Five Questions For Dave Condensa, President Of Helio Solutions

VB: Are you now looking at the midmarket?

Condensa: Yes, we're moving downstream. We built a business that can service Fortune 500 accounts, so it's easier for us to move down to the midmarket from there as opposed to the other way around.

VB: Will it take a different philosophy to reach that space?

Condensa: [There are] four truths for this industry: Stay focused on your value proposition; keep overhead costs low; stay debt free; and recognize market trends and opportunities. So we're recognizing the opportunity in the midmarket.

VB: What's your perspective on Sun's recent improvements?

Condensa: I'm more confident about Sun than I've ever been, not only with Helio, but with my time in the late 1990s with other VARs. The partner programs they've put together are the richest in the industry right now.

VB: Will Linux be a problem for the high-end Unix space?

Condensa: I don't see Linux being as disruptive as predicted because we see the new Solaris 10 and Linux co-existing quite well with its ability to support Linux applications.

VB: You've talked about a massive technology upgrade coming in 2005. Which technology areas will be the most fruitful?

Condensa: The dollars are still coming from big hardware. Storage spending has been robust over the past couple years, so people aren't going to forklift out old storage systems. In terms of refresh, I think the server market is very ripe for 2005.