The VAR Guy

HP (NYSE: HPQ) partners looking for a way to boost their existing services capabilities or those wondering if services are right for them now need look no further than Avnet Technology Solutions (NYSE: AVT), which has joined the HPServiceONE partner program.

Where is Ingram Micro (NYSE: IM) heading next in cloud computing, managed services and the IT channel? The answers will emerge within minutes at the Ingram Micro VTN conference at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo. The VAR Guy is seated in the front row for keynotes, which start shortly. Keep checking back. This live blog will contain minute-by-minute updates throughout the morning.

Welcome to another edition of Distribution Watch, our weekly assemblage of all things distribution related. This week we’ve got stuff from Westcon, Avnet Technology Solutions and Ingram Micro (NASDAQ: IM), so settle in and we’ll get to it.

Hello and welcome to this week’s Distribution Watch, where we look at the latest doings in the distribution space. This week Jenne Inc., Avnet Technology Solutions and Ingram Micro are ready for their close-up, so wipe off your lens and let’s get to it.

Welcome once again to another edition of Distribution Watch, our weekly recap of doings in the world of distributors. This week we train our eyes on Avnet, ScanSource and niche distributor Parts Now, so let’s take a peek.

Recognizing the fact that business never sleeps, Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) and Infosys, a Diamond level member of the Oracle Partner Network, have developed the Project Driven Supply Chain for High Technology Companies, a platform designed to help companies reduce their inventory and increase their productivity.

The Oracle Database Appliance is catching on with channel partners and customers, Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) asserts. But who is actually using the Oracle Database Appliance (ODA)? New details emerged at the Oracle Industry Analyst World conference in Redwood Shores, Calif. Here’s a recap of the chatter.

Perhaps you can go home again — assuming you’ve got the talent and reputation to do so. A case in point: Ingram Micro (NYSE: IM) has hired company veteran Jennifer Anaya as VP of marketing, North America. Anaya, well-known within VAR and MSP circles, will oversee Ingram’s U.S. and Canadian marketing organizations.

Providing hardware is no longer enough for a VAR to maintain and grow profitability — hardware is cheap(er) and add-on services are where the wider margins stretch out and wait. But networking and security solutions specialist ZyXEL has developed a cloud-based service level agreement (SLA) and cloud-based licensing system where VARs can easily purchase licenses and SLAs and then resell them.

Time once again for our weekly Distributor Watch, where we give you a bird’s eye view of the latest disty doings. This week, our viewfinder is focused on Tech Data, Avnet and Ingram Micro. Ready for the full view? Read on.

How fast can YOU deliver? VARs looking to speed their content delivery portfolio should check out Dell Deliver, Dell‘s (NASDAQ: DELL) first-ever content delivery platform (CDP) that allows network providers to sell content delivery network (CDN) services as well as manage the on-demand delivery of video to any screen.

The VAR Guy has a knack for being in multiple places at the same time. But next week’s schedule is extremely challenging. Care to tag along with The VAR Guy as he attempts to cover (1) Cisco Partner Summit, (2) IBM Smart Cloud Symposium, (3) OpenStack Design Summit and Conference, (4) Synnex Varnex — and (5) a private gathering at Oracle Corp.’s headquarters? Here’s a sneak peek at the crazy week ahead, and the implications for channel partners.

Digium, promoter of Asterisk (the open source IP PBX), is making a deeper unified communications push into Europe. The Digium effort leverages EntaTech, a telephony distributor in the United Kingdom (U.K.). The big question: Can Digium expand its international pipelines to maintain the company’s growth?

Welcome to the Distribution Watch, our weekly collection of distributor doings that impact the channel. Every week we’ll be bringing you the latest in news and information from distributors near and far. This week we highlight news from Carousel Industries, Arrow Electronics and Avnet Technology Solutions. And so without further ado, let’s get to it.

The outlook for some technology distributors is starting to get cloudy — in a good way. Distributor D&H is teaching resellers in the SMB space how to transition their end users toward cloud-based technologies, including hosted network management, storage and security solutions from industry giants such as Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO) and Iomega (NYSE: IOM).

The fast-paced and ever-advancing healthcare industry poses a series of pain points for resellers, including a high cost of entry and dealing with physicians, who often make far better doctors than they do business partners. To help its many channel partners navigate those healthcare pain points (no pun intended), Ingram Micro is expanding its solutions portfolio to include a new suite of software bundles based on HP technology.

Avnet (symbol: AVT), the IT distributor, is buying Ascendant Technology LLC — a premier IBM business partner with operating units in North America, Europe, Brazil and India. Ascendant generated about $90 million in sales during the 2011 calendar year, Avnet indicated. So, how will Avnet leverage Ascendant, especially while engaging IBM channel partners?

Ingram Micro (symbol: IM) has hired Michael Romero as VP and GM of the distributor’s new Mobile Business Unit in North America. The move is part of a growing trend in the IT distribution market, where most of the major players — everyone from Avnet (AVT) to Tech Data (TECD) and Synnex (SNX) — have growing mobile initiatives to assist VARs and MSPs.

VMware vs. OpenStack: Plenty of pundits are debating the merits of each platform for cloud computing. Now for a twist: Within the cloud storage market, the recent hot rumor involves VMware (VMW) potentially buying Rackspace (RAX) in order to disrupt potential competition from OpenStack, the open source cloud platform. Here’s a reality check from The VAR Guy.

Microsoft (MSFT) and Cisco Systems (CSCO) continue to work more closely on cloud computing, data center and application optimization — even as the two technology giants continue to compete on some fronts. The latest Cisco-Microsoft synergies include a data center channel initiative with NetApp and Avnet, plus a joint focus on the upcoming Microsoft Management Summit 2012. Here’s the back story, from The VAR Guy.

Solid state storage, the storage chips that outfit all the mobile devices we love so much, are truly destined for more than just games and e-mail. We’re already seeing SSD solutions cropping up in advanced storage devices, and now Avnet Embedded is looking to educate its community with an event focusing on the wonderful world of SSDs. Where’s the locale? Everywhere — it’s an online virtual summit. Read on for the details …

Jenne Inc., the UC-focused VAD, is deepening its relationship with LifeSize, as both companies seek to capitalize on the growing videoconferencing market, which is predicted to hit $14 billion in 2017. That sounds like big money. So what should VARs know about this dynamic duo? Here’s a demo …

Tech Data is planning its semi-annual spring Channel Link conference in Las Vegas, with a considerable focus this year on boosting the reseller community. If you’re a VAR looking for an edge up, Channel Link could present perfect opportunity. Here’s why …