The VAR Guy

Dot Hill Systems, which develops storage solutions, has bolstered its Connections Partner Program. The enhancements specifically target VARs that are seeking to promote enterprise-class storage solutions into the SMB market, according to Brad Painter, VP of worldwide channel sales at Dot Hill.

Oracle is a name long recognized as a leader in the enterprise software and hardware space. And much of its success lies squarely on the shoulders of its partners, whom the company relies on to help it reach new markets and new customers. In turn, Oracle’s partners have access to one of the most comprehensive partner programs in the industry: the Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN).

Corporate America has had a love-hate relationship with all-in-one computers – although they love the idea of the small footprint of the all-in-one, they hate the fact that traditionally the machines are more expensive, difficult to service and don’t support additional monitors.

The fall season is almost upon us, and as the air gains a morning chill and trees start to shed their leaves, Intronis is gearing up for its annual Fall release — a major cloud storage upgrade designed for MSPs and VARs. Ted Roller, VP of channel development at Intronis, describes the strategy in a FastChat Video.

Roughly three months after Astaro was acquired by Sophos, the unified threat management vendor is praising the ease of the integration of the two companies’ technology and partner communities.

Reputation-based security is not a new technology, but it has long lacked the ability to deal with files that are neither “good” nor “bad.” But Symantec Endpoint Protection 12.1, features new technology that not only recognizes those files of unknown reputation but also deals with them as customers see fit.

When telecommunications carrier Qwest Communications International merged with CenturyLink in April 2011 to become CenturyLink, the results included a nationwide footprint representing what is now the third largest telecommunications provider in the United States. For Qwest’s and CenturyLink’s existing and potential partners, the merger also opened up a plethora of new opportunities.

The VAR Guy FastChat Video interviews Greg Mills, VP of eCommerce at Xerox Corp. Mills describes how the Xerox eConcierge service can help VARs, MSPs and other channel partners to develop recurring revenues from print services.

The term “audio-visual” isn’t bandied around much these days, relegated instead to the old-school slide projectors and film spools that used to dominate public education. But InFocus is hoping the term will spur a new opportunity for the channel as the next generation of audio-visual components — DLP and digital projectors, slim displays and the underlying wireless networks that facilitate collaboration from any location – come into view.

Solution providers working in the government vertical know it can be feast or famine depending on the budget whims of those in charge. And navigating the sea of red tape and committees often found within the halls of government entities – from local town halls to federal buildings and even educational institutions – sometimes requires a trusty and skilled navigator.

Cloud storage backup and disaster recovery provider Asigra is turning heads in the service provider space, not only for its technology – which works with an impressive list of cloud service providers – but also for the robustness of its offerings and its MSP-friendly stance.

Software-as-a-service providers know the importance of having a good hosting provider for their applications. Ditto for e-commerce providers – both groups know their hosting provider can literally make or break their company.

Jeannine Sarragossa, director of IT at Camelbak Products, is an expert on Oracle technologies. But even a pro like Sarragossa depends on trusted advisors across the IT channel. One prime example: As Camelbak continues to enhance its internal applications and customer-facing systems, Sarragossa leverages regular advice from Intelenex, an Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) Specialized solutions provider in Santa Rosa, Calif.

Sponsored Video: In recent years, GFI Software has been in acquisition mode. Major areas of focus include the GFI MAX family of hosted solutions for MSPs and VARs in the SMB market. The GFI MAX portfolio has grown to include GFI MAX RemoteManagement, GFI MAX MailProtection and GFI MAX MailEdge. But how exactly is GFI MAX working with MSPs and solutions providers? Alistair Forbes, general manager of GFI MAX, shares some answers in this MSPmentor FastChat Video.

Sponsored Video: Repeat after me: Oracle channel partners are pushing beyond software into hardware, and former Sun partners are embracing the Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) Specialized partner program. Skeptical? All you need to do is connect the dots between Oracle Group VP Tom Wagner and channel partners like Avnet Technology Solutions and GTSI.

Sponsored Videos: MyLife, a social media site and people search engine, had 17 million monthly unique visitors in Q4 2010 — which represents 95 percent-plus growth from Q4 2009. So how is MyLife scaling its web site and its business? The answer comes from Cloud Creek Systems, a solutions provider that bet its business on the Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) Specialized partner program.

SPONSORED VIDEO: Oracle CEO Larry Ellison spent much of today evangelizing new developments on the Solaris and SPARC fronts, but Oracle certainly continues to bang the drum for its core E-Business Suite (EBS) and CRM On Demand software application offerings. In fact, partners are starting to embrace Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) specializations that focus on EBS and CRM On Demand. Tyler Prince (pictured), group VP, North America Sales, Applications and Public Sector Alliances and Channel, offers an update in this FastChat Video series.

Sponsored Video: Apple is now the Number Three PC maker in North America, trailing only Dell and Hewlett-Packard, according to International Data Corp. But as the Macintosh continues to gain momentum in small business, it’s time for VARs to promote better Mac security, according to Trend Micro. In this FastChat video, Trend Micro SMB Marketing Manager TJ Alldridge describes some Mac security risks and potential solutions.

Sponsored Video: When Oracle first acquired Sun Microsystems, Mohamed Elrefai had some skepticism and plenty of questions. As VP of GTSI‘s Enterprise Solutions Group, Elrefai is a key executive within Sun’s largest federal reseller. Initially, he wondered if Oracle’s sales force would take business direct. Plus Elrefai worried Oracle’s research and development (R&D) plan was too ambitious to pull off. Fast forward to the present and it sounds like Elrefai is impressed with the Oracle-Sun business combo, particularly the Oracle Exadata storage business. Here’s the update, including a FastChat Video with Elrefai.

Sponsored Video: When he was a corporate CIO, Dave Krauthamer (pictured) focused heavily on CRM, ERP and supply chain projects. So it’s hardly surprising Krauthamer bet his current IT consulting business — Intelenex — on an Oracle partnership. Over the past six years, Intelenex’s business has grown to roughly 120 customers. But Krauthamer isn’t resting on his laurels. Looking ahead, Intelenex is pursuing multiple Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) specializations. Krauthamer describes why in this FastChat video.

How can channel partners safeguard customer workloads across physical, virtual and cloud environments? One potential answer comes from Novell, which touts its own Novell Sentinel Log Manager 1.1 as solution for log management, corporate compliance and enhanced IT security. Rick Wagner (pictured), senior product manager, security, describes Novell’s channel partner strategy for Sentinel Log Manager in this FastChat Video.

It has been roughly eight months since Autotask acquired VARStreet, a SaaS platform that allows VARs and MSPs to source, quote, purchase and fulfill IT product sales. So how is VARStreet evolving? Patrick Burns, director of innovation, provides some clues — including an enhanced focus on “world-class” quoting capabilities. Burns shares those details and more in this FastChat video.

Sponsored Video: The Novell Cloud Security Service (NCSS), designed for managed services providers and hosting partners, officially launches today. But what exactly is NCSS and what type of partner opportunities does the identity and security management platform offer? Novell Distinguished Engineer Dale Olds (pictured) provides some answers in this FastChat video.