The VAR Guy

Tech Data puts another notch in their belt as the first distributor in the Americas to ship the Cisco Service Provider Video Technology Group portfolio of solutions. They call it the SPVTG for short, and we think VARs in any sort of video-related niche (or even digital signage) might want to take a look…

At first glance, Vu Technologies is a telepresence upstart that has very little experience in the IT channel. But take a closer look and you’ll discover that Vu Technologies apparently is a sister company to Zenith Infotech — a backup and disaster recovery specialist that serves thousands of VARs and MSPs worldwide. Here’s the scoop.

Question: How can Cisco Systems compete with lower-cost video conferencing systems while promoting TelePresence into small and midsize businesses? The VAR Guy got a few answers from Richard McLeod, senior director of worldwide channels at Cisco.

Once again, the IT pundits were wrong. Lots of “experts” said the video conferencing and TelePresence industries would enjoy a boom during the economic bust. The reasoning: Executives are cutting business travel to save money, and opting instead for video conferencing and TelePresence. But here’s the problem: Not all video conferencing companies are built equally. Consider the situation of Polycom (a big, established player) vs. LifeSize Communications (a nimble start-up).