A New Year Columns LinkfestJill Aitoro looks at the completely new slate of Senate and House committee chairs and how the Democratic victories in November will play out for public-sector VARs. Steven Burke reviews "When IT Hits The Fan", a "fictionalized account of an automotive air-filter manufacturer that experiences an IT meltdown." Consider yourself warned. Heather Clancy reads a new report from McAfee on the seemingly endlessly growing cyber-crime menace. Barbara Darrow reports on the consumer launch of Vista, as well as the Free Software Foundation's anti-Vista campaign. Robert Faletra says channel consolidation will pick up steam in the new year. (It's not a prediction, he says. It's a statement.) And Robert DeMarzo pens a poem in honor of the year gone by. Best wishes, and Happy New Year! Posted by Joe Caponi at 02:26 PM, December 29, 2006 Competition Is EverywhereSo says Lawrence Walsh, surveying the business scene: "The future of the IT industry and channel may have to cope with myriad challenges --from freelance labor forces to multinational integrators to offshore solution developers to new product and services delivery models. Of course, competition can pay off nicely, too: Poll Shows Strong Job Market In 2007. Posted by Joe Caponi at 03:20 PM, December 27, 2006 Merry Christmas From Hot TopicsHave a great holiday weekend! More next week. Posted by Joe Caponi at 11:20 AM, December 24, 2006 Partner Programs Guide RegistrationsVendors: It's time to sign up for VARBusiness' 2007 Partner Programs Guide and Government Partner Programs Guide. The PPG, to be published in March in VARBusiness, is the definitive annual guide to vendor's channel programs, and is a key resource for solution providers researching new vendor partners. Don't be caught having to explain why your competitor's in it and you're not! Sign Up Now. Posted by Joe Caponi at 09:50 AM, December 21, 2006 Products of the YearThe CRN Test Center has identified the top ten Products of the Year!: "The one thing all these products have in common is their uncommon flexibility, unshackling the imagination of solution providers and enabling them to write their own rules with respect to configuration and customization options. And, of course, the companies behind these products share a true dedication to reaching customers with the channel" Posted by Joe Caponi at 05:10 PM, December 20, 2006 VARs Pass On Vendor ExclusivityFrom a vendor's perspective, locking in your solution providers to exclusive relationships is a great idea. For the solution provider, that's not the case. Barbara Darrow talks to a wide range of VARs dealing with vendor relationships and comes to the conclusion that Exclusivity doesn't pay. "In theory, [Jim Ethell, president of Level Eight Systems] believes it can make sense to be exclusive if there is a good and stable customer base and if the product in question remains a priority for the vendor. In a world of mergers and acquisitions running amok, however, many of these products get lost in the shuffle." A conclusion not unlike Steven Burke's point earlier this month. Posted by Joe Caponi at 02:01 PM, December 18, 2006 Easy Broadband for SOHOA new class of devices offer rich functionality for simple cable or DSL internet connections for small organizations. Ed Tittel has a look in our newest TechBuilder recipe: "These devices all offer typical additional router/Internet Gateway amenities, as well. This includes firewalls, network address translation (NAT), DHCP, and various security features. Most also include some level of virtual private network support. That way, VPN users on the inside can communicate with outside networks using one or more types of virtual private networking software." Posted by Joe Caponi at 01:52 PM, December 18, 2006 Try Our Solution Provider LocatorOur newest tool on the ChannelWeb network provides an unmatched database of over 200,000 solution provider locations, and is searchable by services, technical specialties, customer sizes and locations. Use it when you're looking for a partner to complement your capabilities and provide customer solutions you hadn't thought possible. Test-drive it now! Posted by Joe Caponi at 08:18 AM, December 14, 2006 Nominate Your Top Channel ExecHas a vendor executive made a difference to your business this year? Upgraded their partner program, spurred demand, or introduced you to a new business or technolgoy opportunity? Let us know! Nominations are now open for VARBusiness' Top Channel Executives guide, to be published in March 2007. The deadline for entries is January 15, 2007. In the meantime, take a look at last year's winners. Posted by Joe Caponi at 11:34 AM, December 13, 2006 Reaching Overseas For Customers and SolutionsCRN examines the ongoing expansion of solution provider business overseas: "In growing numbers, domestic solution providers are discovering that their technical and business acumen translates well into foreign markets and are rapidly moving to establish global footprints." But if you can't find customers overseas, you can still take advantage of money-saving opportunities. Steven Burke on outsourcing: "More and more solution providers are expanding their reach beyond this country's borders. The labor advantages that come with this decision are providing them with huge competitive advantages...VARs everywhere have to decide whether they want to eat or be eaten." And chilling as that thought is for an American tech professional, maybe the rising tide really is lifting all boats: IT Job Market Best In Five Years, Survey Finds. Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:23 AM, December 12, 2006 Freespire and Linspire At Your ServiceIn November's CRN Test Center review 3 Linux Desktops Put To The Test, the Linspire OS scored high marks for it's channel-friendly solution provider program and it's Windows-like user experience. In today's TechBuilder recipe, A. Lizard goes into detail on installing and running Linspire and it's cousin, Freespire, enhancing their multimedia and networking features and adding in key applications through Freespire's CNR (Click aNd Run) capabilities. Posted by Joe Caponi at 11:16 AM, December 11, 2006 Finding Vista Opportunities In JerseyHeather Clancy spoke with VARs last week and came away with three important Vista opportunities for the channel: SharePoint, training and BPO (business process outsourcing, of course...) "You can't simply throw this stuff at people or teams and expect them magically to become productive. Over the past several years, training of all sorts has really gotten short shrift, but I think businesses are ready to spend here again... Along those lines, IDC (in a Microsoft-sponsored report) projects $70 billion in Vista-related sales in 2007, with the lion's share going to partners. Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:20 AM, December 11, 2006 Holiday Gift GuideTechWeb has posted it's Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide, featuring 80 products to dazzle your friends and family. "The Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide is highly selective. No me-too products. Nothing beige. The high-tech gadgets and high-end electronics that made our list did so because they're white-hot, wicked cool, sick, intense, and insert the totally far-out adjective of your choice here." So there. Posted by Joe Caponi at 01:13 PM, December 8, 2006 Tech Pros Still MerryGood news from the Hudson staffing survey: "Demand for tech talent is predicted to become increasingly intense in 2007. That's especially true for key skill groups, including experienced professionals of project management, change management and business analysis, according to IT staffing firm officials... Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:37 AM, December 7, 2006 Burke On 'The Verizon Lesson'Steven Burke isn't happy about the way Verizon has treated it's MCI partners and he says there's a bigger lesson here for any solution provider: "It's foolish for VARs to put all their eggs in one vendor's basket. The bigger trend reshaping the channel right now is that VARs are establishing tighter bonds with their customers as MSPs and calling the shots on the entire IT budget. If you're not taking that strategic approach, you are vulnerable." Posted by Joe Caponi at 09:38 AM, December 7, 2006 Go Harvey!Cristina McEachern relates some terrific news from Sirius Computer Solutions CEO Harvey Najim, who was the winner of this year's VARBusiness Lifetime Achievement Award: "Najim explains he is using the majority of his proceeds [from a recapitalization of Sirius Computer] to set up the Harvey Najim Foundation to support children and education in the greater San Antonio area. Congrats and best of luck! Posted by Joe Caponi at 12:48 PM, December 6, 2006 TechInnovators 2006In November, VARBusiness presented it's Technology Innovator Awards, recognizing the people, companies and products providing the most dramatic new opportunities for technology solution providers. This week's Tech Innovators special report fills in all the details. Online, you'll find: How Innovative Company Winner IBM stays on the cutting edge; Profiles of the winning products in all thirteen tech categories A photo slideshow of the awards; A database of the over 700 products our judges' considered; and more... Posted by Joe Caponi at 02:00 PM, December 5, 2006 Linux For KidsOver on The Chart, Ed Moltzen finds some early adopters: ""So Dad," he asked. "What is the difference between Linux and Windows?" I tried to explain but it was a waste of breath. "What difference do you see?" I asked back. Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:06 AM, December 5, 2006 Frank Talk From Seagate CEOOver at CNNMoney, there's a remarkable interview with Seagate CEO Bill Watkins. Starting out as a preview of a number of Seagate announcements planned for the upcoming CES show, Watkins goes on to toss verbal barbs at Dell, other CEO's, the tech industry, and even his own board of directors: "When I ask if anyone really cared about [the HP pretexting scandal] story outside of the media, Watkins shakes his head. "Wall Street certainly didn't. I saw it and thought, it's good to know there's a board of directors more dysfunctional than mine."" He does like Apple, though. Posted by Joe Caponi at 01:42 PM, December 4, 2006 Get Down To Business With Vista And OfficeWith the launch behind us, Vista and Office '07 will quickly define what users expect from their computing experience and need from their solution providers. Heather Clancy predicts things will be busy: "I do believe Vista's debut last week will be like the product launches of yore in that it's a great dialogue starter for your sales team. Which means 2007 will be awful, awful busy, and that you need to coach your staff both on how to handle objections and how to tout the business innovations made possible by the Vista-Office 2007 combination." Given that, CRN's cover story package this week is a must-bookmark--you'll refer to it many times-- Vista & Office 2007: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly examines the OS/Suite pair from every angle and spells out what solution providers need to know. But if customers are getting email, calendering, word processing and spreadsheets for free over the web, do Vista and Office matter? Barbara Darrow has her eye on: "Microsoft's continuing balancing act between the traditional Office/Vista delivery model relying on big-bang software sales vs. software as a service (SaaS), the delivery model pioneered by Google and representing the latest threat to Microsoft's traditional model." Posted by Joe Caponi at 11:57 AM, December 4, 2006 Demistifying Your Power BudgetComfortable with "Watts = Volts x Amps"? Then you may be able to work out the power requirements for your and your customer's server systems. The latest TechBuilder recipe explains how to select power supplies without getting zapped. "You will learn the ability to discern which power supply is the best one for your server. By going through this process, you will be sure you are spending your customers' money where it counts. You'll also learn how to create a more-reliable server. The benefits should include increased customer satisfaction at a variety of levels, and fewer support calls for power problems—which are among the most difficult to troubleshoot." Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:27 AM, December 4, 2006 Stay Alert To Cyber ThreatsThere's news of a new cyber threat warning today, but Larry Walsh says it's something solution providers should be able to take in stride: "Reality check: If we've done our jobs -- erecting synergistic security and storage systems and established policies and procedures for recovery from attacks and malware infections -- there really isn't too much of a worry about cyberattacks by any source. Yes, hackers and terrorists can cause disruptions, but the recovery shouldn't be too difficult or lengthy. Again, if we've done our jobs right." Posted by Joe Caponi at 11:00 AM, December 1, 2006 |
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