The VAR Guy

The VAR Guy likes writers who buck conventional wisdom. In recent weeks, most pundits have been bashing Microsoft’s proposed Yahoo! takeover. But James Nicholson, a CNet veteran, has an interesting take on the proposed Microsoft-Yahoo! combo that caught The VAR Guy’s eye.

The VAR Guy certainly loves his iPhone. But he’s keeping a close eye on Google’s open source operating system for mobile phones, called Android. If Google plays its cards right, Android could be the operating system that allows dual-mode VoIP phones to flourish. Here’s a first-look at Android, directly from Google.

Lots of folks — including The VAR Guy — expect Google to announce a mobile software/phone strategy on November 5. Now for the rather interesting twist: The VAR Guy wonders if Ubuntu Linux will be Google’s preferred platform for a range of forthcoming mobile devices and services.

Sometimes, small acquisitions are big deals. For instance, Cisco Systems today acquired Latigent, a privately held company that sells Web-based software for call centers. The deal was so small that Cisco did not disclose financial details. However, The VAR Guy believes the Latigent deal is a sign of things to come from Cisco.