The VAR Guy

The VAR Guy can’t help but get excited about this one: HP is making some bold moves in the IT convergence space as it looks to work its way out of its technology stagnation. In an interview with Bloomberg about HP’s future, company CEO Leo Apotheker said HP has lost its “soul” and in an effort to get it back will be including webOS on every PC it ships out in 2012. That one move will have a huge impact on the mobile and desktop computing space, The VAR Guy believes. Here’s why:

Roughly a year ago, Coraid offered its new EtherDrive technology that aimed to boost network speed by removing SAN bottlenecks. Now the company is working with Arista Networks for a new Ethernet SAN offering that aims for the cloud. Here are the details …

Panda Security and ftopia are partnering for a secure online business venture to make online file collaboration safer than ever. Panda Security is lending its cloud-based anti-malware technology, and ftopia plans on offering its SaaS file-sharing services that already combine ease of collaboration with high security. What can we expect from the dynamic duo? Read on …

Avaya is looking to make its communication technology more than a series of cookie-cutter solutions. The communications platform vendor is singing the praises of its latest partner-developed applications developed through Avaya DevConnect, its partner development program, and designed to complement Avaya IP Office as ubiquitous and easy-to-use communication application solutions. Here’s the breakdown …

VMware aims to be wind that moves the clouds with its new vCenter Operations solution, designed for both virtual and cloud environments to provide a sort of automated IT-as-a-Service offering that promotes easy resource management. I spoke to VMware’s Rob Smoot, director of product marketing management, about the new technology. Here’s the scoop …

Adobe is showing some love for HTML5 with the the release of Wallaby, a marsupial-named program that essentially converts Flash applications into HTML5. It’s now in pre-release format for developers and coders to get their hands on. The VAR Guy believes Wallaby carries in its pouch some pretty big implications. Here’s why …

Fresh from LSI’s launch of MegaRAID comes a new LSI offering, affirming the company’s love affair with speedy storage. It’s the LSI WarpDrive SPL-300 solid-state storage card and it will be joining forces with Supermicro server platforms. Demanding applications got your speed down? LSI wants to fix that. Here’s how …

Dell Channel Chief Greg Davis (pictured) sounds downright optimistic. The reason: Dell recently announced strong quarterly results, with an assist from channel partners. Now, Davis and the Dell PartnerDirect team are preparing to accelerate the company’s storage channel initiative… before shifting some attention to a potential cloud partner program effort. The current focus: Dell’s recent buyout of Compellent Technologies. Davis sees potential synergies between Dell’s EqualLogic partners and Compellent partners. Here’s why.

There was a time — before the cloud redefined computing, and when cell phones were just phones — when managing Active Directory environments was uncomplicated and limited in scope. That era passed long ago, and the AD-integration market is now evolving into a new creature entirely. But where exactly is it headed? I recently sat down (virtually, of course) with representatives  from Centrify for their take on the future direction of this channel. Read on for highlights of their vision.

Bocada, which specializes in data protection management, is launching a new assessment tool for its partners. The Bocada Prism Assessment Program gives channel partners tools to evaluate customers’ data protection environment and backup infrastructure. The result? A potential value-add that holds real value for the customer. Here are the details …

Ingram Micro knows its not easy being green, and the distributor has launched a new program to help its reseller customers move ever more eco-friendly. The Smart Steward Recycling Program follows on the heels of Ingram Micro’s June 2010 plan to become EPA SmartWay Certified, and looks to provide revenue incentives for North American resellers who want to be socially responsible. What does that entail, exactly?

Lenovo is updating its bread and butter: the ubiquitous ThinkPad laptop line. This time, the X-series is getting a facelift with the introduction of the X220 and the X220 tablet laptop. Both models are designed for up to 24-hour battery life, low-power yet high-end CPUs and a thin and lightweight profile. Could these be the new road warrior machines? Read on for the details …

The road to enterprise cloud computing is paved with opportunity for enterprising solution providers who are properly positioned and equipped. As organizations continue to add virtual infrastructure to their physical resources and begin experimenting with internal clouds, they’ll need new technical capabilities, operating processes, policies and management tools that are non-trivial to acquire, integrate and master. Most will find themselves stuck at some point in the journey, struggling to achieve the promised gains in efficiency and cost savings. They may feel like the economic benefits and operational agility can’t be realized until the journey is nearly complete.

IP communications software vendor BroadSoft is filling out the features of its BroadCloud cloud-based delivery platform with the introduction of BroadCloud Video, a high-definition, SaaS-based videoconferencing service offered through service providers.

We know you’re out there, RIM fans. We know you may be tempted by the allure of the iPhone or the flashiness of an Android phone, but you’re loyal to RIM. You love your keyboard and your BlackBerry OS, and you totally won’t give up that one sacred thing of all BlackBerry users: The BlackBerry Messenger, or BBM. But my BlackBerry-toting friends and I have noticed our BBM friend lists are continually shrinking. If rumors are true, however, that will be changing very soon: Chatter abounds that BBM may come to iOS and Android devices and bringing all its realtime features along for the ride. Here’s the scoop …

The VAR Guy eats up channel news like a Hoover on dirt, but sometimes news slips through the cracks. This time, our resident blogger was so busy attending partner conferences that he missed out on FalconStor’s new PartnerChoice partner program. With a mighty mea culpa for missing the news, here’s a rundown of PartnerChoice …

Microsoft created a monster, and it’s not the smoldering remnants of Windows XP users. It’s actually Internet Explorer 6. Microsoft wants you to help lay IE6′s weary code to rest, and has officially set up a global deathwatch in the hopes of increasing awareness that there are indeed versions Internet Explorer beyond 6. Microsoft pegs global usage of IE6 at 12 percent as of Feburary 2011 and wants it to drop to 1 percent. So why is it so high?

The VAR Guy spent most of last week at Cisco Partner Summit, chasing rumors and also asking CEO John Chambers some tricky questions about the recent COO decision. Now, it’s time for The VAR Guy to get caught up on the rest of his work. Here are six channel partner blogs The VAR Guy didn’t have time to write for the week ending March 4, 2011.

Lenovo is planning a one-two channel punch in May, 2011. The first involves the Accelerate 2011 Lenovo Channel Partner Forum (May 16-18, Las Vegas), hosted by Lenovo North American Channel Chief Chris Frey (pictured). The second involves Chief Marketing Officer David Roman unveiling a global marketing campaign, which could generate more SMB and corporate demand for Lenovo’s channel partners. Here’s the update.

The VAR Guy just returned from Cisco Partner Summit 2011 in New Orleans. Now, it’s time to catch up on all the news (and gossip…) from across the IT channel this week. So here’s a list of the 15 most read blogs from across our sites (The VAR Guy, TalkinCloud and MSPmentor) for the week ending March 4, 2011. Take a look…

Trust is obviously important in business. I would take idea that one step further and say trust is more important in the channel.

You may have missed it amid all the iPad 2 news, but Apple has quietly launched the much-rumored Joint Venture for businesses without even issuing so much as a press release. What’s the lowdown on the managed services offered by Apple? Read on …

The VAR Guy hears a lot about likes and dislikes in the tablet world, whether it’s Android, iOS, webOS, RIM’s Playbook or otherwise. But choosing a tablet is a lot like buying a smartphone — and what’s right for one person may not be a good fit for someone else. So what should you really be looking for when you’re shopping for a tablet?