The VAR Guy

Partner relationships traditionally have not been one of Siemens Enterprise Communications’ strengths. Despite its reputation as having a strong communications and UC portfolio, its reputation as less-than-friendly toward its partners has held it back from being a real player within the channel.

After weeks of consideration, Hewlett-Packard has confirmed plans to contribute webOS to the open source community. On the one hand, that’s good news for webOS lovers who want to see the mobile operating system live on. On the other hand, the timing of HP’s announcement essentially proves that HP itself has serious doubts about webOS’s viability as an open source project amid Apple iOS and Google Android dominance.

Judgment Day apparently is just around the corner for Hewlett-Packard’s WebOS tablet and smartphone operating system. Piece together statements from HP, and it sounds like CEO Meg Whitman will disclose some sort of WebOS update — live or die — today or sometime the week of December 12. But ultimately, WebOS’s fate may have been sealed when HP killed its associated WebOS TouchPad tablet and smartphone strategy.

HP is giving its channel an early holiday present with a number of changes to PartnerONE and other programs designed to make HP even more relevant to its networking partners.

Two major strategic bets — Windows 8 and the Windows Store — could make or break Microsoft’s fortunes for years to come. The big question: Can Windows 8 and the Windows Store combo, coupled with special revenue incentives, make software developers fall in love with Microsoft again? Or have the Apple App Store and Google Chrome Web Store already won the hearts and minds of app developers?

The VAR Guy is starting to build his travel schedule for 2012. And he’s already spotted a potential date conflict: It looks like Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) and VMware (VMW) — which do partner with one another — are scheduled to host their respective channel partner summits during the same week, in the same city, for 2012.

Spreading IT resources across multiple physical locations can lower costs, protect against data loss and improve performance. But it also creates more opportunities for bad people to break in. With concerns like these in mind, Opengear is making a run at the security space with the introduction of a new gateway product centered on security. Here’s the scoop:

Resellers working in the digital signage space now have another arrow in their quiver thanks to a partnership between Tech Data and Saddle Ranch Digital.

In the last month, my search for a sufferable desktop environment in the wake of my Unity and GNOME Shell disappointment has led me to try a lot of things I never had the patience for before, such as compiling one alternative interface from source. It’s also inspired me to revisit Xfce, a desktop environment I’d once sworn off but which is suiting my tastes more and more these days. I may even end up a Xubunter. Here’s why:

D-Link is bringing new switching hardware to the SMB space, designed specifically to be compact and power-efficient, in addition to offering some traffic optimization features. Specifications and price tags on the four new routers follow …

Riverbed Technology is closing the books on 2011 by releasing a major update to the Riverbed Optimization System (RiOS), the software that powers its Steelhead WAN optimization appliances. With this update, Riverbed has enhanced RiOS’s video capabilities and included support for a slew of technologies including IPv6 and the UDP protocol.

As we celebrate the successes of the past year, it’s also a great time to start looking toward 2012. In the new year, consider ways to stay ahead of your customers, and help them develop a strong business strategy. In today’s world, you not only need to be a salesperson, but also need strong business skills to grow your business and increase your relevance in the new year.

When Oracle (ORCL) announced the Oracle Database Appliance in September, Avnet Technology Solutions ordered 100 of the appliances for its VARs and channel partners to resell. Avnet (AVT), the value-added distributor, received the Oracle appliances in October. So how are they selling?

After having the Lenovo IdeaPad K1 and Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet for the last couple of months and being able to compare them side by side, I now can give this Android duo its proper review. If you’re a VAR looking for another Android tablet to add to your lineup, or if you just want to treat yourself or your family this holiday season, read on to find out why Lenovo should be an option worth considering …

These days, it’s nigh impossible to find anyone who can talk about the future of IT without carrying on about the cloud — and with good reason, since cloud computing is certainly important. But Talend is betting enough data will stay local for customers to demand a mixed strategy for a long time to come. At least, that’s what version 5 of the company’s open source platform released in November 2011 suggests. Here’s the scoop:

Polycom is showing its love for Microsoft Lync by expanding interoperability between its communications products and the UC platform, including the release of a new videoconference room solution designed specifically for Lync.

Here’s some news that slipped by us: Microsoft apparently is hard at work building iOS versions of the Office suite. It’s a smart move for Microsoft, especially as its works to proliferate deeper in the mobile and cloud spaces. But you’ll never guess where the news broke …

Still waiting for that iOS 5 jailbreak? You’re not the only one. It hasn’t happened yet because Apple did a pretty fantastic job of patching up iOS 5 exploits, and without exploits, there can be no jailbreaks. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t exploits to be found, and so the jailbreak team wants to know when your iPhone or iPhone app crashes. Read on …

The latest buzz around Canonical may be about extending the Ubuntu Linux platform to TVs, phones and other mobile devices and selling PCs in Asia and Europe. But that hasn’t stopped the company from continuing to market Ubuntu aggressively as a solution for corporate desktops. Here’s a look at its latest effort — an ebook recently released — and what it says about Canonical’s strategy for the big-business market going forward.

The VAR Guy spent all of his time this afternoon catching up on email and reader questions. Faced with those distractions, here are five technology news tips The VAR Guy failed to pursue and confirm for the week ending Dec. 2, 2011.

Not too long ago Microsoft shipped me another loaner phone to test out Windows Phone 7 Mango. Well, it’s been put through its paces again, and this time, it’s definitely improved. But Windows Phone 7 still isn’t without its quirks. Read on for the re-review of Microsoft’s mobile smartphone operating system …

Distribution giant Tech Data is making a big cut before the new year: All its commercial operations in Brazil are being halted. How does this affect VARs, and why is Tech Data pulling out? Read on for the details …

IBM, in a partnership with Micron Technology, plans to develop a very special chip it calls the “Hybrid Memory Cube,” or HMC. IBM says this 3D chip will deliver memory speeds 15 times faster than what’s already on the market. How does it work and more importantly, should you care? Read on …