The VAR Guy

Want to use your Apple iPad as an extra monitor? Perhaps Air Display, from Avatron Software (the guys who brought you Air Sharing) can help. Here’s the scoop on the iPad screen extender and the trend in mobile monitors…

Just ahead of the opening of the Google I/O developer conference, the search giant says in a blog entry that it’s enhancing the Google Apps Marketplace with the ability to add contextual gadgets to the Gmail interface. In plain terms, it means that you can now display boxes with all kinds of useful, relevant information as you read a Gmail message. Here’s the scoop.

Open-Xchange, the open-source messaging and collaboration solutions developer, is the latest to take on Microsoft SharePoint 2010 with the launch of their Advanced Server Edition, aimed at providing SMBs, educational institutions, and public administrations a low-cost, Linux-based alternative with the operating system integrated into the offering. Here’s the scoop.

When it comes to building partner communities, Red Hat seems to be on a roll. First came Red Hat’s successful ISV (independent software vendor) push for Linux. Then, Red Hat successfully built OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) relationships with folks like Dell, Hewlett-Packard and IBM. Now, Red Hat apparently has a hit on its hands with the JBoss middleware partner efforts. Here’s the update.

Ubuntu Netbook Remix is not the only game in town for users looking for an Ubuntu interface that caters to the small screens (and, in some cases, touchscreens) of netbooks.  Lubuntu also offers its own version of the “netbook remix.”  Read on for a look.

Arlin Sorensen, the founder of HTG Peer Groups, never stops building partner networks across the IT channel. His next effort involves the HTG Vendor Peer Group — which will help hardware and software companies to learn from one another while getting a better understanding of VARs and managed services providers. Here’s the scoop.

Cancel the funeral and send back the burial flowers. Reports or SAP’s demise are largely exaggerated, according to the company’s channel team. Sure, much of the media continues to raise questions about SAP’s business performance. But Kevin Gilroy (pictured), VP of SAP’s North American SMB partner effort, says SAP is winning roughly 25 new customer deals per day. And Gilroy is preparing some channel moves to help SAP partners “rip out” Oracle solutions and put in SAP. Will the strategy work? Here’s some perspective from the show floor at SAP Sapphire in Orlando, Fla.

If you’re looking for a file management solution that isn’t going to force you to reformat your drive to a journalized file system, you might want to give Tabbles a try. (It’s pronounced TAB-bulls, by the way, not ‘tables’ like the furniture.) Tabbles uses some unique ‘tagging’ features to make your messy hard drive a thing of the past. If you’re anyone — yes, even an SMB or enterprise — who is looking to tidy up the swath of digital clutter you have lying around, here’s what Tabbles potentially can do for you…

Another day, another attempt by a big hardware provider to attack the Oracle-Sun SPARC Server installed base. The latest assault involves Hewlett-Packard’s Migration In A Box effort, which is designed for SAP customers and partners that want to leap from Sun to HP hardware. Here are the details.

SAP is preparing a channel partner program for Business ByDesign, the company’s fledgling SaaS (software as a service) platform for midsize customers. Here are details, which The VAR Guy gathered at the SAP Sapphire conference in Orlando.

As an extension to the Community blog I wrote recently, the core marketing function is going through a similar transformation. This is not meant to be another commentary on the effects of social media, but the change in corporate thinking that needs to surround it.

Hewlett-Packard, in effort to enhance their client virtualization offerings, has teamed with Citrix Systems to improve the security and decrease the complexity of virtual desktop implementation. The new offerings in this virtualization package were officially announced at Citrix Synergy 2010. Here’s a look at the new package and the upcoming technology…

Google opens the doors of its I/O conference on May 19, and hordes of developers are descending on San Francisco in anticipation of spending two days figuring out just where the search giant’s web, mobile, consumer, and enterprise offerings are going. Here’s the lowdown on what to expect.

As if to throw more fuel on the fire that is the Adobe Vs. Apple wars, Adobe has launched a small “We Heart Choice” campaign on their website and on third-party media sites. The goal is to educate users about Flash’s ‘openness’ and basically poo-poo Apple’s latest slew of restrictions. Here’s quick and dirty rundown…

For the second time in four years, CA Inc. (the former Computer Associates International Inc.) is changing its name. But this time the name change has nothing to do with a tarnished brand. Instead, the move — to the name CA Technologies — has everything to do with Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Here are the details.

The VAR Guy has a few more business calls today, then he plans to actually focus on something called a “weekend.” But before our resident blogger checks out, here are six channel partner-related blog entries The VAR Guy didn’t have a chance to write for the week ending May 14.

New technologies such as virtualization and cloud computing are changing the direction of IT faster than a New York cabbie switches lanes. Of course, that also means a shifting landscape for channel partners. Your customers no longer need to build and manage data centers for every infrastructure computing need. They can now tap into utility-like resources that allow them to scale up and down on the fly to meet actual needs and “pay as they go.” Such models let them instantly deploy new services. But those new opportunities also introduce new challenges.

At first glance, ConnectWise focuses on PSA (professional services automation) software for MSPs (managed services providers). But the MSP industry represents only about one-tenth of North America’s IT reseller base, The VAR Guy believes. That’s why ConnectWise is setting its sights on Phoenix — and preparing to reach out to a broader base of networking VARs. Here’s some insight.

Socialwok has built its business on providing a social networking layer to productivity apps. Previously, their product had only been available for Google Apps, but today marks the availability of the Socialwok Outlook Connector, letting business users of Microsoft’s e-mail client keep track of what their coworkers are up to, Web 2.0-style. Here’s the scoop.

Xiotech, known for data storage, has a new app up its sleeve. It’s called ISEview, and it runs on the iPhone (and iPad.) Looking for an excuse to use the iPhone or iPad in the enterprise? Need some more proof that the iPhone works in the enterprise? Read on to see how this new app potentially makes monitoring storage easy.

Citrix and Wyse are looking to push the zero-client into the mainstream. Once upon a time it was a computer on every desk, now it’s a zero-client on every desk. The offering uses Wyse’s Xenith hardware and Citrix’s HDX technology. Here are the deeper details.

Acumatica, the channel-centric cloud ERP and CRM provider, has hired Ali Jani as VP of product management. In his new role, Jani (pictured) will work with Acumatica’s reseller base to develop new products and solutions. Here’s some insight on the strategy.

The folks at Amazon Consulting continue to generate some rather intriguing channel partner research. The latest effort — a Fourth Annual State of Partnering Study — reveals strong vendor interest in traditional product resellers (remember them?), even as MSPs and hosting partners garner attention. Here are five quick highlights from the report.