The VAR Guy

Sophos is adding to its security solutions portfolio with its Sophos Virtual Web Appliance. Designed to protect and integrate with a variety of virtual environments, the appliances hopefully will make the management of virtual machine security easier. Here’s the scoop …

As vertical markets expand and compliance rules become even more strict, VMware wants to help. Users of vCenter Configuration Manager for their VM-heavy data-senstive deployment may want to check out the new features VMware is offering to ensure compliance is super easy. Read on for the details …

The Building Windows 8 blog details another feature of the budding operating system, the picture password. Can high-level security include a spot of fun? Apparently, yes. Here’s why your next secure password could be as simple as pointing to a photograph …

There’s no shortage of cloud-based file sharing services out there these days, but many have flaws: Dropbox has suffered embarrassing security holes, Ubuntu One isn’t as cross-platform as one might like, and iCloud — like most Apple products — is buried in proprietary nonsense. But there’s a new cloud-based service on the horizon: ownCloud has announced a new commercial initiative that, based on open source code, promises flexibility and accountability without lock-in or security headaches. It’s an interesting move with fascinating possibilities for the open source channel, and I recently got a chance to speak with one of the founders behind it.

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:

In an effort to be more inclusive of all its security offerings to its channel partners, RSA has updated its SecurWorld Partner Program to focus more on specialties and solutions-specific training.

Aruba Networks is pushing the support of the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) trend further downstream to assist enterprise branch offices and SME environments with the latest enhancements to its Aruba Instant portfolio.

Value-added distributor Westcon Group has scooped up Sentronics, a VAD dedicated to physical security, electronics and technology. Is there a trend brewing around building physical security for businesses? Maybe. Here’s the scoop on the new digs…

Palo Alto Networks is updating its network security portfolio with a new trio of products, specifically designed to deal with new threats, protecting branch offices and adopting consumerization of IT practices. The effort includes security solutions that now blanket Apple iOS devices. I spoke to Rene Bonvanie, VP of marketing at Palo Alto Networks, about the new efforts and the all-important channel perspective. Here’s the scoop…

One more McAfee announcement to report before heading off to Dallas for the 2011 Tigerpaw User Conference. McAfee has acquired NitroSecurity, a security information and event management (SIEM) solution provider. The company announced the acquisition earlier in the month, but the official announcement was made during the McAfee FOCUS 2011 Security Conference in Las Vegas.

My time here at the McAfee FOCUS 2011 Security Conference is just about over. I leave you with the details on two major McAfee announcements around partner profitability and network security before I pack up and hit Dallas for the 2011 Tigerpaw User Conference.

As promised, day two of the McAfee FOCUS 2011 Security Conference featured new partner agreements and security solution announcements.

No product announcements during the first day of the McAfee FOCUS 2011 Security Conference in Las Vegas, but Intel and McAfee did set the stage to talk about channel partnerships and upcoming solutions throughout the rest of the week.

At Symantec Partner Engage 2011, The VAR Guy spent time at a few roundtable discussions featuring some of Symantec’s top brass, CEO Enrique Salem and Channel Chief Randy Cochran. Here’s the scoop on their thoughts regarding everything from McAfee to mobile device management …

Symantec President and CEO Enrique Salem took the stage at Symantec Partner Engage 2011 to talk about a lot of things, but there was one singular uniting theme: It’s about rethinking — everything. Salem and the entire Symantec team are taking partners to task, asking them to how they plan to grow and rethink their solution strategy amid “megatrends.” Here’s what our resident blogger thought about all that …

If Partner Engage 2011 had any sort of underlying theme, it was change. The VAR Guy discerned that bit of information quickly, especially after Symantec invited Gartner analyst Tiffani Bova to discuss the future of security services. Are you ready to start offering Cloud Services Brokerage?

The VAR Guy’s brain has been treated to a tour de force of partner advice. Aside from “megatrends” and cloud brokerage, Symantec’s Channel Chief Randy Cochran offered up some advice to partners on future customer relationships with future technology at Partner Engage 2011. Here’s the scoop …

The VAR Guy has already outlined his predictions for Symantec CEO Enrique Salem’s discussion at the Symantec Partner Engage keynote. But what else is coming out of the Phoenix oasis that is the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort? Our resident blogger would love to tell you. Read on …

Ingram Micro continues to expand its technology partner base. This time the wholesale provider of technology products has signed a distribution partnership with Next Level Security Systems (NLSS), a physical security firm that also offers unified network security technologies to  the retail, commercial and government markets, among others.

The VAR Guy predicted three big trends to hit Interop NYC: Network Virtualization, WAN optimization and IPv6. But the scene on the Interop expo floor reflected a slightly different vibe. Here’s what The VAR Guy saw as he slipped and blogged between the booths …

Symantec is trying to make good on its almost year-old vision outlined by CEO Enrique Salem at Symantec Partner Engage in November 2010. It’s a vision of cloud-connected devices, securely managed, all wrapped up in a mobile identity. Now, Symantec is bringing protection to your cloud and tablet devices, with Symantec O3 (a.k.a., “Ozone”) and Symantec Data Loss Prevention for Tablets. I spoke to Dave Elliott, senior product marketing manager of global cloud marketing, and Tim Matthews, director of product marketing management, about the news …

Following up its recent survey showing SSD love is on the rise, a new report from IBM says mobile security problems are rising, too. Read on for the facts, figures and highlights with the all-important channel perspective. Opportunity abounds …

In my June post, I mentioned information volumes grew 62 percent to 800,000 petabytes last year. This means that protecting, storing and managing all of this information is becoming an even greater challenge for your customers. Some companies approach the issue of information management indiscriminately, with no organization and little thought for what should be kept and what needs to be thrown away. But given the current emphasis on compliance and risk reduction, we’re seeing businesses become increasingly concerned about their level of preparation for eDiscovery (electronic discovery) requests.