The VAR Guy

I’m eating my words. Anyone who knows me knows I don’t do that often. So here goes: Back in my global channel professional days I worked for EqualLogic. I was one of those channel folks who ate, slept and breathed the channel (still am). So when I got the news in 2008 that Dell (one of the less channel-friendly companies) was buying EqualLogic I couldn’t get my resume updated quickly enough. “They just don’t get it and they never will,” are the words I’m about to eat, just in case you were wondering.

ASUS has surprised the industry with its latest product unveiling at Computex 2011 in Taipei. Is it a tablet or is it a phone? It’s both! It’s Padfone, a tablet-phone combination. Much like the Motorola Atrix netbook dock, ASUS has created a tablet that docks a phone, enabling the tablet shell to be imbued with the powers of the phone. Is this the future of mobile devices? Read on, find out, and see how Padfone may have channel implications …

Microsoft has let it be known it wants to rule the unified communications market, and has spent the last few years tweaking Microsoft Exchange and building Lync to offer up a comprehensive UC offering. The VAR Guy has witnessed the evolution and the diverging paths of the two products, and thinks Microsoft’s decision to split its UC competency into two separate, new competencies makes a whole lot of sense. Read on for the details …

The VAR Guy is enjoying the three-day holiday weekend here in the U.S. before heading off to an Ingram Micro Cloud Summit (June 1-2, Phoenix, Ariz.). But before our resident blogger surfaces in Phoenix here are six channel partner blogs The VAR Guy didn’t have time to write for the week ending May 27, 2011.

Quick, name a technology giant that dominated the 1990s and amassed 85 percent share (or more) in its core markets — only to face growth challenges, competitive pressures and a stagnant stock price in recent years. Alas, both Microsoft and Cisco Systems fit that distraction. Although they lead vastly different companies, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer (pictured, left) and Cisco CEO John Chambers (right) seem to be facing similar challenges. Here’s why.

When Attachmate acquired Novell and its SUSE Linux business, The VAR Guy openly wondered if Attachmate was committed to owning and growing Novell’s SUSE Linux organization. Now, Attachmate CEO Jeff Hawn has offered a strong, clear commitment to the SUSE Linux business. Here’s the update.

What did you do this morning when you woke up? I’m guessing one of the first things you did—perhaps without even thinking about it—was flip a switch, press a button or plug something in. And what do all of these morning rituals have in common? They rely on energy—and lots of it. As a solution provider, our energy dependence can be your ticket to accelerated growth. Here are three reasons why you should be plugging into the energy and utilities vertical.

How can VARs and MSPs generate recurring revenues from managed video and collaboration services? The VAR Guy has found a potential answer. Join us June 8 for our next webcast to learn three steps that will help you profit from video conferencing, collaboration software and managed video services. Also, InFocus will unveil a new solution during the webcast and we’ll answer your questions throughout the gathering. Bonus: Use the same link to register for our June 22 webcast: Vertical Market Strategies for MSPs.

Google has officially launched Google Wallet, an Android-based app that uses near-field communications (NFC) to make payments. It links with Citi or MasterCard credit cards. Sadly, Google Wallet currently is only ready for the Sprint Nexus S 4G, but Google obviously wants to bring the feature to more phones. With NFC payments an up-and-coming technology, there’s a very good chance point-of-sale VARs could cash in big time when this takes off …

The VCE Company has launched a new initiative to proliferate the Cisco Systems/EMC/VMware-based technology deeper into the channel by launching a partner program with four distributors. What does this mean for the channel and how does it affect the virtualization landscape? The VAR Guy has some ideas …

Scale Computing has revised its channel partner program to focus its efforts on helping its VARs make healthy margins with “zero conflict” with other channel partners — the second company in as many days to announce such a program. That’s obviously great news for the channel, but what gives, and why now? Read on for some perspective …

WWDC 2011 is coming June 6, 2011, and Apple has set the stage for a focus on the future of Mac OS X and iOS. That may come as no surprise to anyone here, since Apple has been updating its mobile OS every year since 2007. But the prospect of iOS 5 becomes instantly more tantalizing when reports come in that Apple’s U.K. team is essentially begging for more press to come, even though WWDC is sold out. What could that mean? I have some speculation on how a new version iOS could have a ripple effect even into the channel …

Don’t worry, self-destructing messages aren’t necessary here. Ingram Micro is launching “Mission Possible,” a Partner Connections Summit (PCS) event with more than 200 channel partners set to attend. Even though The VAR Guy is well-versed in secrecy, the focus isn’t espionage, but there will be information-gathering. Ingram Micro’s three-day event plans to detail technology trends which are shaping the IT landscape and how partners can capitalize with Ingram by their side. Read on for mission details …

Fresh off HP’s recent thin client announcement comes another one: the company has announced what it is calling ‘smart’ clients, designed to be affordable and powerful, Dell, meanwhile, is countering with its latest OptiPlex thin clients. Tech specs, price tags and channel implications are all here, so read on for the details …

According to Symantec’s recent Internet Security Threat Report (ISTR), 2010 was a record year for new security threats discovered. At the time of the report’s release, Symantec documented 6,253 new vulnerabilities over the year. Cybercriminals are always finding new and creative ways to attack networks, steal information and, usually, make money in the process. So why do channel partners need to know about the latest threats? Because your customers need to be protected, and you can be the one to provide that service and maximize on this opportunity.

Avnet and Cisco Systems are working together to help their partners go deeper into the data center. The two companies have kicked off “The Way Forward Tour” roadshow, which will make its way across the United States (and Canada later) for VARs working with Cisco technology in the data center. VARs looking for a better understanding of current data center momentum might want to take advantage of the caravan …

If there’s one thing The VAR Guy has learned in his many years writing about this space, it’s that channel-friendly companies tend to thrive even in an economic downturn — especially those that respect their relationship with their partners enough to reward them even when a sale falls through. That’s why such companies as Certeon, which is by no means a household name, tend to gain the attention of The VAR Guy. The application acceleration and WAN optimization vendor promises a minimum 20 percent margin guaranteed to its premier resellers on all registered sales of its technology. Read on for the breakdown …

When Opera Mini came out for the iPhone a little more than a year ago, it was kind of a big deal, since Opera claimed the new iPhone browser could speed browsing by six times, and compress data transfers up to 90 percent. Opera Mini for the iPad promises more of the same, but now with an enhanced GUI and intuitive tabbed browsing. But is it all it’s cracked up to be? If you use your iPad regularly and you’re looking for a better browser, read on for a quick review …

Trade shows can be an excellent way for VARs to find new prospects for their sales teams, but if done incorrectly or without a well thought out strategy they can also become money pits that are not worth the time or effort.  These activities can be a lot of work and take a lot of your team’s time. Here are some tips for sponsoring a trade show that will help VARs improve their bottom line and justify the cost of a trade show.

A little more than a year ago, Pano Logic launched Pano Express, a VDI solution sold through VMware channels. Then, in January 2011, the company launched Pano System 4, supporting VDI through a range of hypervisors including Citrix (as a beta). Now, Pano Logic is bringing official Citrix VDI certification to its partners. Read on for the details …

We’ve taken a look at SEPATON in past, detailing how its data solutions speed up private clouds. Now, the company is looking to speed enterprise branch office data and protection with its new SEPATON S2100-DS3 Series 1000 and 2000 systems. The VAR Guy knows it’s a mouthful, but if you’re a VAR working in the enterprise, this device may be the data cure all to your customer’s branch problems. Read on for The VAR Guy perspective …

Microsoft Corp. and Citrix Systems are offering a service automation pack tool for Citrix VARs to more easily create Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) solutions for SMB cusotmers. I spoke with representatives from Microsoft, Citrix, and the channel community at Citrix Summit 2011 in San Francisco this week to get deeper details.

Anyone working in the UC and VoIP space know the importance of a good Session Border Controller to help manage voice, video and data traffic effectively. However, such technology traditionally has been available to the enterprise only, leaving SMBs with few options in performance and traffic management realm. But Edgewater’s latest SBC aims to help that previously underserved space with its EdgeMarc 250 Series Border Controller. The company has its eye on making this an all-in-one package that’s robust, price-friendly and interoperable with a host of products, but does EdgeMarc 250 answer the call? Read on …