The VAR Guy

“The cloud” seems to be everywhere these days. News outlets are heralding it as the end-all, be-all of technologies. Your customers hear the hype and suddenly they’re asking you for it … often without even knowing what they’re asking for or why they really want it. As a VAR, it’s easy to pick a cloud solution from any number of providers, but if you’re looking for a product that best meets your customers’ needs and lines up with your business model, you’ve got a much more difficult decision. Here’s how to get started.

Managed service providers will often use online backup for a company’s mission critical data and local backup for their data that is important, but not utterly critical to basic business functions. And sometimes IT service providers will use a combination of both. However, helping your client decide what constitutes critical data and how to best backup that data can be a complicated task.

Cloud migration specialist Binary Tree claims to have more than 5,000 customers and 20,000,000 users under its belt between itself and its partners. So when the company says its abandoning its Lotus Notes/Domino-to-Google Apps migration business in favor of an exclusive focus on Microsoft Exchange, SharePoint, and BPOS cloud solutions, it’s worth taking a closer look. Here’s the story.

If you had told The VAR Guy just two months ago that Skype would be one of the most interesting players in the enterprise unified communications space, we would have called you crazy. Rumors that Cisco Systems would buy Skype haven’t come true. But Skype has hired former Cisco Systems Senior VP Tony Bates as its new CEO. Here’s the story.

The VAR Guy concedes: The days of big, fat hardware margins will never return. And the IT channel has pushed far beyond traditional distribution models. But take a closer look and you’ll find big tech companies like Cisco, Dell, HP and Oracle professing their love for key distributors — especially this week, as thousands of VARs flock to distributor events across North America. Here’s the update.

When the Rackspace Partner Leadership Summit kicks off this week (Oct. 5-6, San Antonio), The VAR Guy will be poking around and raising some timely questions about the Rackspace partner program — and potential recurring revenue opportunities for VARs and MSPs. In fact, here are the top five channel-related questions The VAR Guy will call on Rackspace to answer during the conference.

As Windows XP fades into the sunset, Ubuntu community members are trying to reach out to millions of Windows XP users to get them to switch to Linux. The Ubuntu pitch is pretty simple: Stick with your existing Windows XP hardware and switch to Ubuntu, rather than spending hundreds (or thousands) of dollars on a new PC running Windows 7. The big question: Will Windows XP users embrace the Ubuntu message?

Ever since the announcement that Oracle intends to take Sun hardware renewals direct as of October 15, Sun VAR’s have wondered, what next?  Uncertainty over which ways to continue maintaining long time Sun customers and retain a lucrative residual revenue stream had Sun VAR’s scrambling to find the answers. Here at ServiceKey, we are finding those abandoned VAR’s thankful for the Maintenance Renewal programs we offer. Here’s why.

The official launch date of Microsoft’s new Windows Phone 7 is coming October 11th, with a big bash planned in New York City. But some skeptics openly wonder: Is Windows Phone 7 a case of too little too late? Read on for the speculation…

Tech Data continues to expand its distribution operations, especially with the latest acquisition of Triade Holding. The move signals Tech Data’s expansion in Europe. Here’s some background.

For VARs that sell hardware into rugged environments, Panasonic’s at it again with their Toughbook line. The latest entry is the Panasonic S9 Toughbook, coming in at just 12.1 inches. Here’s some insight for your road warrior customers.

Time was, OpenOffice.org was the centerpiece of Sun Microsystems’ push into the consumer space. Personally speaking, I owe my college degree to the free, open source productivity suite and Microsoft Office competitor. But now the leadership of the OpenOffice.org project has announced that 10 years and an Oracle acquisition later, it’s time to move on and form their own foundation — The Document Foundation. Here’s the scoop.

So much for burying the hatchet. The simmering feud between Hewlett-Packard and Oracle has caught fire again. This time, the spark involved Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, who slammed HP’s board for naming a former SAP CEO as HP’s new CEO. Here’s the story.

The VAR Guy is busy juggling the usual deadlines and distractions. But sometimes our resident blogger doesn’t have time to cover every news tip that hits his inbox. In fact, here are six channel blogs The VAR Guy didn’t have time to write for the week ending October 1, 2010.

Leo Apotheker doesn’t officially start as Hewlett-Packard’s new CEO until November 1. But today is the first day that investors have been able to react to the news that Apotheker will be HP’s next CEO. And at least for today, investors don’t sound impressed with the appointment. Here’s why.

Now that Hewlett-Packard has named its next CEO, The VAR Guy has to wonder: In an ironic twist of fate, did the recent Oracle-HP feud play a role in Hewlett-Packard’s decision to hire former SAP executive Leo Apotheker as the new HP CEO? Hmmm… Here’s the speculation.

Starting November 1, Hewlett-Packard’s new CEO will be former SAP CEO Leo Apotheker (pictured). Admittedly, Apotheker isn’t exactly a household name among many VARs. So, what do channel partners need to know about Apotheker and his business background? Here are five fast facts worth noting.

When it comes to creating files, today’s users are prolific to say the least. User files represent the fastest-growing data type within organizations. Some estimates indicate that as much as 80 percent of all digital data is “unstructured”—in other words, file-based data generated by users—and it’s growing at an astounding rate of 60 percent per year. Here’s the thing: some users are packrats—saving multiple iterations of everything they create while others download every document they find on the Internet. When their hard drives fill up, they simply back up the data to the network. So, how can VARs help customers to get their data under control? The answer involves identity management. Here’s why.

Readers of The VAR Guy know that cloud storage is a market that’s accelerating in the IT channel. To that end, i365, a Seagate subsidiary, is launching enhancements to their partner program designed to lower the bar for entry and increase incentives for VARs. Here’s the scoop.

Dell is looking to capitalize on the Google Android boom as much as possible. Specifically, the PC giant is developing 7- and 10-inch tablets that leverage Android. Plus, there are clues that Dell will introduce 3- and 4-inch tablets. It makes me wonder: Will Dell offer too much customer choice? Here’s a look at the strategy.

HP is looking to flex some technical muscle by showing off at the Washington, D.C., Newseum — which is essentially, the museum of news. What’s the scoop on HP’s latest exploration on the “impact of technology on media [and] society”? Read on…

No, you’re not lost. If you’re trying to find WorksWithU — the Independent Guide to Ubuntu Linux — you’ve come to the right place. All of WorksWithU’s content is now integrated into The VAR Guy (www.thevarguy.com/category/ubuntu). Here’s why.