The VAR Guy

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Don?t Pay That Dividend, Cisco
2007-10-11 22:23:00
Cisco CEO John Chambers says the company eventually intends to pay a dividend. When? Nobody knows for sure. Chambers has always been the king of setting Wall Street 's expectations. Lately he's very bullish about the unified communications opportunities heading Cisco's way. Frankly, it would be hard to imagine Cisco paying a dividend in the near future. From where The VAR Guy sits, Cisco would be far wiser to acquire a bunch of small software companies that build out the networking giant's unified communications strategy. Do what you do best, John: Acquire companies. Skip the dividend.
More About: Cisco Systems , Stock , Cisco , Dividend

Cisco, Microsoft Resume Unified Communications Battle
2007-10-11 18:13:00
Ali vs. Frazier. Yankees vs. Red Sox (well, not this year...). Cisco vs. Microsoft . There's nothing like a showdown between two titans who love to brawl. By now, you know Cisco and Microsoft have high hopes for the unified communications market. In fact, Microsoft will finally launch its unified products next week. But Cisco won't be standing still.
More About: Applications , Nortel Networks , Resume

802.11n Meets City WiFi
2007-10-11 16:25:00
The next version of WiFi, known as 802.11n, has found a home in the consumer market. But soon, the high-speed WiFi standard will also catch on in the municipal broadband market. A case in point: Tropos Networks and D-Link are partnering to integrate D-Link's 802.11n technology into Tropos' WiFi mesh offerings. The Tropos/D-Link relationship comes at a critical time for the municipal broadband industry.
More About: Wireless , Broadband , Earth , Muni , Wifi

New Linux Server Competition for Novell, Red Hat?
2007-10-10 17:07:00
There's a growing body of evidence suggesting that Novell and Red Hat could soon face new competition in the Linux server market. Something new from Microsoft? Nope. Another attack from Oracle? Not quite. This time, the competition could come from tiny Canonical and the company's latest Ubuntu Linux release.
More About: Applications , Open Source , Competition

Ten Words Technology Vendors Abuse, Version 2.0
2007-10-10 01:27:00
The VAR Guy is getting up on his soap box. He's tired of empty marketing terms from vendors that promise far more than they deliver. Here's a sampling of 10 words, phrases and terms vendors should immediately delete from their vocabulary.
More About: Google , Technology , Abuse , Web 2 , Vendors

Fast-teks Franchises Embrace Managed Services
2007-10-09 15:54:00
Imagine if The Geek Squad embraced managed services. That very scenario is occurring at Fast -teks, a nationwide computer services company that's working with Kaseya and SecureMyCompany to master managed services. Under terms of a new initiative, Fast-teks is using SecureMyCompany's hosted offerings to service customers in more than 120 North American markets. The online services include Kaseya Managed Services software, which offers asset management, software inventory and remote management capabilities.
More About: Embrace

Ingram, Trend Micro Partner on Managed Services
2007-10-08 23:12:00
When it comes to managed services, Trend Micro certainly has a sense for timing. The security company has launched a "pay as you go" managed service with Ingram Micro. The offering comes as Trend rival Symantec prepares to launch its own software-as-a-service platform, know as the Symantec Protection Network. Let the showdown begin.
More About: Services , Partner

Dell Preps for Next Linux Desktop Release
2007-10-08 16:43:00
A major desktop Linux upgrade is set to be released on October 18. Michael Dell is expected to personally use it. And the PC giant will pre-load it on selected desktops and notebooks. Buzz about this next Linux release -- dubbed Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon -- is growing across the web. But what exactly does Gutsy Gibbon (aka Ubuntu 7.10) offer to desktop customers and solutions providers? Here's a look.
More About: Hardware , Applications , Open Source , Desktop

Open Source Companies Seek Channel Experts
2007-10-08 16:23:00
The VAR Guy isn't looking for a new job. But if he were a channel expert (rather than a pretender), he'd send his resume into fast-growing open source companies that are seeking partner program expertise. Two prime examples: MySQL and Sugar CRM both have open positions for channel veterans.
More About: Companies , Open Source , Open , Source

Business Intelligence Companies: Objects of Desire
2007-10-08 02:58:00
Another business intelligence specialist has been acquired, and this time Oracle wasn't the company opening its wallet. It's time for Business Objects to say goodbye to its independence. The buyer is SAP AG. The big question: What does the deal mean for Cognos, MicroStrategy and SAS -- three of the larger business intelligence companies that remain independent.
More About: Companies , Applications , Intelligence

Calling All Managed Service Providers: Qualify for the MSPmentor 100
2007-10-05 01:26:00
Is your company gaining traction as a managed service provider? Really? Prove it. Click here to take a survey and your company could appear in our inaugural MSPmentor 100 list. MSPmentor (TechIQ's sister Web site) covers the managed services market 24x7.
More About: Service , Calling , Service Providers , Ovid

CRN, IDC State the Obvious
2007-10-03 17:44:00
This just in: Somebody over at IDC actually spent time writing a research report stating that not all VARs will make the transition to managed services.  Then CRN wrote about the report. And now, some channel chief looking to spend excess Q4 budget is bound to purchase the report. The VAR Guy needs to cash in on this business model.
More About: State , Obvious , The O

CA Simplifies ARCserve Pricing
2007-10-03 17:18:00
The VAR Guy has a confession. In the mid-1990s, he worked briefly for Cheyenne Software -- developer of the ARCserve backup and restore platform. Acquired by CA in 1996, ARCserve remains a key solution for many VARs. In fact, it may attract more interest from VARs because of a simplified pricing structure that CA announced today.
More About: Applications , Backup , Restore , Serve

Microsoft, D-Link Dial for Dollars
2007-10-02 23:39:00
Microsoft and its hardware partners are speed-dialing their way into the small business voice-over-IP market. Quanta and D-Link , through partnerships with the software giant, intend to offer IP phone systems that cost about $5,500 for a 20-user deployment. Although The VAR Guy is bullish about the Asterisk open source telephony platform, there's something intriguing about Microsoft's VoIP relationship with D-Link.
More About: Hardware , Applications , Microsoft

Microsoft and Managed Services: 10 Things to Know
2007-10-02 03:24:00
It?s a classic Microsoft tactic: Arrive late to a party and then attempt to steal the show. The has company announced the next chapter of its Software as a Service (SaaS) strategy. If you offer managed services, it?s time to listen up. Our sister site, MSPmentor.net, spent some time analyzing the Microsoft initiative and sees some clear opportunities -- and challenges -- ahead for managed service providers. Here?s a rundown of the 10 things you need to know about Microsoft?s SaaS strategy.
More About: Services , Things

Avnet Expands IBM Offerings
2007-10-01 18:39:00
You can’t accuse Avnet Technology Solutions of playing favorites. A month after hosting Sun partners at a conference in Colorado Springs, ATS is rallying IBM partners at the Avnet Ignition conference in San Antonio, Texas. ATS, an operating group of Avnet Inc., has also introduced 10 new solutions for IBM’s North American VARs. The offerings, bundled under the Think Solutions brand, include business continuity, business intelligence, email archiving, data encryption, data retention, ERP, IP telephony, information availability, IT optimization and virtualization solutions. The offerings are designed for IBM’s System i, System p, System x and storage hardware platforms. Sales and marketing resources include assessment services, collateral materials, demo sites, educational resources, finance packages, IBM co-marketing programs, interactive sales tools, presentations, sales sheets, software consulting and telemarketing resources. Delivery and implementation services are ...
More About: Offerings , Offer , Erin

Unified Communications Testing Center for VARs
2007-10-01 17:27:00
Here’s another quick tidbit from Tech Data. The distributor has expanded its TDSolutions Center to help VARs build, test and demonstrate unified communication systems from 3Com, Cisco Systems, Microsoft, Mitel and Nortel Networks. The 4,500-square-foot solution center hosts technologies from more than 120 manufacturers and software publishers with a total value of products used in the lab topping $5 million. Share/E-mail
More About: Testing , Communications

3Com Finally Delivers the Asterisk Goods
2007-10-01 16:45:00
3Com has finally announced plans to embrace Asterisk — the open source telephony platform. The VAR Guy has only one question: What took so long? This is a move 3Com should have announced much earlier this year. But in the company’s defense, it’s still very early in the open source telephony game. And the Asterisk strategy could be a winner for 3Com. Here’s why. As you likely know, Bain Capital Partners is acquiring 3Com for $2.2 billion. As part of the deal, Huawei Technologies Co. of China will acquire a stake in 3Com. Some pundits think that means 3Com is finally ready to go after Cisco at the high-end of the market. Wrong, wrong, wrong. 3Com burned large enterprises a decade ago when it botched the US Robotics acquisition and abandoned many corporate CIOs in global 2000 companies. Many big companies simply don’t trust 3Com these days. In fact, 3Com isn’t even on their radar. The real opportunity for 3Com here is in small and midsize business...
More About: Goods , Finally , 3com , Fina

3Com (COMS) Is Dead, Long Live 3Com
2007-09-28 16:28:00
The 3Com Corp. you knew on September 27 is dead. A new 3Com is emerging, effective immediately. The former networking giant has been sold to affiliates of Bain Capital Partners for $2.2 billion in cash. The deal, pending regulatory approval, is long overdue, The VAR Guy believes. Here's why.
More About: Hewlett-Packard , Cisco Systems , Live , Curve , Dead

Branding: Skip the Lite Stuff
2007-09-28 09:31:00
The VAR Guy enjoys a lite beer from time to time. But Lite software? No thanks. Generally speaking, "Lite" versions of software have tanked over the years. Anybody else remember NetWare Lite?
More About: Branding , Stuff

Ready, Set, Go to Managed Services for $99
2007-09-28 09:22:00
The VAR Guy saw this coming: A new, low-cost MSP platform that could inspire even the cheapest VAR to embrace managed services. Indeed, Autotask has launched a new, low-cost managed services platform called Autotask Go! The hosted MSP platform has a fixed fee of $99 and no start-up costs. Get all the details from our new sister site, MSPmentor.
More About: Services , Ready , Ready set go

Managed Services In the Palm of Your Hand
2007-09-27 21:31:00
I just got off the phone with Autotask CEO Bob Godgart. He's out at the SMB Nation conference in Seattle to share his managed services vision and make a few strategic announcements.
More About: Services , Applications , Palm , Live , Hand

Cisco: Small Acquisition, Big Software Strategy
2007-09-27 20:09:00
Sometimes, small acquisitions are big deals. For instance, Cisco Systems today acquired Latigent, a privately held company that sells Web-based software for call centers. The deal was so small that Cisco did not disclose financial details. However, The VAR Guy believes the Latigent deal is a sign of things to come from Cisco.
More About: Software , Applications , Strategy , Small

Tech Data Trains Red Hat Pros
2007-09-26 19:40:00
No juicy gossip here, folks. Just some straight news: Tech Data is now offering 25 Red Hat professional training courses through TDEducation, the company's technical training and certification services team. The courses are designed for resellers obtaining or reselling training for Red Hat Certified Technician (RHCT) or Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) certifications.
More About: Linux , Open Source , Training , Distribution

Lenovo?s Latest SMB Move
2007-09-26 19:20:00
If you're a Lenovo reseller, membership will soon have its privileges. The PC giant has rolled our Club Lenovo, a new loyalty rewards program for Lenovo SMB resellers in the U.S. and Canada. Beginning in October, the program rewards solutions providers and their sales force for selling Lenovo PCs, monitors, peripherals and services. Hmmm. The VAR Guy is in the market for a Linux-based PC. Is it time for him to get in on the Lenovo action?
More About: Hardware , Move , Novo

Xerox: The New Color of Money
2007-09-26 19:13:00
You've saved a company from near bankruptcy. You've eliminated billions of dollars in debt. So what do you do for an encore? In Xerox 's case, you bang on R&D's door and demand a product that can disrupt the traditional printer market--and you talk about real revenue and profit growth. It all sounds so simple. And the strategy just may work -- if a new color printing technology from Xerox lives up to its billing.
More About: Color , Money

Save the Date: Tuesday, October 30
2007-09-26 18:11:00
Forgive the shameless plug: Tech IQ and Kaseya are hosting a Webcast on Tuesday , October 30 at 2pm eastern. Join us to learn "The Path to Profitable 24x7 Managed Services." For complete info and to register, visit here.
More About: Events , Save

Tech Data Embraces Municipal Wireless
2007-09-25 17:06:00
At first glance, Tech Data Corp. is pushing into the municipal wireless market just as everybody else is getting out. But take a closer look, folks, and you'll discover that Tech Data is actually moving into a growing (though evolving) market -- despite some negative press coverage about city WiFi networks. And it's a market that craves more solutions providers.
More About: Wireless , Earth , Distribution , Muni

Ingram, Best Buy Get Cozy
2007-09-24 18:02:00
Ingram Micro and Best Buy 's Geek Squad are teaming up to offer on-site IT services for select Best Buy business customers. The move calls for the Ingram Micro Services Network to be the "premier" on site service providers for select participants in the Best Buy for Business program in the US.
More About: Force , Cozy , Ingram Micro , Gram

Live From MSP Alliance Conference
2007-09-24 17:04:00
The VAR Guy landed in San Jose Sunday night. No, not to attend the Justin Timberlake concert. Rather, he's in town to attend the MSP Alliance Fall Managed Services Conference . The VAR Guy will be blogging throughout the day, and is particularly interest to hear messaging from Dell at the event. Here's why.
More About: Events , Live