The VAR Guy

Time for The VAR Guy to eat a little crow. A few days ago our resident blogger reported that open source IP PBXes — and Asterisk — would have a low profile at the VoiceCon Orlando conference this week in Orlando. But Digium and Fonality sent a wake-up call to The VAR Guy. Here’s a scoop.

Zeacom, which specializes in contact center and unified communications software, is launching an ROI Calculator for Zeacom’s VARs and channel partners. Watch for details today (March 30) on the company’s Web site and at VoiceCon.

The VAR Guy is gearing up for a busy week in the Orlando, Florida, area. He’ll be stopping by VoiceCon on April 1 and Ingram Micro VTN on April 2. But here’s the big question: If The VAR Guy finds a few hours to sneak to an area theme park — which one should he visit? Before you answer, consider these world-class options.

Forgive The VAR Guy if he’s a little confused. Gartner just released a “Cool Vendors in Unified Communications, 2009″ report. Ummm. When did CIOs start looking for cool vendors? And when did Gartner replace Arthur Fonzarelli as the ultimate judge of cool?

Until a few years ago, Erik Lagerway was a self-described open source and Apple Macintosh fan who avoided Microsoft’s famed “blue screen of death” at all costs. Now he has a new title, a new focus and a growing managed services business (called SMBphone) built around Microsoft ResponsePoint. Why did Lagerway dial up Microsoft’s VoIP system for small businesses? Here’s the scoop.

You know how little things happen all around you and you’re not really sure what it all means or how/if they are connected?  And then one day the pieces all fall together and you have that OMG moment? That happened to me when reading about the MIX09 conference. I suddenly realize that Microsoft is finding ways to make closed source and open source live in harmony. Here’s how.

Want to generate some buzz for an upcoming conference? Steal a page from Robin Robins. Some pundits give away iPods at conferences. Other marketing leaders give away netbooks. But Robins is driving in a different direction and going viral to promote a managed services event. Hint: Somebody’s going to win a Jaguar. Here’s the scoop and the viral video to prove it.

Multiple open source software companies are pumping the same message into The VAR Guy’s email inbox. From Compiere to Pentaho, small open source application providers are calling on VARs to deploy business software in the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2). Will VARs answer the call? Here’s the scoop from The VAR Guy.

When The VAR Guy descends April 1 on VoiceCon Orlando 2009, he’ll meet multiple unified communications (UC) thought leaders. Our resident blogger has plenty of questions, and he’ll be seeking answers during meetings with Avaya, Cisco Systems, IBM and Siemens Enterprise Communications. Here are the top 7 questions The VAR Guy will be asking.

If you are still paying your sales staff based on commissions you may want to reconsider. There’s another compensation method that will not only help them sell more but it will deliver greater profits to your bottom line.  Here’s how.

If you’re a solutions provider trying to understand how to profit from Amazon Web Services, Google Apps and software as a service (SaaS), then please join us for The VAR Guy Live, a webcast scheduled for April 15 at 2:00pm eastern. Here are the details.

When VoiceCon 2009 kicks off March 30 in Orlando, The VAR Guy wonders: Will Microsoft arrive solo to this latest unified communications dance, or will it still have Nortel Networks on its arm? Here are some clues.

Ingram Micro and Tech Data have agreed to distribute selected Dell Vostro small business desktops and laptops, select Dell monitors and extended limited hardware warranties. Impressive. But The VAR Guy wonders: When  will Dell servers enter the distribution mix?

Novell officially shipped SUSE Linux Enterprise 11 today. The really interesting part of the story involves two related projects — called Mono and Just enough Operating System (JeOS). Indeed, Mono and JeOS could give SUSE Linux 11 a lift with software developers, Microsoft .Net customers and partners, The VAR Guy believes. Here’s the scoop.

Word on the street says carriers are showing little interest in Dell’s concept smart phones. The VAR Guy is hardly surprised. Developing a me-too handset that runs Google Android or Windows Mobile isn’t all that exciting. Dell either needs to differentiate through software — or move into a different market. The VAR Guy recommends the latter. Here’s why.

Some high-tech companies have canceled their partner summits amid the recession. Juniper, however, confirms that it’s moving ahead with the annual J-Partner Summit. It’s scheduled for May 18-19 in Las Vegas, and CEO Kevin Johnson will be on hand to share his vision.

When Cisco Systems ships Unified Computing solutions this summer, BlueWater Communications intends to make a splash. The New York-based solutions provider will attend Cisco training seminars in April and May, and expects to receive Cisco’s first Unified Computing solutions in June or July. But that’s not all. During a TelePresence meeting with The VAR Guy on March 20, Cisco and BlueWater executives pulled back the curtain a bit further on Unified Computing.

The Cisco Unified Computing strategy is grabbing headlines. But are the products here today? Is this more than a server strategy? And what’s in it for partners? John Growdon, senior director, Go-to-Market Group, Cisco Worldwide Channels, provides some answers.

 

 Podcast: Cisco Unified Computing's Implications for Channel Partners [13:32m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In today’s economy companies often cutback and retrench in order to weather the storm. However this is actually a great time to make smart strategic investments that strengthen your current operations and propel you forward when the economy recovers. Investing in international partners is one smart way to expand outside your current base. Here’ how.

Software as a service (SaaS) and cloud services have their share of risks. Instead of discovering the risks (and rewards) on your own, learn from three VARs who already profit from Google Apps and the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2). Register now for The VAR Guy Live webcast, scheduled for April 15 at 2:00pm eastern.

Several irate readers asked The VAR Guy to defend Novell after they spotted a blog entry on Linux Planet titled, “SUSE Linux Enterprise Server — the Pointless Linux?” Of course, The VAR Guy doesn’t play favorites. He doesn’t care whether Red Hat or Novell lead the Linux race. But our resident blogger can’t remain silent. A partner ecosystem without Novell and SUSE Linux is somewhat dangerous to imagine. Here’s why.

Some skeptics think IT certifications aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on. But in reality, some certifications actually help to create massive partner and customer ecosystems. Skeptical? Consider the situation at Red Hat, which has certified nearly 40,000 professionals on Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Here’s the scoop from The VAR Guy.

Reports are swirling that IBM is seeking to acquire Sun Microsystems for at least $6.5 billion. If a deal happens, what does that mean for the future of Solaris, SPARC, MySQL and other technologies that overlap with IBM’s core product portfolio? Will HP give Sun a call and offer a competitive bid? The VAR Guy offers four predictions about the potential IBM/Sun combo. Yes, Linux dominates the conversation.