The VAR Guy

The true successor to Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2008 gets a little bit closer with the launch of a free public preview of a new version, codenamed Small Business Server 7. Redmond says SBS7 is targeted at enhancing security and management over previous versions. Here’s the update.

If your company — or your customers — run Google Docs a lot, you might have been disappointed when you discovered Google Docs was not editable on your iPad. That’s about to change. Google’s own blog details some updated features coming soon. Read on for the scoop and speculation…

Monitoring and management specialist Opengear has launched the Virtual Central Management System (VCMS), a virtual appliance designed to give visibility into “thousands” of racks or remote sites from a single secure interface. Here’s the scoop.

Sure, Oracle is best-known for its direct sales specialists. But the software, er, systems giant continues to grow its Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) Specialized partner program. And during the Oracle OpenWorld conference in San Francisco, Oracle this week put the spotlight on its global partners of the year. Here a look at nine of those partners.

Looking to penetrate even deeper into the recovery management space, CA has hired David Roberts, former VP of channels at Websense, to lead the company’s Recovery Management and Data Modeling (RMDM) business unit. He reports to Mike Crest, GM of the unit, who takes over the business from Adam Famularo, who is now GM of CA’s Cloud Customer Solutions Unit. Here’s a closer look at CA’s channel moves, and the potential implications for VARs seeking data protection and cloud solutions.

Polycom has planted its flag firmly in the UC space through its myriad new technologies and partnerships over the last 12 or so months. Now the communications vendor has shown it plans to grab more market share by backing up its actions with some key executive appointments. Two examples involve Cisco and Motorola veterans joining Polycom. Here are the details.

VMware is making a “major investments” in its partner program, according to the company. Specifically, VMware is expanding its Partner University with new enablement toolkits, which will potentially allow partners to focus on specific application virtualization niches. Doug Smith, senior direct of global partner strategy at VMware, shared some insights about the effort. Here are some perspectives.

It’s only been about week since Apple said they relaxed their AppStore policy on how an App need to be built, but already, the floodgates are opening and we’re getting some real winners. If you’re a fan of Google Voice, rejoice. If you’re tired of re-encoding videos for your iPad, rejoice some more. Here are some new apps that have now been approved on the AppStore.

It came as a surprise to everyone, including The VAR Guy himself, when Microsoft announced that Office Communications Server (OCS) would become known as Microsoft Lync. But it hasn’t taken long for an independent “Lync Forum” newsletter to spring up and start promoting a 2011 Lync Summit in Colorado. Here’s the scoop.

Heightening data security by asking users to input a numerical code from a token isn’t a new idea. But Google’s putting a 2010 twist on the concept by introducing two-step login validation by way of an mobile phone application. Here’s the scoop.

If you’re a partner that’s shown Microsoft you’re committed to their vision for cloud services, then does Microsoft Online Services have an offer for you: the US SMB Cloud Champions Club, an exclusive tiered program for VARs with three or more active BPOS customers with 75 or more total seats. And The VAR Guy hears that these ”cloud champions” can make as much as double the standard margin. Here’s the story.

October 22nd, 2010 will official mark the one-year birthday of Windows 7. No doubt, Windows 7 has been well-received by consumers and plenty of businesses. But what were the ultimate consequences for both consumers and the corporate world. Jay McBain, director of SMB at Lenovo spoke to me about the effects he’s seen at Lenovo and in the industry in general. Read on for the scoop…

Dell, in an effort to reach the SMB more effectively, has launched a slew of network solutions in the PowerVault and PowerStorage line of products. Read on for the quick details and tech specs…

Power Assure has built its business around optimizing server energy usage — high availability is one thing, but there’s no need for a server to draw the same amount of electricity during the slow period as during peak usage. Today, Power Assure updates their solutions with a new version of their software-as-a-service Dynamic Power Management solution and the launch of Dynamic Power Optimization. Here’s some insight.

Apparently, The VAR Guy isn’t in the audience at Oracle OpenWorld. Or is he? Either way, the first day of Oracle OpenWorld 2010 included plenty of SaaS, cloud and competitive surprises. Can’t keep pace with all the news? Here are seven highlights from day one of Oracle OpenWorld, plus the potential implications for channel partners.

Here’s another quick food-for-thought story as tablet computing finally picks up speed. The tablet won’t replace your traditional desktop computer, but will it replace your laptop to netbook? We’ve made this argument before, but the Wall Street Journal has some interesting figures about the market. Here’s the deal…

The VAR Guy is a bit distracted today. Always quick with a joke or a light of your smoke… but there’s some place that he’d rather be. Still, our resident blogger enjoys his weekly sign-off. So here are six channel partner blog entries The VAR Guy didn’t find time to write for the week ending September 17, 2010.

Do you hear that? It’s the sound of the clock ticking as we get closer and closer to Oracle OpenWorld. With so little time left until the Oracle PartnerNetwork Forum we thought we would help you out with a handy-dandy checklist of things to get done…

Last year the federal government announced its goal to have most Americans on electronic medical records (EMR) by 2014. Coupled with the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which provides funding to promote adoption and use of electronic systems, the use and storage of medical data and systems has already begun to surge. So, how can VARs and MSPs get started with healthcare IT? Here are two practical steps.

Paul Thurrott might not be a familiar name within the channel-sphere, but he’s well-known within Microsoft and Windows circles. Thurrott currently is a blogging evangelical for Microsoft. He doesn’t work directly for Microsoft but he does co-host a “Windows Weekly” podcast. He leaked some interesting news on September 15th via Twitter. Read on for the rumor and speculation… which may (or may not) involve Microsoft Office for the iPad.

The VAR Guy talks a lot about the power and potential of the cloud in the IT channel. But when a former Google engineer is caught spying on users’ personal data and stalking underage users, it’s an unsettling reminder that cloud computing carries dangers, too. Here’s the story.

If consumers don’t want it, maybe the healthcare industry will? That could be Dell’s plan, as they plan to integrate the Streak into the healthcare environment. Here’s the strategy.

Moovida, a media center application for Ubuntu with a long history, has been undergoing a lot of changes during the last few months.  Here’s a look at how the package has been evolving, and how the updates could affect Ubuntu users.