The VAR Guy

For roughly two years, The VAR Guy has warned Cisco Systems about the emerging open source threat to traditional IP networks. Now comes word that Voiceroute of Norwalk, Conn., is gaining momentum with a unified communications system based on open source.

The VAR Guy smiled a bit when he read Matt Asay’s blog entry about media folks who pretend they’re unbiased. Asay says he prefers media and blogs that disclose their biases about tech products, companies, investments, etc. The VAR Guy certainly agrees. So here are some of his biases.

Sometimes “no news” can speak volumes about a company. A case in point: Keith Goodwin, senior VP of worldwide channels at Cisco Systems, hosted a web conference for Wall Street analysts on July 9. The VAR Guy listened in. Here’s what he learned.

At Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference in Houston, most folks are focused on Microsoft’s Software as a Service (SaaS) strategy. But here’s a quick fact from the event that caught The VAR Guy’s ear: More than 2,500 Microsoft partners have achieved the “Unified Communications Solutions” competency. Should Cisco Systems be worried?

Perhaps it is possible to fly below Cisco Systems’ radar, and succeed in the networking market. Just ask the folks over at Adtran, which attracted positive comments from Morgan Stanley on July 7, notes Barron’s.

On the eve of Microsoft’s major partner summit in Houston, TechTarget is speculating that Microsoft may one day want to acquire Nortel Networks. Hogwash. The VAR Guy knows at least four reasons why such a deal will never happen.

When Cisco Systems launched its Unified Communications strategy, the networking company worked overtime to educate partners about the market opportunities ahead. But Cisco’s Data Center 3.0 strategy will depend far more heavily on guidance from established partners, notes Wendy Bahr, VP of Channels for US and Canada.

Time and distance prevented The VAR Guy from attending the 2008 Cisco Partner Summit in Hawaii. But The VAR Guy won’t have any excuses for skipping the 2009 Cisco Partner Summit, which will be held June 1-4 in Boston, our resident blogger has learned.

The VAR Guy has been hyping TelePresence — that next-gen videoconferencing technology — for nearly two years. But is anyone (outside of Cisco Systems Inc.’s own offices) actually using TelePresence? You bet. Here are nine key data points to consider.

New Cisco Systems Chief Technology Officer Padmasree Warrior is preparing to take center stage at Cisco Live, a massive customer event that starts June 22 in Orlando, Fla. This is the first time Warrior will grab the spotlight at a big Cisco event. Here’s what to expect, along with five key anticipated trends at the conference.