The VAR Guy

Wall Street didn’t like Microsoft’s Q3 results, but VARs certainly should.

If you’re a VAR in the data protection business, it’s time to convince your customers to encrypt their backup data.

It hasn’t been a pretty week for CA Inc. (formerly Computer Associates International), but don’t let recent news deter your commitment to CA’s channel strategy.

It’s time for drastic measures at Sun Microsystems. Rather than developing integrated hardware and software solutions, newly installed CEO Jonathan Schwartz needs to make a dramatic decision: Bet the company on either hardware or software-but not both.

Our recent Voice over IP survey showed that many integrators see tremendous opportunities in VoIP services, but that customers aren’t necessarily jumping on the bandwagon – yet. That’s borne out by another study, this one in the U.K., which shows that few small businesses have actually implemented such technology yet. What the study does show is that once small & medium businesses implement VoIP, they’re ecstatic. So, that’s a good argument for you to provide case studies, take customers onsite to visit other VoIP installations, and talk up the ROI of VoIP initiatives.

If you’re trying to show new customers why your security smarts are valuable, take along a copy of this recent article from CSO Magazine. It makes the case that small and midsize customers can gain a lot from relying on VARs’ knowledge of security best practices. Here’s a quote from James Browning, VP in Gartner’s Small and Midsize Business Research Organization:

“Networking and security are two prime areas where [small and midsize businesses] buy those products and solutions and services through a VAR, because a) they don’t have the resources to install, deploy and manage it [all], and b) most of these projects are more complex than the staff can handle on their own.”

You already knew this, of course, but it helps to see it in black & white (or in bits & bytes), and especially since the article’s geared towards your customers.

Before there were computers, MP3 players or search engines, Shakespeare wrote “What is past is prologue.” Clearly, we can envision much about our future if we understand the past-and that’s why we love computer industry historical trivia. Here are a few brainteasers to help you appreciate just how far we’ve come in the past few decades.

Why resellers can no longer resist the shift to services

How VARs can help hospitals save lives and money through mobile solutions

Think RFID represents a good opportunity? You could be onto something

For IT departments, it’s an elusive, ever-changing target. For VARs, it’s an opportunity.

Deal-making has been in Marty Wolf’s blood since he left the University of Michigan in 1980. He made his bones during the industry’s heyday in the late 1980s/early 1990s, first helping to build ComputerLand’s franchise and distribution business, then becoming a matchmaker in the IT services space. Since starting Martin Wolf Securities nine years ago, Wolf has helped engineer more than 70 mergers and acquisitions among VARs, integrators, outsourcers and other IT services companies.