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Blog Details for "The VAR Guy"
The VAR GuyThe VAR GuyWhat's next in the IT channel, the VAR guy covers open source partner programs, software as a service, cloud services, unified communications and other partner trends. Articles
Top 10 Orlando Theme Park Rides
2007-11-21 21:33:00 The VAR Guy just awoke from a 24-hour nap in Orlando , Florida. Too many roller coaster rides for our fearless world traveler? Nope. Some sort of virus zapped his energy. Still, he managed to push himself through Universal Orlando's theme parks. And he'll be blogging again full-time after the Thanksgiving holiday break here in the US. In the meantime, here's The VAR Guy's Top 10 Rides in Orlando. More About: Disney World , Park , Universal Studios , Theme
TechIQ?s Founder: Leaping From Windows to Mac OS or Linux?
2007-11-16 15:14:00 Posted by Mike Perkowski: I have to admit ... I?ve always thought The VAR Guy was whining needlessly when it came to his lamentations about Windows XP and Vista. Why was he so ecstatic about dumping Windows for Mac and/or Ubuntu Linux ? But then my own 3-year-old Dell desktop crashed at home this weekend -- and my outlook suddenly changed. Now, I need everyone?s input to help me decide what to do next: Vista, Mac OS or Linux? More About: Apple , Microsoft
Dell Buys Everdream
2007-11-16 03:29:00 Is this a dream or a nightmare for the channel? The VAR Guy is thrilled to hear Dell has acquired Everdream, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) specialist. But the folks over at those old channel publications will likely ask more questions about Dell's intentions in the managed services market.
First Look: Google ?Android? Mobile Phone Software
2007-11-15 16:14:00 The VAR Guy certainly loves his iPhone . But he's keeping a close eye on Google 's open source operating system for mobile phones, called Android. If Google plays its cards right, Android could be the operating system that allows dual-mode VoIP phones to flourish. Here's a first-look at Android, directly from Google. More About: Software , Mobile , Mobile Phone
Sun, Dell: Hot Partnership
2007-11-14 20:22:00 At first glance, The VAR Guy was underwhelmed by Dell 's decision to offer Sun Solaris on selected servers. But after an hour of digesting the news -- and his lunch -- The VAR Guy thinks this deal is a rare triple play for Dell, Sun and customers. More About: Ubuntu , Sugar , Open , Novell
Meet Your New Rival: Comcast
2007-11-14 17:31:00 The VAR Guy has warned you for several months: Cable companies will wind up competing with VARs far more frequently in the months ahead. The latest example: Comcast is offering a set of managed IP services to small business customers. It's a smart move by the cable provider. But the approach makes you wonder: How long before they offer managed security and other capabilities tied to IP services? More About: Microsoft , Outlook , Meet , Sharepoint
Point-of-Sale Systems Going Open Source?
2007-11-13 20:59:00 A few years back, some proprietary hardware companies hit the panic button when Dell and Microsoft Windows moved into point-of-sale (POS) systems. Fast forward to the present, and open source is trying its hand at disrupting the POS market. You already know about Linux running on POS systems. Now, POS applications themselves are going open source. Here's how. More About: Open Source , Open , Source , Sale
How Are IT Sales? We?ll Find Out Nov. 27
2007-11-13 19:27:00 The VAR Guy actually used the word "recession" in a blog post earlier today. Cisco CEO John Chambers said enterprise sales were "lumpy" during a Wall Street conference call last week. And oil prices seem to be heading for the moon. So how are IT sales holding up? We'll get a better feel for current IT trends when Tech Data announces 3Q results on November 27. More About: Sales , Cisco Systems , Find
Is Open Source Recession-Proof?
2007-11-13 16:47:00 Lofty oil prices. Sub-prime mortgage woes. Financial companies (Citigroup, Etrade) stumbling badly. Ouch. Ouch. And Ouch. Whispers of a potential recession ahead continue. That made The VAR Guy wonder: If the U.S. heads into a recession soon, are open source companies better positioned to weather the storm than their closed source counterparts? Let's take a look. More About: Linux , Microsoft , Open Source , Sugar , Open
Avaya Brings Business Apps to iPhone
2007-11-12 21:10:00 The VAR Guy is starting to sound like a broken record (or a scratched CD, for those of you who don't remember vinyl). Here's the scoop: Avaya is the latest company to embrace the iPhone as a business device. Yes, a business device. Within the next year or so, as loyal readers here know, The VAR Guy expects the iPhone to emerge as major device for unified business communications. More About: Business , Apple , Iphone
Novell: The Avis of Open Source?
2007-11-12 19:55:00 Whenever The VAR Guy hears chatter about Novell, he thinks of Avis -- the Number 2 rental car company that proudly declares "We try harder" as it pursues the market leader (Hertz, er, Red Hat). Hmmm. Is 2008 the year that all of Novell's hard work in the open source market finally pushes the company into the fast lane? UBS, the Wall Street analyst firm seems to think so. But The VAR Guy isn't so sure. More About: Linux , Open Source , Ubuntu , Open , Source
The VAR Guy Flips for $150 Video Device
2007-11-12 16:17:00 The iPhone remains The VAR Guy's favorite digital device. But Flip, a $150 video camera from Pure Digital Technologies, has just made his favorites list as well. It's a slick, simple device for solutions providers that want to make quick Web videos without spending a fortune doing so. More About: Video , Device
Arrow Targets Mid-Size Businesses
2007-11-12 15:51:00 Arrow's Enterprise Computing Solutions (ECS) business today unveiled an expanded portfolio of solutions for resellers targeting mid-size organizations. Overall, Arrow ECS now offers more than 40 end-to-end solutions in the mid-size business sector, according to Kevin Gilroy, division president. More About: Size , Businesses , Sine
Four Reasons IBM Spent $5 Billion on Cognos
2007-11-12 15:32:00 The VAR Guy is usually skeptical of software acquisitions. But IBM's $5 billion buyout of Cognos , the business intelligence specialist, makes perfect sense. Here are four reasons why the pending deal, announced today, makes perfect sense. More About: Oracle , Business Intelligence , Reasons , Business Objects
The VAR Guy Meets Van Halen
2007-11-09 16:45:00 The VAR Guy is moving a bit slowly today. He spent last night with his eight-year-old son and brother-in-law hanging out with Van Hale n . Eddie, Diamond Dave, Alex and Wolfgang wowed the crowd. So, what was the highlight of the night? More About: The V
iPhone Connects Again With Business
2007-11-09 16:06:00 Sorry if The VAR Guy has been a bit distracted lately. It seems he can't stop playing with his iPhone . Business email. B2B website browsing. Business voicemail. Hmmm. Who says the iPhone is just for consumers? Certainly not The VAR Guy, who sees more and more business apps moving to the device. The latest example is an emergency notification system from MIR3. More About: Iphone , Sine
Novell?s Small Loss, And Huge Linux Win
2007-11-08 19:04:00 Sometimes, reporters spend too much time looking at a tree and never see the bigger forest. For instance, lots of folks are writing about Novell changing its channel chief. Excuse The VAR Guy as he yawns. In fact, something far more strategic -- and interesting -- has occurred at Novell. More About: Linux , Ubuntu , Dell , Small
Dell?s Potential Acquisition Targets
2007-11-08 16:18:00 The following blog entry is a theory -- rather than fact -- from The VAR Guy. Based on some recent business moves at Dell , The VAR Guy thinks he knows where Michael next needs to spend Dell's acquisition dollars. Ultimately, the king of direct sales will need to offer face-to-face support to small and mid-size businesses (SMBs). Here's how The VAR Guy expects that strategy to play out -- along with at least two potential acquisition targets for Dell. More About: Linux , Ubuntu Linux , Novell , Red Hat
Cisco: When Good News Is Bad?
2007-11-08 15:33:00 The VAR Guy has never been known for his market timing. He loaded up on tech stocks in 2000 ... and we all know how that strategy turned out over the next 18 months. Fast forward to 2007 and he's spent this year singing Cisco 's praises. The networking company continues to deliver stellar results, but Cisco CEO John Chambers calls current enterprise sales conditions "lumpy." That single word spooked Cisco investors, but let's keep things in perspective folks. More About: News , Good News , General Electric , Tele
10 Key Trends At OnForce
2007-11-08 05:11:00 So, you're a VAR looking for new customer and project engagements. With that goal in mind, roughly 10,000 VARs now use an online marketplace from OnForce to win on-site IT service contracts. What's next from OnForce? The VAR Guy toured the company's new headquarters near Boston, and met with CEO Peter Cannone and Senior VP Paul Nadjarian. Here are 10 key takeaways from today's conversation. More About: Trends , Michael Dell
Chilly Winter for Cognizant, Outsourcing?
2007-11-07 12:56:00 The VAR Guy caught a chill last evening during a road trip from New York to Boston. But he's not the only guy shivering tonight. Seems like Wall Street has turned from hot to cold on tech outsourcing companies like Cognizant , Infosys and Wipro. What the heck happened? All it took was one chilly call between Cognizant and financial analysts to send some investors running for the exits. More About: Outsourcing , Winter
Cisco Accelerates SMB Push Ahead of Earnings
2007-11-06 04:17:00 A lot of companies go radio silent ahead of quarterly earnings. No other distracting press releases or product launches, the thought process goes, the week of earnings. Unless, of course, you're Cisco Systems and you want to accelerate your push into small business. More About: Earnings , Ahead , Earning
NimSoft?s Revenue Booms
2007-11-05 17:18:00 Still skeptical about the promise and payoff of managed services? Maybe you should pay a visit to Nimsoft. The managed service platform provider says 3Q 2007 sales grew 130 percent compared to 3Q 2006. Nimsoft says it also achieved EBITDA profitability, though The VAR Guy doesn't pay that much attention to that financial metric. More About: Revenue , Ziff Davis
Will Dell Push Storage Thru Partners?
2007-11-05 16:30:00 Bob Skelley, VP of channel development at Equal Logic, woke up to a big challenge today. His company, EqualLogic, just got acquired by Dell for $1.4 billion. Now the real fun starts for Skelley, who must assure partners that EqualLogic won't walk away from them. More About: Storage , Silverback , Partners
Google, Ubuntu Linux Going Mobile Together?
2007-11-04 18:59:00 Lots of folks -- including The VAR Guy -- expect Google to announce a mobile software/phone strategy on November 5. Now for the rather interesting twist: The VAR Guy wonders if Ubuntu Linux will be Google's preferred platform for a range of forthcoming mobile devices and services. More About: Mobile , Intel
Microsoft ?Following? Cisco?s Unified Lead?
2007-11-02 21:33:00 The VAR Guy is going to throw a little gasoline on the unified communications fire. Microsoft has spent recent weeks formalizing is enterprise partner strategy. But a source close to Cisco says the Microsoft strategy is nothing more than an imitation of an old Cisco game plan. If these were two ladies, The VAR Guy would pull up a chair in anticipation of a compelling cat fight. But in this case, it's more like clash of the titans. More About: Cisco Systems , Lead
Unified Communications Buzz Grows
2007-11-02 16:52:00 The VAR Guy has spotted a rather interesting trend in his email inbox. In recent days, he's received a flood of email about the unified communications market. Seems like Cisco , IBM, Microsoft and several other companies are now using online and face-to-face events to educate target customers about unified communications. More About: Networks , Buzz , Communications
Wal-Mart Stocks Ubuntu Linux
2007-11-02 16:26:00 It's another small step for Linux on the desktop, and another great leap for Ubuntu -- one of the fastest-growing flavors of Linux. Retail giant Wal-Mart is now offering Ubuntu-based PCs from Everex. The $200 system signals growing interest in Windows alternatives among mainstream consumers. Next up, watch for Ubuntu to land on some niche small business servers. More About: Stocks , Ubuntu Linux
Encryption Meets Managed Services
2007-11-01 19:39:00 Voltage Security, which specializes in encryption technology, has launched a partner program that pushes security as a service (SaaS) opportunities out to channel partners. According to the Palo Alto, Calif.-based company, the program delivers recurring revenue opportunities to security VARs, managed service providers (MSPs), integrators and solutions providers. More About: Services , Encryption , Crypt
Lenovo Proving Its Critics Wrong
More articles from this author:2007-11-01 19:28:00 The VAR Guy is eating a bit of humble pie today. Our resident blogger has openly questioned whether Lenovo could build a successful global PC business. After some hit-and-miss financial results, Lenovo finally showed some strength today with its latest quarterly earnings. Plus, the company shedding the IBM moniker from its PC lineup two years ahead of schedule. More About: Think , Wrong , Critics , Critic 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
