The VAR Guy

If you like playing connect the dots, you might like this rumor roundup. What do you get when the Verizon CEO says nothing about an iPhone in his CES 2011 keynote, but rumors abound that Apple is announcing a vacation blackout (typical during iPhone launches) for the end of January? For some, it’s a confirmation iPhone is coming to Verizon. For others, like me, it causes a heavy sigh. Here’s why I still don’t believe Apple is planning a surprise Verizon iPhone …

Talk about ironic timing. SAP Channel Chief Pat Hume is stepping down just as rival Oracle emerges from a quiet period and potentially prepares to make some more noise in the channel. Also of note: SAP VP of Public Relations Bill Wohl has apparently jumped to Hewlett-Packard. Here’s the update and the spin, as only The VAR Guy can imagine, er, report it.

The entire IT world is partying it up in Las Vegas this week — attending the Consumer Electronics Show. Alas, The VAR Guy is skipping the party and hiding away in his home office this  week. Why’s that? Here are the top nine reasons The VAR Guy skips CES every year.

The VAR Guy had a lengthy conversation with Microsoft Channel Chief Jon Roskill (pictured) today. The call marks roughly six months since the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2010. During the discussion, Roskill offered some timely updates on Microsoft’s cloud, virtualization, CRM and channel partner strategies. Most of the points included key business milestones — including alleged competitive gains vs. VMware and Salesforce.com. Still,  Microsoft faces some key challenges. Here’s the scoop.

Fresh from NetMarketShare.com are the latest sales numbers for the holiday season for Android and iOS. The figures show a definite rapid growth pattern with Android, although iOS still dominates the market. How is this trend shaping the market now, and will it change following tablet-heavy CES 2011? Here’s some perspective  from The VAR Guy.

It’s all over the Internet. Lucky press were selected and invited by HP to attend a special webOS event on February 9, 2011. Even though we speculated about HP’s potential surprises at CES 2011, it looks like anything that has to do with webOS will have to wait. But is this a smart strategy for HP? What is the strategy, exactly? Read on for some insights …

Our next MSPmentor Live webcast, hosted by The VAR Guy’s sister site, is set for January 26 at 2:00 p.m. eastern. The topic: Six questions MSPs must ask before selecting an RMM (remote monitoring and management) tool. Here’s a bit more about the webcast and our guest speakers.

Attention technology vendors: When you correspond with your channel partners, are you inundating them with too much information? If you have a robust channel program with many different departments all working together there’s a possibility that your partners can get as many as five communications from your company per week. Multiply that by the other vendors they sell, and it’s amazing partners listen to you at all. This is why it’s so important that vendors communicate internally to schedule partner communications so partners don’t get bombarded.

Let’s assume Attachmate finalizes the Novell acquisition on March 9, 2011. According to an SEC filing, Certain Novell executives could earn $1.38 million to $6.85 million in lump sum cash payments if their positions are terminated on that date. So which Novell executives are staying and which ones may leave with a hefty bounty? The VAR Guy doesn’t know for sure. But here’s a look at potential severance packages, including potential cash payouts for Novell’s CEO and Novell’s channel chief.

Fluendo’s big announcement at CES 2011 this week centered around updates to its Moovida media player, including long-anticipated support for a stable Linux version. Here’s the scoop, and why it matters for Linux partners in particular.

Qualcomm, chipmaker for mobile devices, has entered a “definitive agreement” to scoop up Atheros. What’s cooking here? Atheros is known for its wireless and wired networking prowess, especially in the consumer electronics industry. What can such a merging of technologies mean for the future of mobile devices? Read on for some perspective …

Avnet has kicked off 2011 with one acquisition (of itX Group Ltd.) and one divestiture (of New ProSys Corp.). The moves come shortly after Avnet announced some key end-of-2010 appointments to bolster its HP and IBM solutions groups. The distributor seems to be doing some serious moving and shaking. Here’s the update.

Avaya is bolstering its audio collaboration technology portfolio with its acquisition of Umeå, Sweden-based audioconferencing system vendor Konftel. The move is a potential positive for both Avaya and its channel partners. Here’s why:

Panda Security’s PandaLabs has released its 2010 annual security report, covering a range of issues including malware, cybercrime and social media exploitation. What were trends and how do they relate to the channel? Read on for some interesting details …

For a week and a half I lived with the Windows Phone 7. I put my iPhone away and bid adieu to mobile phone paradigm I was used to. Microsoft sent me a Samsung Focus a few days before Christmas. I considered it an early present (on loan, of course), but did Windows Phone 7 zap my holiday cheer? Read on.

Roughly a year ago, Lenovo made noise at CES 2010 for the IdeaPad U1 Hybrid notebook. It looks like a regular Windows 7 laptop, but — pop the screen out — and it’s a tablet that potentially competes with Apple’s iPad. In 2010 the tablet was set to run a custom version of Linux that Lenovo had built. But Lenovo put that on hold. Why? Because now the IdeaPad U1 hybrid is actually shipping Q1 2011 in China and it’ll be running Android 2.2 instead. Here’s the scoop…

Sponsored Videos: MyLife, a social media site and people search engine, had 17 million monthly unique visitors in Q4 2010 — which represents 95 percent-plus growth from Q4 2009. So how is MyLife scaling its web site and its business? The answer comes from Cloud Creek Systems, a solutions provider that bet its business on the Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) Specialized partner program.

Amazon Consulting, a channel-focused consulting and services group led by Diane Krakora, has added to its ranks of channel heavyweights Kevin Rhone (pictured), former director of consulting for Everything Channel IPED.

How does Attachmate plan to manage Novell’s products and channel partner strategy? An SEC Filing dated January 3, 2011 provides some new clues. The bottom line: While Attachmate seems committed to Novell’s products and partner program, some individual brand names could change or fade away. Plus, Attachmate and Novell still need to work out when and where the Novell BrainShare conferences will be held this year. Here’s the update.

Aiming to increase its profile in the thin client space, HP is replacing its current line of thin clients with new, upgraded devices designed to increase the value proposition for its channel partners. So what’s included in the T5500 series, and how can VARs benefit from the new technology? Tad Bodeman, HP Americas’ thin client solutions manager, offered some details:

Last year during CES 2010, Lenovo touted its line of shiny new all-in-one (AIO) units. This year at CES 2011 the company is doing more of the same, but this time with a bit more pizazz. Looking nearly identical from last year’s A300, the new IdeaCenter A320 features upgraded guts. Also coming down the AIO line are the B520, B320 and C205 – updated versions of current models. All of them are very competitively priced, and all of them with new fancy features including 3D, TV integration and more …

The VAR Guy tried to unplug during the holidays. But anxious readers kept sending our resident blogger more and more email. The big topic of discussion: Updating a list of 75 different channel partner conferences and events in 2011. So, based on reader demand, here is that updated list — which now totals 99 channel partner events, conferences, summits and more. For the most part each conference is designed for VARs and/or managed services providers — though a few focus more on ISVs (independent software vendors). Take a look.

There’s a lot of buzz in the air about iPad version 2, and there’s no question Apple is already hot in production with the device. Just like summer in North America brings a new iPhone, it looks like January will now be the month of the iPad. What can we expect? Alleged pictures of cases for the new iPad have sprung up all over the place, but they don’t tell the entire story.