The VAR Guy spent much of this week at Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2011 (WPC11), where the software giant proved it still knows how to build new, multi-billion-dollar businesses. But what else happened in the channel this week? Here are six channel partner blog entries The VAR Guy didn’t have time to write for the week ending July 15, 2011.

7. New Channel Chief: BlueArc, the storage vendor, has named Chris White as VP of global channel sales. Previously, White was senior director of channel sales at NetApp, White has more than a decade of experience in enterprise sales and will lead BlueArc’s global channel program, the company says.

6. Nasty Cat Fight: Amid pending layoffs at Cisco Systems, the cat fight between HP and Cisco continues to intensify. HP has been contacting the media to poke holes in Cisco’s new Catalyst 6500 switch upgrades. Meow. HP has also been touting third-party research that shows steady gains against Cisco’s networking business. Cisco, meanwhile, continues to tell the media that its market share remains strong, though CEO John Chambers spent his Cisco Live keynote this week describing how the company will get nimble again.

5. Did Anything Really Change?: McAfee President Dave DeWalt is departing now that Intel owns McAfee. But McAfee Channel Chief Alex Thurber remains in place, and McAfee has also hired Cisco channel veteran Lang Tibbils. And McAfee will host a partner conference in Las Vegas this fall. Bottom line: DeWalt’s departure will have zero impact on McAfee’s channel commitment, The VAR Guy believes.

4. Attention Mobile VARs: Samsung Electronics America Inc., a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Corp., has launched a Partners in Innovation channel program. That’s all The VAR Guy has to say about that… at least for now.

3. Virtual Leap Into the Cloud: It sounds like Avnet Technology Solutions is preparing to make more virtualization moves. That tip comes from several VARs who attended WPC11. The Avnet move could be part of the broader Avnet CloudReady initiative. Meanwhile, Tech Data‘s forthcoming StreamOne Solutions Store seems set to counter Ingram Micro Cloud — a cloud procurement site for VARs and MSPs.

2. Magical Mystery Tour: The VAR Guy is catching up with Sir Paul — as in, Mr. Paul McCartney — tonight at Yankee Stadium. For an anonymous blogger, The VAR Guy sure knows how to mingle with royalty.

1. Check the Headline: This remains a Top Six list. Always has been. Always will be. That’s all for now. Thanks for reading.

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