The VAR Guy

That’s right, you read it here first. You can actually justify jailbreaking your new iPad on the grounds that it’ll help you do more work. Don’t believe me? In just one week since the hack has been out, I’ve done a few things on my iPad you wouldn’t normally be able to do without a little non-Apple sanctioned software. Here’s a why work-savvy iPad owners want to care..

Say goodbye to the HP Slate tablet featuring Windows, and prepare instead for an HP Hurricane, a Q3 2010 tablet release featuring Palms’ webOS operating system. That’s the ongoing rumor. But is the rumor true?

Intelligent Workload Management. Those three words sum up Novell’s core focus for 2010. But what does Intelligent Workload Management (IWM) mean to Novell’s partners and customers? Novell Chief Marketing Officer and Channel Chief John Dragoon (pictured) offers some perspective.

A few weeks ago, we took a look at how Ubuntu use varied by country.  I’m still on a bit of a demographic kick, so I decided to do some research on another pertinent topic: the median age of Ubuntu users.  Here’s what I found.

I’ve been using Ubuntu 10.04 on a production machine for about 10 days.  Now that I’ve gotten to know it better, here are some thoughts on what I like and dislike about the latest and greatest version of the world’s most popular Linux distribution.

The VAR Guy has one eye on the weekend. It’s nearly time to unplug — at least for a few hours. But before our resident blogger relaxes a bit, here are six channel partner blog entries The VAR Guy didn’t have a chance to write for the week ending May 7, 2010.

Cymphonix, which specializes in secure web gateways and network reporting, has unveiled their latest product duo. In keeping with their cheeky ‘musical’ theme, the two devices are the Network Composer EX and Network Conductor. Here’s a quick rundown on the new ‘jazz’ (as it were) and what Cymphonix might mean for VARs in IT-based areas…

Adobe’s Flash now faces two outspoken critics: First Apple, now Opera — the web browser provider. Apparently, Opera Product Analyst Phillip Grønvold has some concerns about Flash and its influence over the Web. For VARs that are advising customers on Web development and design strategies, this story is too important to ignore. Here’s why.

Nexenta, an open source storage vendor that leverages the IT channel, says 1Q 2010 revenues jumped 414 percent vs. the corresponding quarter last year. Yes, we realize it’s relatively easy for small companies to show big percentage growth rates. But Nexenta has our attention. Here’s why.

New day. New owner. Same consistent focus on the channel. That sums up the mood inside Sophos, the endpoint security software company that was acquired by a private equity firm this week. Earlier today, The VAR Guy sat down with Sophos Channel Chief Chris Doggett, VP of Corporate Strategy Arabella Hallawell and Global Director of Strategic Marketing Mike Haro. Here’s a recap of the conversation, and the implications for channel partners.

Lucid Imagination, developers of enterprise-grade search solutions based on the open source Apache Lucene and Solr technologies, has launched a global partner program for VARs and systems integrators. Here’s the scoop.

Avnet remains in acquisition mode. The distributor this week scooped up Tallard Technologies, an asset that will propel them deeper into Latin America. Here’s what Avnet potentially gains from Tallard.

Alas, The VAR Guy is suffering from double vision. In one eye, he’s reading about Cisco Pulse, a collaboration platform and enterprise content management system. In the other eye, The VAR Guy is reading about Novell Pulse, a real-time collaboration and social messaging platform for businesses. Hmmm… will both companies stick with the Pulse name?

Sometimes a single, simple decision can have a dramatic impact on a channel partner program. Consider the situation at Juniper Networks, where Channel Chief Frank Vitagliano (pictured) plans to host the Juniper Networks Americas Partner Summit May 24-26 in Phoenix. Smart move. Here’s why.

Pentaho, the open source business intelligence company, generated record results in 1Q 2010, according to VP of Marketing Joe McGonnell. Pentaho attributes much of its performance to a growing channel partner program. Here’s a closer look at Pentaho’s momentum.

The VAR Guy’s head is spinning as he listens in on the security software market. Most of the major players seem to be adjusting or enhancing their channel partner programs at this moment. Here’s the latest chatter from a range of endpoint security and SaaS security companies.

At first glance, Google Apps resellers can only make about $10 per user per year. But during a conversation with Google Apps Product Manager Jonathan Rochelle, The VAR Guy began to realize Google Apps Script and some potential Google Apps Marketplace enhancements could unlock new SaaS (software as a service) revenue opportunities for channel partners. Here’s why.

Join The VAR Guy’s sister site, MSPmentor, today (May 5 at 2:00 p.m. eastern) for our MSPmentor Live webcast: SaaS vs. On Premises MSP Software. Today’s webcast will be a 40-minute fireside chat exploring the key business drivers for selecting on-premises or SaaS (software as a services) MSP platforms. Here’s some background and guest speaker information.

Bocada Inc, the company know for their data protection management software and the birthplace of the “Data Protection Service Management (DPSM ) model,” has launched a partner program. Naturally, Bocada is looking to empower resellers and MSPs with the usual gamut of perks and rewards. Want to know if it’s right for you? Well, read on…

During a sit down with eight leading distributors in Manhattan earlier today, The VAR Guy discussed a range of topics — the improving economic picture, international expansion, cloud computing, mobile opportunities and more. But during several of the sit downs it became clear that there was an elephant in the room. The elephant’s name: Cisco Systems. Here’s the scoop.

Avnet Technology Solutions (ATS) has a longstanding relationship with Sun Microsystems. But will that channel partner relationship remain in place now that Oracle owns Sun? The VAR Guy pursued some answers earlier today during a sit-down with ATS Global President Philip Gallagher (pictured). Here are the details.

Ever since Hewlett-Packard announced plans to acquire Palm, plenty of people have wondered whether HP and other PC makers would move forward with Tablet computer plans that involve Windows 7. Here’s the quick rundown on who’s doing what, and why Microsoft may face heightened competition in the mobile device market.

McAfee, as expected, has announced their brand new worldwide channel program. As with all channel programs, McAfee’s goal is to provide a “profitable ecosystem.” So here’s a look at the new program, and what McAfee is calling a “listen, learn and deliver” approach to ramping up their channel strategy…