The VAR Guy

Microsoft’s Building Windows 8 Blog, once again, unveils secrets of the Windows 8 development process. This time, the blog focuses more on Task Manager — and its implications for IT administrators and partners who need to maintain the operating system. Apparently, the Windows 8 Team has devised a way to manage multiple logical CPUs, which is especially important in a server environment. Here’s how a simple GUI update could change a VAR or IT admin’s day…

In July 2011, Logitech slashed the price of their Google TV unit, Revue, to $99. I asked if that was really enough to gain adoption, even with a Google TV Android upgrade on the way. Now, since Ice Cream Sandwich has launched, Google has announced a Google TV update. Still, I’ve got to repeat my question: Are Google TV enhancements enough to keep the platform relevant, especially amid the near certainty of a new, killer, Apple TV offering?

It looks like HP is keeping its PSG group after all. Part of that move, made by HP CEO Meg Whitman, is a result of  Windows 8 tablet opportunities and a shifting PC landscape. But it also means the life of HP’s webOS hangs in the balance. Does webOS stand a chance? The VAR Guy has some thoughts…

What do you do when your partners also become some of your most important customers? That’s a challenge Canonical executives grappled with recently as they moved to restructure Canonical’s relationship with OEMs. Here’s what’s changed at the company, and what it means for the open source channel.

Cisco Systems showed up at the Red Hat North American Partner Conference chatting up its renewed relationship and collaboration with the Red Hat team. The goal? To create solutions that make it easier for Red Hat to proliferate into the data center, for both the channel and customer alike. Details coming up …

We’ve all heard the rumors, and now The New York Times says they’re true: According to a Times article, Apple is more than definitely working on a brand new TV. And it’s more than just an AppleTV unit shoved inside a glossy aluminum and glass TV set. Apparently, the Apple TV set will be more than a consumer product, it’ll be an experience. Here’s what that means …

The VAR Guy continues to ask the question: Can Digium and its open source IP PBX technology Asterisk make inroads in the telecom space? Now that Asterisk 10 has been released, more signs are pointing to yes. Read on for the feature list of Asterisk 10, and a little perspective on how it could shape the VoIP world …

Avnet announced its Q1 2012 results, which included some modest gains but growth was mostly flat overall. Avnet CEO Rick Hamada admitted “Q1 is typically our weakest revenue quarter,” but Wall Street seemed unfazed by the results. Read on for the details.

HP has done a 180-degree turn on its earlier decision to sell or spin off its Personal Systems Group, calling it the “right decision” for the company.

Microsoft is sharing some big software sales figures at a small business channel partner conference today in New Jersey. For instance: Microsoft’s U.S.-based SMB open license revenues grew 30 percent during the company’s fiscal year 2011, which ended in June. U.S. SMB demand for SQL Server and Office 2010 were even higher. Yes, the numbers a bit dated. But they reinforce some clear trends.

Canonical’s commitment to longterm support for Ubuntu just got longer, with businesses running Ubuntu on their desktops targeted as the chief beneficiaries. Here’s the scoop and what it says about Canonical’s strategy.

They’re finally here, the legendary Nokia Windows Phone 7.5 “Mango” phones. They’ve only just entered the market (and only in Europe), but what can we expect and what does the future of Windows Phone 7 look like? Tech specs and analysis are coming right up …

Remember IBM’s Watson technology that played Jeopardy? It’s now playing doctor. Picture it: You’re wearing a hospital gown, your nurse is fumbling with a clipboard and Watson is telling you that you’re fine, you just have a minor sinus infection. Well, maybe that’s not exactly the way the future will be, but IBM has found its first client to bring in IBM’s Watson in conjunction with the “IBM Content and Predictive Analytics for Healthcare.” Intrigued? Paranoid? Read on …

The VAR Guy knows SMB is where it’s at, and Symantec is making sure its partners have all the opportunities to attack that growing space. This time, Symantec is launching targeted security and backup focuses for its SMB Specialization, with a direct line to the Symantec Technical Support Center. Add in a little of Symantec’s Q2 2012 results, and things are starting to look interesting …

You probably do it about 500 times a day: slide to unlock. It’s the ubiquitous iOS method of accessing your device. It was one of Steve Jobs’ proudest moments in 2007, when he showed off this uniquely different feature on the iPhone. And now, Apple officially holds the patent for the slide-to-unlock design. What does this mean for the Android world? Read on for the details …

Many organizations today are beginning to expect more from their solution providers. Topping the list of IT partner qualifications these days is a thorough understanding of the end-user’s business and industry—and they’re willing to pay extra for it. Here are 8 tips to adding industry-specific solutions to your portfolio.

IBM partners working with Avnet now have access to new analytical programs designed to give them an edge when attacking vertical business markets. Avnet will be working to deliver “Destination: Analytics” with IBM to U.S. and Canadian partners in the form of new training tools and marketing opportunities. Here’s the rundown …

At Citrix Summit 2011 this week in Barcelona, Spain, Citrix renewed its focus on SMB with a new version of Citrix VDI-in-a-Box. Version 5 combines Citrix VDI-in-a-Box and the Citrix GoToManage cloud based support ostensibly to make it super-easy, super-quick and super-affordable for SMBs to add virtualization. Here’s the scoop on how partners can dive in and how SMBs can benefit.

For all the Mac-loving VARs in the world, the times they are a-changing. MacWorld now officially will be dubbed Macworld | iWorld, as Macs fade into the background and iDevices climb to prominence. What does that mean for the future of Macs, iOS devices and mobile development in general? That’s all coming up …

Virtualization specs are often compared by “how many,” “what kind” and “how much,” but often overlooked is “how fast.” But Red Hat and HP are focusing on speed through a partnership designed to provide the “highest overall performance” with KVM and HP’s ProLiant DL980 servers. What does that mean in good old-fashioned plain English? The VAR Guy will tell you …

Sometimes, CEO succession planning involves executive retirement (IBM) or tragic circumstances (Apple). Either way, Hewlett-Packard — a poster child for poor succession planning — can learn plenty of best practices amid the CEO transitions at IBM and Apple. Here’s why.

Virginia M. Rometty will succeed Sam Palmisano as IBM’s president and CEO on  January 1, 2012, IBM announced today. “Ginni” Rometty, a sales and marketing executive, is a longtime IBM veteran who has deep software and services expertise — two areas where IBM has thrived in recent years. Still, IBM suffered a slight revenue shortfall in its most recent quarter. It makes The VAR Guy wonder: Is Rometty taking over IBM just as the company is showing signs of slowing growth? And if so, can Rometty jumpstart growth? Hmmm…

Riverbed Technology is parlaying the technology it gained from its July 2011 acquisitions of Zeus Technology and Aptimize into a line of optimization hardware designed to address asymmetric web traffic.