The VAR Guy

Jenne, the UC-focused value-added distribution company, was brought to our attention recently through its launch of Jenne University, bringing vendor-specific training to VARs and their teams. Now, Jenne has teamed up with eXalt Solutions to create a streamlined tool for VARs to provide a quick and easy quotes for pricing VoIP solutions. Facts, figures and channel details follow …

You can’t escape it, it’s everywhere, it’s the consumerization of IT. Jumping on the bandwagon is Honeywell, which has launched an Android-specific mobile developer program for ISVs developing software for the automatic identification and data capture (AIDC) market. Sound intriguing? Here’s what ISVs, developers and, yes, even end users should know about Honeywell’s new initiative …

Google is set to acquire the Mobility division of Motorola in an effort to “supercharge” Android and “offer wonderful user experiences.” That’s big news with far reaching consequences — especially for other Google Android partners like HTC and Samsung. With Google owning a manufacturing arm for mobile phones, what can we expect the future of the Android landscape to look like, and more importantly, what’s going on with Google? Perspective you can only get here on The VAR Guy follows…

Instead of cutting VIP (Value Incentive Program) financial rewards to channel partners, Cisco Systems has increased its VIP rewards to channel partners for fiscal year 2012 — which started Aug. 1, 2011. Ricardo Moreno (pictured), senior director, Strategy, Planning & Programs, Worldwide Channels, Cisco, confirmed the increased VIP incentives today. The VIP enhancements are one piece of Cisco’s broader partner initiatives. Here’s the update.

Staffing adjustments and perhaps even layoffs may be under way at VCE, the virtual computing environment company launched by VMware, Cisco Systems and EMC Corp. Multiple channel partners tell The VAR Guy that VCE has been undergoing a reorganization and perhaps even staff cuts in recent weeks. Still, a recent SEC filing from EMC indicates that VCE’s momentum continues to build despite EMC recording an $88.4 million loss on VCE in the first half of 2011. Here’s the update.

If you’ve been saving your pennies to buy the Dell Streak 5, you’re officially out of luck. Dell has killed the tiny tablet/phone roughly a year after its release. Here’s some perspective on what that means for the mini-tablet workplace and what that may mean for you, dear VAR, if you’re working on a tablet strategy …

While a carpenter may have a workshop filled with thousands of tools, many designed for very specific uses, he could likely accomplish a majority of his work using just a few basic implements. Consider the number of projects that can be completed with just a hammer, screwdriver and saw? The final project may be a little rough without utilizing specialized equipment (such as a router), but a number of beneficial things can be constructed with just these few items.

Lenovo is feeling bullish on its SMB channel strategy, especially when it comes to its hardware. To kick up that Lenovo momentum, the company has inked a deal with distributor SED International to bring a slice of Lenovo’s portfolio to SED’s U.S. resellers. How will that expanded footprint shape Lenovo’s channel presence? Details follow …

McAfee is giving its partner program some serious love with the latest enhancements to its deal registration program. Designed to boost margins and improve the time to deal-registration approval, the changes aim to reward partners for their loyalty and entice associate partners to move up to higher-tiered statuses. The VAR Guy spoke to Alex Thurber, senior vice president of worldwide channels at McAfee, about the news. Here’s the scoop …

If you’re a road warrior who works best in cramped coffee shops but hates viewing stuff on your tiny laptop screen, you might be interested in Lenovo’s latest product lineup: two new 14- and 15-inch ThinkPads outfitted with AMD’s APUs and the ThinkVision LT1421 Wide, Lenovo’s first foray in the mobile monitor marketplace. Can it improve your productivity? Here’s a rundown on the tech specs …

The VAR Guy is looking ahead to the week of August 15 and thinking about joining a gym. Our resident blogger has some weighty issues to address. But  before The VAR Guy burns some calories, let’s burn through six blogs our resident blogger didn’t have time to write for the week ending August 12, 2011.

Remember when we asked whether Android devices were disposable? Apparently, that’s a touchy subject for a lot of people, and sparked some lively debate. I believe the price tag for many Android devices seems high because manufacturers tend to abandon support of older products as new technologies are rolled out. But Acer is addressing the investment issue with its new Iconia Tab A100 7-inch tablet, featuring a surprising price tag.

Not too long ago we looked at start up VMTurbo and its foray into the virtualization management scene with VMTurbo Community Edition, a free way to monitor virtualization environment and infrastructures. Initially, VMTurbo only supported VMware environments, but now it has added support for Microsoft Hyper-V. Here are the quick details on the new virtualization platform adoption …

Tech Data has inked a deal to provide dedicated support and perks for Microsoft’s channel partners worldwide through the IAMCP (International Association of Microsoft Channel Partners). If you’re a Microsoft partner, read on for the list of benefits you’re now eligible for by working with the distribution powerhouse …

Michael Dell and top executives from Microsoft, Salesforce.com, Intel and VMware are confirmed to speak at the first-ever Dell World conference (Oct. 12-14, Austin, Texas). The event will attempt to help CIOs manage the Virtual Era of IT. Are channel partners invited? Absolutely yes. As Dell Channel Chief Greg Davis stated to The VAR Guy, “You know we welcome partners in all of our events.” Here’s the update.

Webinars are a great way to demonstrate a VAR’s expertise to a targeted audience: Existing customers and prospective customers. However, in our conversations with VARs we have found that many are reluctant to host their own webinars.  They are either unfamiliar with the procedures involved, or simply lack the necessary technical resources and expertise. Here are some quick tips to help VARs host webinars.

Likewise’s decision earlier in summer 2011 to exit the Active Directory bridge market represented a momentous shift in direction. But the company remains eminently alive and kicking, with some new initiatives lined up in the storage channel. Here’s a look at what the “new” Likewise is up to.

Security company Sophos is looking for a deeper foothold in the channel, so it has turned to D&H Distributing to help accomplish that. As part of a new distribution agreement, Sophos’s threat management and protection suites will now be available to partners working with D&H Computing in North America. Here’s what you should know …

The VAR Guy has to give credit where credit is due: Avnet is a bright star in a very dark economic sky. The distribution company posted figures for the end of fiscal year 2011, announcing record sales of $26.5 billion amid numerous other increases. So The VAR Guy wants to know: What’s next for the distribution giant, and what exactly is fueling its success? Facts, figures and the channel follow …

The open source unified threat management (UTM) company Astaro is launching an update to its UTM Security Gateway platform. Version 8.2 brings with it a slew of new features aimed to help users and network IT admins gain deeper visibility into their network and enhance their control of network operations. Read on for the full list of updates and the all-important channel perspective …

Getting your app published in the Apple App Store can be an unnerving process, considering the Apple review panel may or may not approve your application. For the enterprise, Apple offers the ability to run and deploy internal applications on iOS without Apple approval, but that isn’t always ideal (and can be expensive). HTML5 web apps are emerging as an alternative to iOS apps, but are they the answer to crossing the divide between Apple platforms and the rest of the tabletsphere? Here’s some channel perspective for cloud-based VARs, ISVs and more…

VCE — the Virtual Computing Environment Company backed by VMware, Cisco and EMC — is making the move to distribution this month. On the one hand the move isn’t surprising, based on VCE announcements from May 2011. But on the other hand, Ingram Micro is striving to get ahead of the story — hoping to position itself as VCE’s leading distributor.

Cisco Systems Inc. CEO John Chambers sounded cautiously optimistic today when the networking giant announced Q4 fiscal year 2011 results. Instead of looking back on layoffs and abandoned products, Chambers talked about progress that will position the company for the next stage of growth. The big question: Can Chambers really deliver that growth?