The VAR Guy

In the four short years since the iPhone’s inception, the way we build and use technology has drastically changed thanks to its influence. Don’t think the iPhone has affected your life? Think again.

Honeywell produces a huge range of products for a multitude of different industries, and now the company is focusing on one of the largest emerging industries: mobile. Its latest offering, the Dolphin 6000, is designed to provide mobile information to workers in the field or warehouses. But rather than position Dolphin against other industrial handhelds, Honeywell instead is pitting it against consumer devices that perform similar functions. Can Honeywell be successful with such a strategy?

Apple has officially addressed the iPhone tracking conspiracies with a press release detailing a lengthy Q&A about what Apple is doing with the consolidated.db file.  Not surprising, the iPhone is not at all tracking you. More interesting is what the file is really used for. Read on for the straight facts without the hype …

Conspiracy theorists are working overtime with the recent news that Apple is tracking users’ every move through the iPhone 4. But it’s really just overblown hype, for many reasons. Read on for a reality check.

Apple posted record-breaking Q2 results, which really isn’t that surprising. What it actually sold — and how much — is cause for pause, however. If you’re interested in just how well Apple is doing, read on for some perspective that could shape the way you approach the channel and the entire consumerization-of-IT phenomena.

The VAR Guy does a lot of traveling, so his familiarity with mobile devices is a must. Equally important is traveling light, which is why The VAR Guy is intrigued by the prospect of near-field communication (NFC). You may know it more colloquially as “e-wallet” technology. Juniper Research (not to be confused with Juniper Networks) recently published a report noting that NFC will be in 1 in 5 smart phones by 2014. Does this mean The VAR Guy will be able to consolidate his wallet with his iPhone soon? Here’s what the forecast looks like …

The VAR Guy can’t help but enjoy the Apple rumor mill. Sometimes he hears whispers coming from inside Apple, and sometimes he hears from his sources on the outside. But the latest rumor — that there may not be an iPhone 5 in 2011 — has our resident blogger thinking hard about the implications. Read on for the details and what The VAR Guy thinks is going to happen …

Recently we covered news of Tech Data’s and Brightstar’s joint venture dubbed ActivateIT. But what is it, really, and what will it do for the channel? Tech Data VP Greg Parsonson offered a deep dive on just how resellers will work with ActivateIT and its branded service, TDMobility. Read on for all the details …

If there’s one thing that really gets The VAR Guy’s juices flowing, its a good rumor.  This one is worth mulling over: Apparently, Apple is revamping its mobile operating system in iOS 5 to focus heavily on the cloud. If that’s the case, such a move could have implications for the channel. Read on for a little speculative perspective …

It’s Spring, so fire up the speculation engine because it’s iPhone 5 rumor time. With the device now being upgraded every summer, what can we expect for 2011? Well, there are a few things. Here’s what some are suggesting …

At Intermedia’s 2011 Partner Summit, COO Jonathan McCormick (pictured, left), along with CMO Manlio Carrelli (right), laid out the groundwork for Intermedia‘s 2011 product strategy. The key takeaway: Intermedia, a leading provider of hosted Exchange, saw its channel business more than double in January 2011 vs. January 2010. Now Intermedia is partnering up to promote online backup, encryption and other services to channel partners. Here’s what VARs and MSPs can look forward to as the year rolls on…

Intel’s Solutions Summit 2011 gets under way Feb. 27 at the Venetian Hotel in Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada — a venue The VAR Guy knows well. This year’s event is to sure to have something for everyone, and while our resident blogger is no gambler, he’s willing to bet Intel will have an ace or two up its sleeve.

If you’re a SaaS vendor and you’re worried about offering some iOS services since the recent App Store subscription guidelines, don’t worry. You’re in the clear, according to Steve Jobs.

The VAR Guy’s ears always perk up at iPhone 5 rumors — including iPhone Nano speculation — but now the rumors are getting more interesting. A larger iPhone, perhaps? A slide-out keyboard? The VAR Guy is licking his chops at the prospect of what Apple has up its sleeve …

The VAR Guy always has his ear to the ground, but call him skeptical for the latest Apple-related rumblings. Bloomberg is reporting that Apple is going to launch a smaller version of the iPhone that’s also cheaper in an effort to compete with Android offerings. The rumors about the new phone may be true, but The VAR Guy doesn’t think Android competition is the reason behind the new phone. Here’s why:

Now that the Verizon iPhone is officially available for purchase, here come the product reviews from testers who received the Verizon iPhone a little early. What’s the consensus? Overall, it’s good. It’s what you’d expect, but there are a few caveats that are to be expected on Verizon. Here’s a review roundup, and here’s what I think will happen for Verizon, now that the iPhone is here.

Are you an existing Verizon customer who can’t wait to get your hands on the iPhone? Well, good news if you don’t sleep: You can pre-order one of the iPhones the service provider has set aside for you, dear existing customer, and it can be had Feb. 3 at 3 a.m. Eastern. The rest of you plebians can read on to see when you can get your mitts on the near-mythical phone …

Australia’s Sydney Morning Herald recently printed an unusual interview with Netgear CEO and global chairman Patrick Lo (pictured). A heavy amount of criticism came from Lo regarding Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ position on Flash and on closed systems in general, but what was more surprising was his backhanded comments regarding Jobs’ future at the helm of the company. Read on for the details …

Mobile World Congress 2011, which takes place in Barcelona, is set for Feb. 14-17, and The VAR Guy is getting revved for the nifty technology innovation that always comes from the show. VARs and MSPs — and pretty much anyone out there whose productivity is tied to the usefulness of their mobile devices — might want to pay close attention to the raft of new stuff expected to be demoed at the annual mobile confab. Looking to upgrade? Our resident blogger urges you to hold off a few months. Here’s why.

It’s no secret that the some of our bloggers have an affinity for Apple products, but that doesn’t mean we dislike Microsoft. In fact, we’re trying to keep an open mind as Microsoft attempts to rally channel partners against the iPad. According to some newly discovered slides, Microsoft resellers are being ‘educated’ on the faults of the iPad and urged to promote Microsoft alternatives.

PC maker Lenovo is focusing on bringing consumer products into the business arena with its new Mobile Internet Business Group. Focusing on tablets, smartphones and smart TVs, the new business group will help focus and develop services around these emerging technologies — at least that’s Lenovo’s hope. Here’s some perspective…

Amid the news that Apple CEO Steve Jobs has again taken a medical leave, this time for an undetermined length of time, signs so far point to Jobs likely making a return to Apple sooner rather than later. But if that didn’t happen, could Apple function without a Steve Jobs? Before you panic and start selling your Apple stock, here’s some perspective …

It’s finally here: iPhone on the Verizon network. For Verizon customers, it’s like Christmas on a three-week delay. But it’s worth the wait, right? For some, the Verizon iPhone is the best thing that ever happened to carriers and cell phones. Or is it?