a great fit for PlanetOne, and we’re excited to continue the relationship into 2018,” PlanetOne CEO Ted Schuman said. “We’ve had access to resources we never knew would be available to us and that will expand even further this year. It’s a true partnership, and we know we can count on their expertise and partners to help us in this multi-cloud world.”

Rackspace, the managed cloud services company, touts its recent purchases of TriCore Solutions and Datapipe as major steps in tackling customers’ complex IT decisions.

Watch McLin describe how Rackspace benefits from its purchase of Datapipe.