Ballmer on Microsoft's PlansMicrosoft CEO Steve Ballmer is in New York to meet with financial analysts, and offers an upbeat view of the company's prospects. Stacy Cowley reports: "Enumerating the dozens of technology markets in which the company competes and anticipates dramatic innovation--entertainment, office productivity, consumer products, enterprise applications, infrastructure, etc.--Ballmer optimistically forecast that rising technology demand will lift all boats, especially the biggest." Posted by Joe Caponi at 03:41 PM, May 31, 2006 Moltzen Goes Dual Core"This system is exactly what I've been dreaming about for the last couple of years. I am now able to truly multitask for the first time. Last week, I performed some video editing for CRN TV on my new dual-core notebook that took about one-third the time it used to take on my old single-core system." Posted by Joe Caponi at 12:19 PM, May 30, 2006 PC-Based Home SecurityWhen you hear the words "PC" and "security" together, you normally think about protecting the computer. But a computer can provide security as well! The latest TechBuilder recipe details how to Build a PC-based Home Security System. George Jones writes: "I wanted a keypad near the door that offered multiple options for arming the system. I required cameras capable of notifying me of suspicious activity near the front and back doors—as well as motion sensors that would disregard motion by my dogs. I also wanted the ability to automate the lights in my house. Most important, I wanted to manage the settings of my alarm system from a central PC. With the exception of dog-ignoring motion detectors, I was able to meet all my goals." Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:34 AM, May 30, 2006 TechConnect Wrap-UpThoughts on Linux, Media Center PCs, integrator opportunities, and good parties, over on the Digital Connect Sound Off blog Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:02 AM, May 30, 2006 Memorial Day LinkfestAn assortment of good pages to tide you over the long weekend. Enjoy! (But see the last one, if none of the others.) Continue reading "Memorial Day Linkfest" Posted by Joe Caponi at 04:41 PM, May 26, 2006 DICE Awards For SOHO Know-HowDigital Connect presented their Digital Integration Channel Execellence awards this week at the XChange Tech Connect show. Digital integrators in the SOHO marketplace were surveyed about their top vendor choices, and winners included ViewSonic, Seagate, Panasonic and Belkin. Posted by Joe Caponi at 06:51 AM, May 26, 2006 Two Views of Vista b2Two reviews of the new Windows Vista Beta 2. On TechWeb, Preston Gralla evaluates the improvements in the feature set of Vista since the last build: "The much-ballyhooed search feature is turned on for the first time, and it's just about everything that Microsoft promised. The universally disliked User Account Control (UAC) has received significant work, and is finally usable, helping to lead the way to a more secure operating system. And overall, there's a better organization and "fit and finish" to this beta than previous Vista versions." While at the CRN Test Center, Frank Ohlhorst tested Vista's insall and operations and explored hardware compatibility issues: "While beta 2 has made significant improvements, Vista is still a little rough around the edges when it comes to hardware support and driver compatibility. Those issues became evident as Test Center engineers installed Vista on several test systems." Overall, it's time for you to be testing, as well. Posted by Joe Caponi at 04:39 PM, May 25, 2006 Channel Chatter: Best Forums, May 25, 2006Drop in on some of these conversations: Posted by Joe Caponi at 12:47 PM, May 25, 2006 Microsoft's Perimeter MovesLawrence Walsh hashes it out with fans of Microsoft's Internet Security and Acceleration Server, and looks at Microsoft's future as a security company: "The addition of Whale's SSL VPN technology will only enhance the ISA offering. And, after speaking with Microsoft and others, I will now say that Microsoft needs to think beyond software if it wants to be a security player. Hardware is the key to the enterprise market." Posted by Joe Caponi at 07:08 AM, May 25, 2006 The Summer Of Desktop LinuxHeather Clancy detects a groundswell: "With its history with the VAR channel, this could be Novell's chance to change the dialogue. You'll also be hearing plenty in the next month from Xandros, which is prepping the launch of its consumer desktop in mid-June (to be followed in September by the business edition) and Red Hat, which has desktop aspirations of its own plus an ambition to connect with VARs and other solution providers aside from its traditional ISV supporters." It's a multi-desktop world. As Robert Faletra says, if you're not ready to discuss Linux with your customers, someone else will be. Posted by Joe Caponi at 06:55 AM, May 25, 2006 The Chart, On IE 7Ed Moltzen tries out the the latest beta of Internet Explorer 7 and rounds up commentary on the programs tabs, memory usage, privacy features and RSS feeds support: "[The] good news for Microsoft is that it still gets lots and lots of feedback when it issues a public beta. That, also, is the bad news." Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:25 AM, May 22, 2006 Top System Builders 2006CRN's Custom Systems special report today announces the 50 Leading System Builders, including the fastest growing and the leaders in servers, whitebooks and storage. "Each of these companies has its own secret sauce for driving growth. They are packaging solutions, offering longer warranties, paying closer attention to marketing or integrating specialized systems and solutions. They do share one common ingredient: a focus on customer service, which has long been the strategic advantage of the custom-system channel." Posted by Joe Caponi at 09:52 AM, May 22, 2006 XChange: Gov, TechConnect, and BeyondOur XChange TechConnect show, bringing together solution providers, vendor executives and the editors from CRN and VARBusiness, is under way now in Las Vegas. Watch our news page for the latest. Meanwhile, GovernmentVAR has posted a photo gallery from the XChange Government Integrator event earlier this month. And XChange is growing, with a new event focused on solution providers serving Latin America. XChange Latin America starts September 10 in Miami. Posted by Joe Caponi at 06:49 AM, May 22, 2006 Unknown QuantityJust bought John Derbyshire's Unknown Quantity, "a real and imaginary history of algebra". Derbyshire is a Long Islander and writer for National Review - I first took notice of him when he wrote one of the earliest, and still one of the best, essays on 9/11 attacks.
Posted by Joe Caponi at 11:56 AM, May 21, 2006 Open Source Java: Definitely MaybeThis week's announcement at JavaOne that Sun would open source more of the Java language and platform raised as many questions as it answered: "'At this point, it's not a question of whether. It's a question of how,' said Rich Green, Sun's recently returned software chief, in an opening keynote address at the JavaOne conference in San Francisco. The announcement drew cheers from the audience, although Sun gave few details about how or when it will transition Java to open source. " Keep an eye on Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz's blog to see how things develop. Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:53 AM, May 19, 2006 Web Services Weekly LinksI'm editing ChannelWeb's Web Services Weekly newsletter this morning, and it's full of important development news for VARs. Here's the highlights:
If these articles are your sort of thing, subscribe to Web Services Weekly, or visit our News Centers on Development, Java, Lniux or Windows. Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:40 AM, May 19, 2006 Digital Connect's Sound OffThey're blogging over at Digital Connect, in a new staff blog called "Sound Off," covering products and issues for digital convergence VARs. Michael Gros starts off looking at a triangle-shaped, Linux-based set-top box from Bulgaria that's set to hit US shores. "It's refreshing to see a set-top box with so many functions, and the design is eye-catching as well. Another encouraging sign is that while virtually all set-top boxes are sold through the cable service providers, Media Systems says it's planning on selling its devices both through service providers and integrators." Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:36 AM, May 18, 2006 Eyes On The MarketAfter taking a beating over the last week, stocks seem to be taking a breather today. Barry Ritholtz says we haven't seen the worst of it yet Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:14 AM, May 18, 2006 Mac Storm At Tidal WavesOver on Tidal Waves, Lawrence Walsh is hearing from Mac OS fans unhappy with his post on Mac OS X's growing appeal and vulnerability to hackers. "Since Mac has only held 3 to 5 percent of the PC deployment base, I maintain--as I stated in my previous writings--that the lack of attacks is more a reflection of the small target surface than the OS' being impervious." Posted by Joe Caponi at 09:55 AM, May 17, 2006 New Book: Ajax In Ten MinutesIn the mail: Sams' Ajax In 10 Minutes by Phil Ballard. The red and blue 'X in 24 Hours' books are ubiquitous around here--I've got six myself--"Apache 2", "CSS", "Java 2", "JavaScript", "SQL", and "XML"--and I see "HTML and CSS" and "Programming With Java" next door in Brad Baymack's office. They're always reliable survey books, with a wide variety of examples, though you'll need a more complete reference pretty quickly once you've started working with a technology. But can the learning time be cut down even more? "AJAX in 10 Minutes," despite it's smaller physical size than the '24 Hours' books, looks like it covers the equivalent amount of ground as it's bigger cousins, mostly by dispensing with many of the examples. Consisting of 21 ten minute lessons (call it "Ajax in 3 1/2 Hours") it covers topics such as the XMLHTTPrequest object, SOAP, REST, and Web services. I'm particularly intrigued by the opening six chapters, which, in a mere 65 pages, cover the basics of the Web, HTML, HTTP, JavaScript, PHP and XML. That's got to be worth an hour. Posted by Joe Caponi at 02:10 PM, May 16, 2006 Microsoft, Google, Adobe Push Document ManagementEd Moltzen's blogging from the AIIM/OnDemand show in Philadelphia: "If you doubted how much revenue opportunity there is in workflow and document management, doubt no more. For the first time ever, Microsoft is maintaining a significant presence at the AIIM/OnDemand expo." Posted by Joe Caponi at 01:35 PM, May 16, 2006 Maximize Your DisplayIt's likely your most expensive peripheral (frequently more than the PC) and the one you and your customers spend all day staring at. But are you making the most of LCD flat-panel displays? Leaving brightness, contrast and pixel timing at factory default settings is easy, but can result in disappointed customers, particulary ones with demanding graphics applications. The newest TeechBuilder recipes goes over the pros and cons of making the CRT-LCD sitch, and introductes some new software from Microsoft and DisplayMate that can help get the most performance out of new LCD and CRT displays. Posted by Joe Caponi at 01:01 PM, May 15, 2006 Linux's Vista OpportunityRobert Faletra warns that your customers will soon need advice on whether to upgrade to Vista or consider switching to Linux, and that you'd better be prepared to answer: "As a solution provider, your first loyalty is to your customer. Even if you are not a Linux fan, you need to be ready for questions surrounding this issue. There’s nothing wrong with believing strongly in either environment, but your credibility may be on the line if you haven’t considered the pros and cons of the alternative" Posted by Joe Caponi at 12:10 PM, May 15, 2006 Profitability '06--The Rules of AcquisitionCRN examines how solution providers can differentiate their businesses and make the most from their efforts in this year's Profitability Special Report. With features on profitabilty metrics, new customer acquisition, and reports on profitable niches including mobility, security, custom systems, and more, the report is sure to provide a wealth of ideas to enhance your business. Posted by Joe Caponi at 11:46 AM, May 15, 2006 Introducing TechCareers (and a careers linkfest!)There's always been a piece missing from ChannelWeb. The web's premiere solution provider community has always needed a robust job board for companies looking for experienced channel professionals, and for quality people in the IT job market. We're finally there. Continue reading "Introducing TechCareers (and a careers linkfest!)" Posted by Joe Caponi at 11:19 AM, May 11, 2006 The Extreme Home OfficeFrank Ohlhorst puts together PC, monitor, all-in-one printer, NAS, security, connectivity and more to build The Extreme Home Office over on Digital Connect: "Digital ConnectLab engineers set out to build the best--and most cost-effective--home office infrastructure... We started out with a couple of prerequisites: a reliable broadband connection and a strong network backbone." Posted by Joe Caponi at 12:48 PM, May 10, 2006 Sun Grid vs. DigipedeThe CRN Test center tries out the 'utility supercomputer' from Sun, and contrasts it with a smaller competitor, Digipede, with some compelling capabilities:
Posted by Joe Caponi at 12:18 PM, May 8, 2006 Tidal WavesLawrence Walsh is blogging up a storm over on VARBusiness--today, about how mergers can disrupt the lives of channel companies: "Recently, I listened to the pain a small VAR suffered when it took the time and risk to invest in WholeSecurity, a small security start-up. As a WholeSecurity partner, this VAR had the benefits of being part of an exclusive club. He had cutting-edge technology that added real value to his customers and good margins for his business. When Symantec took over, the doors to the exclusive club were blow open. Suddenly, he complained, all of Symantec's partners had access to WholeSecurity's products, the margins were gone and the technology disappeared into the vastness of the Symantec portfolio."
Posted by Joe Caponi at 12:10 PM, May 8, 2006 Build A Media-Player BoxThe newest TechBuilder recipe builds a small form-factor digital media control center with low-cost hardware and free software: "While today's tower PCs can act as media-playback boxes, they leave a lot to be desired when it comes to portability and aesthetics. New developments in miniaturization have put the full power of a modern PC on a motherboard just 40 percent the size of a conventional ATX board. This means system builders can devise highly capable media-playback machines in small boxes, using quiet, low-power components. " Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:07 AM, May 8, 2006 The Race For High Internet GroundBarbara Darrow's looking at where Microsoft's investing it's money, and this caught my eye: "What's happening is a massive data center arms race with Google, Microsoft, Yahoo all ramping up their infrastructure spending... Yahoo and Microsoft are both building out huge data centers among the farm fields of central Washington, close to the Columbia River, fount of hydro-electric power." Posted by Joe Caponi at 01:25 PM, May 5, 2006 Telepresence, TeleworkAt Interop this week, Cisco CEO John Chambers offerd his vision for "telepresence." CRN's Dan Neel reports: "Telepresence blends high-bandwidth IP communications into a high-resolution video- and voice-conferencing system. Such solutions will be so refined that users will be able to detect subtle nuances in the responses of other participants and follow them around a room, according to Chambers."On a more down to earth level, old fashioned telecommuting is once again on the attracting attention as a potential solution to everything from high gas prices to bird flu outbreaks. Coming up in June in Washington, the Telework Town Hall meeting will address telework issues in the federal sector. Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:55 AM, May 4, 2006 Build-Your-Own At Wal-Mart?With discount PC prices already so low, and a reluctance on most people's parts to start fiddling with the insides of a PC, it's hard for me to imagine that Wal-Mart's plan to offer components will gain much traction. Still, they do have a better retailing record than I do, and local systems builders are concerned. Steven Burke rounds up reactions: "Some system builders feel the Wal-Mart move to start selling build-your-own components in some 1,400 stores by the end of the year will send system builder margins plummeting. Others feel that Wal-Mart is in over its head in the build-your-own business and will have a tough time making a go of it in an already thin-margin business." Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:16 AM, May 4, 2006 A New Look For GovernmentVARWe launched a new design for GovernmentVAR today around noon, just in time for today's XChange Government Integrator event. You'll find all the usual reasons for a redesign apply here: quicker, cleaner, more appealing, along with better access to our government-specific research and tools. But as is also usually the case on the web, today's changes are but one more step along the path--in this case, to launching GovernmentVAR as a complete site on it's own, out from under the wing of VARBusiness. Keep watching. Posted by Joe Caponi at 12:46 PM, May 3, 2006 XChange Government IntegratorCMP Channel Group's XChange conferences (full disclosure: that's us) bring together solution providers, vendors and CRN, VARBusiness, Digital Connect and GovernmentVAR editors in a unique forum for discussing channel issues and networking with the top channel decision makers. Tommorow, our first event focused specifically on the public sector takes place in Washington. Continue reading "XChange Government Integrator" Posted by Joe Caponi at 11:42 AM, May 2, 2006 Readers Question IE StandardsOver on the Forums, reader Nanobot has been looking at standards support in the new beta of Internet Explorer and isn't happy: "IE's support for web standards is still very much an issue, and will likely be for several more versions unless Microsoft performs some miracles. " Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:29 AM, May 1, 2006 Fortress MacLawrence Walsh looks at new Mac OS vulnerabilities in light of the switch to Intel processors, along with Apple's higher visibility due to the success of the iPod and OS X. "During the past couple of years, the modus operandi of the digital underground has changed from the demonstration of technical prowess. Hackers want access to your machines so they can steal identities, credit-card numbers, access credentials and more. Mac users have money, too (we know this because Macs also cost a little more than many Wintel machines), so why shouldn't they share in the threat?" Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:11 AM, May 1, 2006 |
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