The VAR Guy

Okay, it has been about a month since Red Hat said it had no plans to offer a consumer Linux release. Lots of folks went ballistic. The VAR Guy didn’t. Instead, he took some time to digest the news. And now he’s ready to say — definitively — that Red Hat made the right decision. Here are five reasons why Red Hat should ignore pleas for a consumer Linux release.

If you want to know when a high-tech market is reaching its tipping point, keep a close eye on Dell Inc. Generally speaking, Dell only jumps into high-volume, mass market opportunities. So the company’s decision to offer TelePresence solutions — designed by LifeSize Communications — is worth watching. Here’s why.

Even if you’re a small managed service provider or VAR, you still need effective PR strategies. At least, that’s the stance from PR expert Cheryl Snapp Conner. In the May 15, 2008 podcast on MSPmentor, Conner describes some simple ways to launch and measure your viral PR campaigns.

The VAR Guy has to tip his hat (and he doesn’t do that often). Dell insiders say the company plans to launch its channel blog on May 16. Smart move. Here’s why.

Matt Asay, a leading voice in the open source community and a top blogger at CNet, claims he has met The VAR Guy — and The VAR Guy’s beautiful wife. Asay’s yarn makes for an interesting read. But is it true — did he really meet our resident blogger? Weigh the following facts before deciding for yourself.

The VAR Guy isn’t suggesting that open source companies will launch initial public offerings (IPOs) anytime soon. But a lengthy chat with an open source guru — call him Pele — got our resident blogger brainstorming a bit. Here are three open source companies that could test the IPO waters over the next couple of years.

Okay, The VAR Guy concedes that the headline is a little misleading. You can’t completely “stop” identity theft. But you can mitigate some risks. Here are 10 ways to reduce the risk of somebody stealing your identity. Oh, and full disclosure: The tips were offered up by Identity Finder (a software company), but The VAR Guy added his own spin to each of them.

One of my coaching clients is a wholesaler for a mutual fund company. Even though she works for a big company, she is really an entrepreneur, running the show in her territory. Needless to say, in today’s market climate, her business has never been more challenging. Some of the lessons from her business certainly apply to the high-tech entrepreneurs.

BusinessWeek and some Web articles are speculating about Apple’s future in the business market. Is Apple finally ready to “push” deeper into business? That question may be moot. Fact is, Apple is creating business “pull” rather than business “push.” Here’s what The VAR Guy means.

Memo to high-tech companies. Stop talking about innovation, and instead focus on sustainable innovation. What’s the difference? Glad you asked. Here’s The VAR Guy’s view.