The VAR Guy

The VAR Guy has been trying to book a flight to Ziff Davis Enterprise’s first-ever Channel Summit, scheduled for October 3. But he’s not sure where his chartered jet should land: Los Angeles, San Francisco or Chicago? Apparently, all three cities were in the running to host the event.

To paraphrase Yogi Berra: “Nobody goes into the managed security market anymore. It’s too crowded.” That’s no joke. Each week, another tech company launches a managed security service for VARs. The choices are becoming overwhelming. How will the market shake out? Here’s an educated guess from The VAR Guy.

The VAR Guy is still waiting for his Ubuntu Linux PC to arrive from Dell. He ordered it back on May 27. Apparently, FedEx couldn’t deliver the system because they believed The VAR Guy’s street address was a vacant building. Here’s what went wrong and how Dell is resolving the issue.

Intel has opened its wallet again for open source, this time pumping money into Centric CRM. Intel’s open source interests reveal five key trends that should worry Microsoft and other closed-source software providers.

Quick, name the most popular Windows utility that customers are willing to pay for. Actually, The VAR Guy isn’t sure if he has the correct answer to that piece of trivia. But here’s an educated guess.

Microsoft has got to be scratching its head in bewilderment. This was supposed to be the year of Vista. But Vista has been a yawn for most PC buyers and some customers are seeking alternatives. In fact, two of Microsft’s closest partners — Dell and Intel — are set to sponsor a major Linux event right in Microsoft’s backyard.

The speculation has started. Now that Microsoft has lined up patent agreements with three Linux companies, some pundits think the software giant will pursue a deal with Canonical — keeper of the Ubuntu flame.

Yet another open source software provider has signed a licensing and patent agreement with Microsoft. The VAR Guy wonders: Is Microsoft moving a few strategic pieces into place before launching a legal showdown against Red Hat? Or is this another case of Microsoft spreading Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt (FUD) within the open source community?

This is pure speculation by The VAR Guy. But things are getting a little strange over at Dell. It seems that some people who ordered Dell PCs with Ubuntu Linux preinstalled have been told that ship dates have been delayed a bit.

After using Google applications for about a year, The VAR Guy recently realized he’s reached a tipping point: He now uses seven Google applications far more often than he uses Microsoft Office. Here’s a quick look at each online application, and it’s impact on The VAR Guy’s productivity.