The VAR Guy

It’s a small partnership that could have a big impact in the world of open source networking. Two tiny companies — Digium and Vyatta — have caught The VAR Guy’s attention. And they deserve your attention, too.

The VAR Guy continues to use an Apple MacBook Pro at work. But he just opened his wallet to purchase an Ubuntu Linux PC from Dell for his home. Why? Glad you asked. Here’s his reasoning.

In order to compete more effectively against SAP in the applications space, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison spent most of this decade buying up software companies. Hmmm. What if Nortel Networks uses the same approach to compete head-on against Cisco Systems? A first step could involve Nortel acquiring Avaya. But The VAR Guy thinks Nortel shouldn’t stop there.

Takeover rumors can spread unchecked during three-day weekends in the US. One prime example: The VAR Guy and other networking pundits are wondering if Avaya is up for sale. Here’s why.

Finally. Dell has begun taking online orders for Ubuntu Linux PCs. You’ll find them available for purchase here. The VAR Guy plans to purchase one this week. He’ll let you know how the process goes.

Much of the tech media is suffering from memory loss today. Many bloggers and so-called journalists are reporting that Dell is moving into retail for the first time. Actually, Dell has made this move before and the results weren’t pretty. Will the outcome be different this time around? Perhaps. Here’s why.

You can tell a lot from a person’s body language. During a meeting with The VAR Guy yesterday, Nortel executives looked confident and delivered concise information about the company’s five-part networking strategy. What a difference a year makes. First, let’s look at Nortel’s recent moves. Then let’s compare those moves to the Nortel of 2005 or early 2006.

Some pundits think Google’s online applications are the biggest threat to Microsoft’s Office revenue. But another online office suite, from privately held Zoho, is also reaching a critical mass of users, according to Zoho Evangelist Raju Vegesna.

It has already started. Much in the way that Microsoft once dismissed Linux as a competitive threat, some traditional networking companies are telling their customers that Asterisk–the open source VoIP system–is software that businesses can’t trust. That type of attitude could backfire.

The VAR Guy must be getting a little bit older. He’s in Las Vegas this week for Interop as well as Juniper’s J-Partner Summit. It’s the perfect opportunity to blog (or gamble … or worse) all night — and sleep all day. But instead, he’s been tied up in meetings with technology companies. Yes, he still has to post details of his exclusive interview with Juniper CEO Scott Kriens from May 21. And he also has several Interop meetings to recap for you. To get started, here are seven highlights from Juniper’s partner summit.

The VAR Guy checked out Juniper’s J-Partner Summit in Las Vegas on Monday. He was impressed. Instead of making lots of vision statements, Juniper executives unveiled new specialization and services initiatives to more than 440 partners.

The VAR Guy is heading back to Las Vegas on May 21 for the big Interop show. He’ll be traveling with his corporate American Express card, dining with clients … and goofing off. Here’s a look at five potential items on his expense report.

It’s now or never for Juniper Networks. In a savvy move, the networking company scheduled its partner event in Las Vegas — the same week as the big Interop show. That’s a smart move, but Juniper will also face its share of challenges during the week.

The VAR Guy is nearly ready to buy a new PC. And it sounds like Dell is nearly ready to sell him one with Ubuntu Linux preinstalled. Dell plans to officially announce its Ubuntu Linux PCs via an email to prospective buyers within the next few days or weeks, according to All About Ubuntu, a blog that tracks the open source operating system.

Before all you Cisco loyalists flame The VAR Guy, let’s make one thing clear: He believes Cisco’s momentum is accelerating. Heading into next week’s Interop conference in Las Vegas, Cisco appears unstoppable. But that’s usually when something completely unanticipated goes wrong. So, what — if anything — could give Cisco fits in the years ahead?

Please forgive The VAR Guy for dragging a bit today. He’s on his second cup of coffee after spending most of last night at Shea Stadium in New York … suffering through a three hour rain delay before the umpire said “Play Ball.” During the delay, The VAR Guy downed two burgers and a Carvel sundae before reading up on a new stadium the Mets plan to open in 2009. Just like every other big stadium, it will feature state-of-the-art wireless capabilities.

The VAR Guy isn’t accusing Microsoft of creative accounting. He knows Bill Gates isn’t like former Enron CFO Andrew Fastow. But The VAR Guy scratched his head when Gates said Vista sales now exceed 40 million copies. Hmmm. Let’s take a closer look at the facts.

If you read The VAR Guy regularly (doesn’t everyone?), you know that he isn’t exactly bullish on Novell. However, he has to give Novell some praise today for bolstering the company’s relationship with SAP.

The other shoe has finally dropped. When Apple transitioned its hardware to Intel processors, many pundits wondered when Macintoshes would come pre-loaded with Windows. Well, Apple still isn’t ready to make that move. But a big IT distributor is.

Microsoft claims open source software violates more than 200 of its patents, according to an article in Fortune. The online world is now buzzing about that article… wondering if Microsoft will pursue royalties from open source companies and their customers. Hmmm. The VAR Guy was just about to buy a Dell PC with Ubuntu Linux. Will he wind up paying a royalty to Microsoft?

Microsoft continues to generate record profits. But the mood about Windows Vista remains mixed at best, especially among hardware and software partners. The VAR Guy was surprised to read a surprisingly honest assessment of the situation from Hauppauge Digital Inc., maker of WinTV technology.

If you listen closely to Mark Enzweiler, Red Hat’s channel VP for North America, he’ll tell you quite a lot by saying just a little. Enzweiler in March assured The VAR Guy that Red Hat would leap from its dominant Linux server position and land on mainframes and desktops. Those words rang true this week during Red Hat’s customer conference in San Diego.

Finally, SAS Institute is making some noise again. After launching a channel initiative last year, the business intelligence company had gone quiet for most of this year. Then The VAR Guy started hearing some rumblings about SAS a few weeks ago. Turns out SAS had been intensifying its partner efforts in the government market.