The VAR Guy

Microsoft is scheduled to bury Windows XP today — basically forcing Windows customers to buy Vista instead. Yet, Dell’s channel blog actually has the guts to show VARs how to continue offering XP to customers. Don’t underestimate the significance of Dell’s move.

PartnerPedia — a new social network for solutions providers and VARs — is set to launch in July, though an official launch date is yet to be announced. The VAR Guy got a preview on June 26. Here’s his take on the social networking site, with a few hints on who it compares to OnForce, LinkedIn and other options.

When Cisco Systems launched its Unified Communications strategy, the networking company worked overtime to educate partners about the market opportunities ahead. But Cisco’s Data Center 3.0 strategy will depend far more heavily on guidance from established partners, notes Wendy Bahr, VP of Channels for US and Canada.

Time and distance prevented The VAR Guy from attending the 2008 Cisco Partner Summit in Hawaii. But The VAR Guy won’t have any excuses for skipping the 2009 Cisco Partner Summit, which will be held June 1-4 in Boston, our resident blogger has learned.

The VAR Guy is always looking for a bargain. And he just spotted one. The ASUS Eee PC — that little Linux laptop — is going on sale. Here’s the scoop.

Forget rising gas prices. The VAR Guy’s biggest expense continues to be his excessive spending on all things related to Steve Jobs. And this weekend, he’ll likely spend another $100 on something that Steve Jobs helped to create. (Hint: It isn’t from Apple.)

Whether you’re an established or aspiring managed service provider, time is running out to register for MSPmentor Live: CEO Exchange. The Webcast, hosted by our sister site MSPmentor, starts at 2pm eastern today (Wednesday, June 25).

Novell is making The VAR Guy look pretty darn foolish. Our resident blogger keeps hyping Red Hat and Ubuntu Linux, yet Novell keeps scoring small victories and picking up momentum. The latest example: Micro-Star International (MSI) has agreed to pre-load Novell SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 on MSI’s mini-notebooks. Here’s the scoop.

Move over, John Chambers. Apparently, Forrester Research has spotted your future replacement — Jane Chambers — at the Cisco Live conference in Orlando. Here’s the scoop, and the video evidence to go with it.

The VAR Guy has been hyping TelePresence — that next-gen videoconferencing technology — for nearly two years. But is anyone (outside of Cisco Systems Inc.’s own offices) actually using TelePresence? You bet. Here are nine key data points to consider.

The VAR Guy didn’t always agree with George Carlin. But he loved him.

Is Dell facing a partner revolt? Not really. But a few VARs allege that customers who buy direct from Dell receive better pricing than solutions providers. Now, Dell has a memo to help communicate its pricing policies to partners. Here’s a look.

Whether you’re an established or aspiring managed service provider, time is running out to register for this Wednesday’s MSPmentor Live: CEO Exchange Webcast. The event is hosted by our sister site, MSPmentor.

The VAR Guy has a theory: Sure, thousands of Microsoft partners are seeking to host Exchange Server, Dynamics and SharePoint. But, our resident blogger believes, a good portion of the Software as a Service (SaaS) industry is going open source. First, Linux became popular for hosting applications. Now, open source applications like SugarCRM are increasingly shifting to the SaaS model.

The VAR Guy quit his day job in December 2007, and called in a few favors to launch this Web site in January 2008. He’s been dressing down and blogging from his so-called home office (tucked away on Long Island’s Gold Coast) ever since. By eliminating his daily commute, you won’t believe how much money The VAR Guy has saved this year.

Maybe it’s time for The VAR Guy to put his Web site (and his LinkedIn Rolodex) up for sale. After all, the value of his house is plummeting faster than the fuel gage needle in his Hummer. And now there’s talk about a Web 2.0 Bubble. Say it ain’t so! (Then, take a minute to watch this video.)


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Matt Asay, author of The Open  Road blog, is telling the world how Macs are replacing PCs at corporate meetings. But that’s not all, Asay notes. Check out this photo from the Missouri School of Journalism. Look at all those Macs. The Kids Are All Right! So, what does all this mean for Microsoft?

Okay, so the headline is a bit of an exaggeration. But here’s the upshot: FedEx — a major economic bellwether — just delivered horrible financial results, and nearly one-third of CEOs expect to make job cuts over the next few months. But OnForce, the online marketplace for IT service providers, is feeling pretty upbeat about business in North America. Here’s why.

If you have any doubt about Apple’s continued momentum, check out the company’s unit Mac sales for May — which jumped more than 50 percent. Somebody call Mel Brooks. Apple’s momentum has accelerated passed Ludicrous speed. Steve Jobs has gone to Plaid. Here’s why.

On June 25 at 2pm eastern, our sister site will host our next MSPmentor Live: CEO Exchange Webcast. Unlike traditional Webcasts, we typically answer dozens of attendee questions throughout the event. Our goal is to interact with managed service providers, and address your most pressing questions.

New Cisco Systems Chief Technology Officer Padmasree Warrior is preparing to take center stage at Cisco Live, a massive customer event that starts June 22 in Orlando, Fla. This is the first time Warrior will grab the spotlight at a big Cisco event. Here’s what to expect, along with five key anticipated trends at the conference.

The single most important success factor for entrepreneurs is choosing the right business. Many entrepreneurs make their choice based on what they have done successfully in the past or what they are naturally good at. Those are important considerations but there’s one thing that’s much more critical.

An old friend sent The VAR Guy a rather interesting YouTube link today (see above). In it, Google describes its software as a service (SaaS) strategy to VARs, IT consultants and managed service providers. Yes, folks. There’s a channel play for Google Apps. Here’s a look at the video. And a big thank you to Virus Woman for sending along the link.