Virtualization Eases Desktop Woes

Companies embrace virtualization to enhance their security and management capabilities, open new computing possibilities, and save on hardware and power costs. Our Joe Kovar takes an overview of how virtualization is changing the desktop PC market:

"Virtual desktop technology is on the verge of cutting much of the fat associated with desktop PCs in much the same way that server virtualization has started reducing midrange businesses' server overhead, only on a larger scale.
A much larger scale..."

Meanwhile, Steven Burke says an unexpected beneficiary of virtualization is the Mac OS platform:

"The virtualization solution phenomenon... is helping to fuel a Mac renaissance in businesses. More companies and even more consumers are making the big jump from the PC to the Mac platform... VMware Fusion is the biggest-selling software product for the Macintosh online and in stores—behind only Microsoft Office."

UPDATE: The Channel Test Center tries out Parallels vs. VMware Fusion vs. Boot Camp, in search of the best way to run Vista on a Mac.

Posted by Joe Caponi at 11:22 AM, May 30, 2008
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Gates Anticipates Windows 7, New Interfaces

This week, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates provided a peek at some of Microsoft's thinking regarding Windows 7 and new computing interfaces:

"At the D: All Things Digital event, [Gates] said the expansion of user interfaces beyond the keyboard will have a far reaching impact on computing. 'In the next few years, the roles of speech, gesture, vision, ink, all of those will become huge. For the person at home and the person at work, that interaction will change dramatically,' Gates said."

ChannelWeb readers are busy weighing in, offering their critiques of Vista and their evaluations of OS alternatives:

"We are going in the wrong direction if the features touted for a new OS are interface based! An OS should be rock solid, should completely isolate the core services..."
"I switched to Ubuntu Linux and since never looked back. My dreams and desires in an OS have been both met, exceeded and I can't wait to see what happens next."

"What customers are actually demanding... is a secure, stable OS that works without getting in their way."

"I like XP, I also like my iPod Touch as a handy, portable web viewer, but real life touch isn't going anywhere."

"The only thing the other OS's have going for them is no one uses them--so no one bothers to hack them."

"XP SP2 is the best operating system windows has come out with so far, ... I don't think we will see one as good for a while yet."

Earlier, we asked Could Microsoft 'Blink' On Vista?, and keep releasing XP Service Packs? I'd say it now looks more likely Microsoft's turned their attention to the next Next Big Thing.

Posted by Joe Caponi at 11:05 AM, May 29, 2008
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The VARBusiness 500 Headquarter Maps

The VARBusiness 500 really embody that old chestnut, "think globally, act locally." With business operations, customers and partnerships around the world, their global influence is considerable. But they also serve thousands of small accounts, and maintain offices in locales across the U.S. and Canada.

We've just launched a compelling way of visualizing that reach--and one of my favorite parts of the VARBusiness 500 project--our maps of the headquarters locations of all 500 solution provider companies, along with those top 40 major vendors with services divisions. Through these eight maps, (New England, Mid-Atlantic, DC Region, South Atlantic, North Central, South Central, Pacific, California) you can virtually tour the VARBusiness 500 landscape, and call up our complete data set on each company. Poke around!

Posted by Joe Caponi at 11:11 AM, May 28, 2008
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Everything Channel's 2008 IT Spending Survey

Today's issue of CRN features highlights of our 2008 Everything Channel IT Spending Survey. In an even more uncertain economic environment than usual, solution providers are seeing customers engage in what HP's Ramona Thibeault calls a "smarter spend"-- looking for concrete justifications for new projects. VARs can make the difference, Scott Campbell reports:

"As solution providers look to bring newer and more complex technologies, such as VoIP, to customers, they'll be encouraged to hear that the No. 1 factor that end users look for in a solution provider is exceptional technical support to help ensure that a new system or application runs correctly."

Overall, smaller customers are most optimistic about IT spending over the next year, but all sizes of businesses anticipate ongoing IT investments. For a more detailed breakdown of the survey results, don't miss our IT Spending Survey slide show

Posted by Joe Caponi at 12:23 PM, May 27, 2008
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Memorial Day 2008 Linkfest

Here we are once again at the edge of a big weekend! But what to read? Some ideas:

Continue reading "Memorial Day 2008 Linkfest"

Posted by Joe Caponi at 04:06 PM, May 23, 2008
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HP's Mini-Note: Power and Portability

The Mini-Note from HP (covered here; reviewed here; and one of our 25 Cool Products for Mobile Workers) has made a big splash in the ultra-mobile PC market. I had a chance to spend a weekend with the Mini-Note, testing out the wireless at Panera Bread and passing it over to my kids to watch "Enchanted", and it's a solid and fun product. I show off the Mini-Note on ChannelWeb Video (though the Test Center's Fahmida Rashid did most of the heavy lifting on the review).

For a thinner, lighter and Mac-ier alternative, don't miss our video review of the Mac Book Air.

Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:56 AM, May 21, 2008
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2008 VARBusiness 500

It's here: Our annual list of the top solution providers in North America, ranked by revenue. The full lists are available from the 500 home page, but check out the advanced search for more ways to utilize the data.

Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:44 AM, May 19, 2008
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Sign Up: Fast Growth 2008

With a hat tip to Bob Dylan, Steven Burke says the choice facing today's soluition providers is Grow Or Die Hard:

"Everything Channel has classified [solution provider businesses into] one of three buckets: lifestyle business, moderate growth and hypergrowth. The place to be, obviously, is hypergrowth. That is where channel stalwarts are working hand in hand with partners to drive crucial midmarket sales"

And once again, we're on the lookout for hypergrowth VARs. Our upcoming Fast Growth 100 report will spotlight the fastest growing solution providers, and detail how they've gotten themselves into that enviable position. If you think you're one of those business, Apply Now. Inclusion on this list will demonstrate that your organization is one of the leaders of the technology industry, as well as being really cool, to boot.

The application deadline is May 21. For a better sense of what makes the Fast Growth tick, see our 2007 Fast Growth special report.

Posted by Joe Caponi at 11:50 AM, May 13, 2008
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Mergers On Tap: HP Bids For EDS

Well, this is big news:

"Hewlett-Packard late Monday confirmed reports that it is in talks to acquire systems integrator giant EDS in a bid to boost its fortunes in the global services arena.
The takeover of EDS, Plano, Tex. would drastically change the services landscape for HP and immediately make the combined company a formidable competitor against IBM in enterprise services."

At 'The Pervasive Datacenter', Gordon Haff compares the move to HP's unsuccessful bid for Pricewaterhouse Coopers in 2000, and sees "the ghost of Carly":

"Something that's really striking is just how closely HP has maintained the course that [former CEO Carly Fiorina] laid out...
Mark Hurd has made remarkably few changes to HP's strategic direction since he took over. The benefits of scale promised from the Compaq buy have indeed proven out. EDS represents growth of scale along another axis--services--that puts HP that much more in the mold of IBM."

While at Nicholas Carr's blog, the author sees parallels with Oracle's software acquisitions:

"Oracle has enjoyed considerable success by rolling up the software side of the the now-mature client-server model of corporate computing. With its $13.9 billion acquisition of outsourcing giant EDS, Hewlett-Packard is playing the same game on the services side."

Carr also points to analyst Om Malik's blog, which claims the deal is "About The Clouds, Baby!":

"Typically, such a major deal means two things: Either the buyer has some issues with his current business, or he wants to make a big bet on the future. In case of HP CEO Mark Hurd, it might be a bit of both. There is only so much market share HP can carve out when it comes to printers and computers. More importantly, HP seems to be realizing that the future is about on-demand infrastructure. EDS brings to the table about 100 data centers around the planet."

Not to rain on the parade, but at All Things Digital, John Paczkowski forsees integration and cultural issues:

"When the dust has settled around the merger, HP will be the second-largest provider of consulting and outsourcing services, behind IBM. But it will take some doing to get there. 'It’s a very significant combination,' said Ben Pring, a research vice president in the IT Practices Group at Gartner. '[But] people who are skeptical of big integrations will have a field day around this. It’s putting together two large businesses with two different heritages. It’s going to be a big culture clash.'"

More to come...

Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:48 AM, May 13, 2008
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High Tech, The Candidates, And The Public Sector

In today's CRN, Robert Faletra asks the question "Which Presidential Candidate Would Be Best For High Tech?", but eventually concludes that none of the big three has yet addressed our most important technology challenge:

"The biggest issue we face as an industry is education and graduating more engineers, and I haven't heard any of the candidates give me an answer as to what they would do about that."

Meanwhile, over on Small Business Resource, Gayle Kesten compiles a few guides (including ours) to the candidates's positions on high-tech issues. Among small business managers, the most critical issue she's seeing is dealing with health care costs.

Of course, the government isn't only a source of policy opportunities/challenges. It's also a big IT buyer, and Robert DeMarzo says it's a great hedge against a downturn in the business sector, if you know how to play it:

"The VARs who stuck with it and spent time securing contracts or serving as subs to the large prime contractors built a steady, profitable business that, in many cases, is growing faster than their commercial side while guaranteeing a predictable rate of return."

Posted by Joe Caponi at 12:36 PM, May 12, 2008
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Apply Now For Our 'Women In The Channel' Special Report

We're once again looking for a few good women - the leading women at solution provider organizations, vendors and distributors involved with the channel. In last year's report, VARBusiness recognized 50 women driving innovation and creating opportunities at channel organizations. To be considered for this year's listing, apply today

Posted by Joe Caponi at 04:35 PM, May 9, 2008
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Sign Up For The 2008 Emerging Technology Vendors Directory

In last year's Emerging Technology Vendors special report, we wrote

"[Emerging vendors offer] far superior technology, more robust margins and uncompromising technical support... they're reshaping the information technology industry, solution providers say, by handily beating established vendors in head-to-head product, margin, technical support and field engagement comparisons... It's not even close."

Smart solution providers are always looking for new opportunities, and once again, we're looking for the newest vendors reaching out to the channel. If you're a vendor (under $1B in revenue) selling though the channel, Sign Up Now. The deadline is next Thursday, May 15.

Posted by Joe Caponi at 05:04 PM, May 8, 2008
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Quote Smarter: Product Pricing and Availability

We want to change the way you build quotes for clients. Our newest tool offers real-time pricing, availability, and research on thousands of IT products, to help you get the best solutions into your customers hands, at the best prices. Most significantly for solution providers, it's possible to enter your reseller ID with D&H, Ingram Micro, Synnex or Tech Data, to determine your specific partner pricing from any of those distributors. Along with our partner, VARStreet, we're eager to see how this helps you operate your business, and how we can continue to improve it.

Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:52 AM, May 8, 2008
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20 Great-Looking Solution Provider Websites

Like Captain Kirk, when he was split into good and evil halves, great technology solutions won't thrive without great design. While great design doesn't always come naturally to solution providers, it can provide a key differentiator in positioning their businesses. And I've found some sites that do just that.

We've just posted "20 Great-Looking Solution Provider Sites," a slide show I've put together, recognizing some of the sharpest sites in our industry. Starting with the 2007 VARBusiness 500 companies, I whittled the list down to sites that demonstrate appealing design, imagery and typography, along with elegant navigation, and I learned quite a bit myself.

Coming soon: What not to do.

Posted by Joe Caponi at 03:20 PM, May 7, 2008
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Can You Hear Me Now? Not With Vista Audio

On Friday, our Kevin McLaughlin posted a brief piece audio problems experienced by Windows Vista users running the new Service Pack 1 and Windows Update:

"The update for IDT (Formerly Sigmatel)'s high definition sound and is called "IDT High Def Codec," according to several users on a Dell customer forum, who claim that installing the update results in a "Code 10" Error after rebooting, as well as the loss of audio."

As of late this afternoon, over 120 ChannelWeb readers have posted in our forums about their experience with problem, and how they were able to fix it (if they were). It's the hottest forum topic we've seen in recent memory. Though not specifically Microsoft's fault, it's another black eye for Vista which really didn't need it...

Posted by Joe Caponi at 04:48 PM, May 5, 2008
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Could Microsoft 'Blink' On Vista?

We were just discussing how XP will be with us for a long time. Ed Moltzen takes the idea one step further, suggesting that it's Vista that may be the OS that disappears, much like "New Coke":

"While a lot of people will remember Coca-Cola's initial mistake, many tend to forget that, in the long run, its chief brand has endured and strengthened.
Could Microsoft learn a lesson from that? Could it announce that XP will live on, renamed as "Windows Classic?" Could it announce that it now has a roadmap for XP with SP 4, SP 5 and SP 6?"

Meanwhile, BusinessWeek reports that Macs are making inroads ino the corporate marketplace.

Posted by Joe Caponi at 11:55 AM, May 2, 2008
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By Joe Caponi
Managing Editor, Operations, ChannelWeb
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