The VAR Guy

Open source software companies continue to strengthen their channel partner programs. The latest example involves SugarCRM’s new Open+ Partner Program. But SugarCRM isn’t alone. The VAR Guy has a hunch that several open source partner program announcements will surface this week. Here are the details.

Digium Asterisk, the open source IP PBX platform, just received a major vote of confidence from a key channel partner. Synnex Corp., a distributor that supplies more than 15,000 resellers in North America, has agreed to promote Digium’s Switchvox to channel partners. Here are the implications for the unified communications market and the emerging open source IT channel.

At first glance, rivals Ingram Micro and Tech Data are launching regional SaaS and cloud experiments involving channel partners. But take a closer look at North America, Europe and Australia, and you’ll see the start of a global SaaS battle between Ingram Micro and Tech Data. Here are the details, and the implications for solutions providers.

Open Tech, an open source partner program organized by Tech Data, has gained a new member. Specifically, KnowledgeTree, an enterprise content management company, has joined Open Tech. The VAR Guy welcomes the news but our resident blogger wonders: Are VARs starting to embrace Open Tech and the rival Open Source Channel Alliance? Here are some clues.

CompTIA — a large association serving the IT channel — has longstanding relationships with Microsoft and the traditional software industry. But one of CompTIA’s new board members could help to drive open source solutions across the IT channel. Here’s the scoop.

Jaspersoft CEO Brian Gentile (pictured), like many of his open source peers, has some lofty goals for 2010. With the help of SaaS and on-premise channel partners, Gentile says Jaspersoft — which specializes in business intelligence software — can grow 50 percent and generate positive cash flow in 2010. Here’s the scoop, including a FastChat video with Gentile.

Likewise Software — an open source specialist that helps VARs integrate Linux, Unix and Mac systems with Active Directory — expects to double its revenue in 2010, according to CEO Barry Crist (pictured). Here’s the scoop and some analysis.

Zmanda is the latest open source company to catch Uncle Sam’s attention. Specifically, Zmanda’s open source backup and restore applications are now part of the Synnex GSA (General Services Agreement) schedule — which makes it significantly easier for VARs to offer Zmanda to government agencies. Here’s the scoop.

It has been roughly a month since Tech Data launched Open Tech — an open source channel partner initiative. Why is the big distributor interested in the open source market? And how is Open Tech performing so far? I caught up with Tech Data VP Stacy Nethercoat for answers.

 

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Alfresco Software, which positions itself as an open source alternative to Microsoft SharePoint, may have found a new door into U.S. federal agencies. Here’s the scoop, along with the implications for solutions providers serving the government vertical.

The VAR Guy is hanging out with 1,400 of his closest friends at Red Hat Summit and JBoss World in Chicago. Here are seven key observations — involving Red Hat’s business, channel and partner strategies — so far.

Tech Data, a $24 billion technology giant with deep Microsoft relationships, has developed a 24-month plan to emerge as “the voice for open source in distribution,” The VAR Guy has learned. The proposed strategy includes potential open source hardware solutions from Dell, Hewlett-Packard, IBM and Fujitsu. And it has broad implications for the software industry and the global IT channel. Here’s the scoop.

They aren’t household names. But in the world of open source business intelligence (BI) software, Jaspersoft and Pentaho are trading some impressive blows and building out their partner programs. Here’s the scoop from The VAR Guy.

I’ve been reading recent announcements about the Open Source Channel Alliance and trying to figure out what it is really about. Sure it makes for good marketing but is there tangible value being delivered and is it a sustainable business model for open source today?

Lenovo has an offer for VARs, solutions providers — and small businesses — that want to give the company’s new ThinkServers a try. It involves a 60-day money back guarantee when the servers are purchased through Synnex, The VAR Guy has learned.