The VAR Guy

Amid the U.S. debt rating mess, the public’s faith in Congress is at an all-time low. But there are potential signs of progress — especially for small VARs and MSPs that want the U.S. government to promote small business technology innovations. Indeed, several members of the House of Representatives, including Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL) and Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), recently demonstrated that Congress could be an ally to the SMB technology channel. Here’s why.

Abigail Adams, wife of the second U.S. President John Adams, is famous for having told her husband “don’t forget the ladies” when he was crafting laws for the new country. Fast forward to present day, and women continue to show their know-how — especially in business. Here’s the evidence.

Our next webcast is today (Wed., August 10, 2:00 p.m. eastern). We’ll discuss how VARs can Sell Secure Cloud Data Protection and Recovery Services to SMB customers. Two top channel partners — a VAR and an MSP — will describe how they evaluated and selected a cloud storage service, and we’ll also cover how those companies lined up their first cloud storage customers. The webcast will also include insights from i365, the event’s sponsor. We look forward to your questions during the webcast. You can register or find more information here.

Cisco Systems Inc. is set to announce fiscal Q4 earnings later today (Aug. 10). The VAR Guy wonders: Will CEO John Chambers (pictured) suggest that Cisco is now ready for a rebound … or will it require far more time for Cisco’s recent channel adjustments to generate sales and profit momentum?

Private VoIP cloud and integrated contact center application provider LiveVox is formalizing its dealings with its channel partners with the launch of the LiveVox Channel Partner Program, designed to help telecom agents, network consultants and all other partners increase their revenue and maximize their business value. To join the program, qualified partners must prove a consistent record of telecom, network or application success within the call center space.

Networking vendor ADTRAN is adding to its wireless prowess by snapping up Bluesocket, a privately held company specializing in wireless network solutions with virtual control. Such a move can help propel ADTRAN beyond its current market reach and into myriad new opportunities. Here’s why.

When Wall Street falls sharply and stocks plummet, the media is quick to note that there are lots of sellers in the market. But alas, the media forgets to tell the other side of the story: During a major Wall Street sell-off, somebody is doing the buying at reduced prices. Why should VARs care? That’s easy to explain.

Actiance Inc. is building a U.S. channel for its social media compliance and unified communications security software. The Belmont, Calif.-based company aims to grow its business and views partnering as the way to do that. Earlier this year, Actiance hired A.J. Tedesco, channel sales manager with e-mail and web security vendor M86 Security, as director of channel sales. The company has been building relations with partners stateside, having previously developed channels in EMEA and Asia/Pacific.

With smartphone use among physicians and nurses on the rise, healthcare software vendors now heavily target mobile platforms for application development. Much of that output is available via download — healthcare providers can hit the Android Market or Apple App store for an array of medial apps, from drug reference guides to anatomy manuals. But a few mobile health vendors target channel partners. That’s the case with Voalté, a Sarasota, Fla., company that focuses on point-of-care communications.

Few people are as passionate about their e-mail clients as they are about, say, browsers or phones. But that certainly doesn’t mean all mail apps were created equal, as Canonical showed recently when it commissioned a comparison of the open source clients Thunderbird and Evolution. Here’s a look at some of the findings.

The wait is over. Here at Lenovo, we have introduced our new Android-based ThinkPad tablet — taking the brand full circle. You can read the press release here. It’s hard to believe that the first ThinkPad, introduced back in 1992, was a pen-based tablet, but it was. The iconic ThinkPad 700c ushered in the familiar notebook form factor later. I once wrote a blog that goes deeper into the ThinkPad tablet history lesson for those who are curious. Nearly 20 years later, could our new ThinkPad tablet be the weapon of choice for business success? I think so.

Our next webcast is this week — Wednesday, August 10 at 2:00 p.m. eastern. The topic: Selling Secure Cloud Data Protection and Recovery to SMB customers. In other words, how can VARs and managed services providers select a cloud storage solution — and the appropriate cloud storage partner program — while giving end-customers peace of mind? The webcast, hosted by Talkin’ Cloud (The VAR Guy’s sister site) will include insights from two top channel partners and i365, the webcast’s sponsor. And we’ll take your questions throughout the event.

While blogging today, The VAR Guy kept one eye and one ear focused on Wall Street- where the three major indexes dropped between 4% and 5% because of a U.S. credit rating downgrade. Sure, it’s a painful day on Wall Street. But VARs who continue to focus on emerging market opportunities don’t need to press the panic button. Here’s why.

The top three IT problems plaguing SMBs are all related to hardware, according to a recent survey from Wakefield Research that was sponsored by Hewlett-Packard. The problems involve low-performing hardware (46%), out-of-date hardware (37%) and unreliable hardware (23%), leading to suboptimal computing efficiency and an overall loss of productivity.

As the U.S. struggles with the ongoing debt crisis, politicians of all stripes are putting forth a dizzying array of longer-term suggestions to fix the financial mess. Some of the ideas seem far-fetched. However, VARs and MSPs that serve the SMB technology market should pay attention to recent statements from U.S. Rep. Robert Dold (R-IL) about how aiding small businesses can help the economy.

When telecommunications carrier Qwest Communications International merged with CenturyLink in April 2011 to become CenturyLink, the results included a nationwide footprint representing what is now the third largest telecommunications provider in the United States. For Qwest’s and CenturyLink’s existing and potential partners, the merger also opened up a plethora of new opportunities.

Seven out of 10 SMBs surveyed said they expect to increase their technology spending during the next 12 months, according to a recent study released by non-profit IT industry association CompTIA (Computer Technology Industry Association). Mobile and cloud technologies are particularly strong drivers of this expected growth.

Ubuntu may be marketed as “Linux for human beings,” but Canonical is working hard to make it the open source platform of choice for app developers as well. And it’s now calling on those who fall into the latter category to offer feedback on how Ubuntu can better meet their needs. Read on for details.

There’s no question that Gmail has been one of Google’s overwhelming successes — especially compared to the company’s less well-fated endeavors such as Wave and Buzz. But lately, I’ve found myself disliking Gmail more and more. Here’s why.

A few months ago, I shared ideas with you on how to find the right partner to help you establish sales in cloud services. Now, I’d like to expand on the cloud opportunity by relating three specific actions you can take now to help your organization profit from the cloud computing revolution.

It’s safe to say much of Polycom’s success in the UCC space over the past 18 months is due to the stellar executive lineup the company has pulled together. But it has no plans on stopping now, appointing Cisco and Juniper sales maven Tracey Newell to head its global sales.

The VAR Guy is hearing through the grapevine that Enrique Rodriguez, the former Microsoft executive in charge of Cisco’s Videoscape TV-based teleconferencing solution, has departed the company. What’s more, his departure comes alongside news that Cisco has combined its service provider and enterprise video business. It all raises the question: What’s going on with Cisco’s video business? Here’s a look.

Good news for VARs with client businesses using Oracle test and development servers, product databases and applications. In late July 2011 EMC Corp. announced several new EMC Proven Solutions to help clients move to a virtualized, cloud environment more quickly using VMware vSphere. Here are the details: