MicroScope articles from August 2007

MicroScope archives from August 2007

Security woes.(10 Features)
August 13, 2007... The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive came into effect on 1 July, intended to enforce recycling standards, but this has serious repercussions for data on hard drives which, during the process, falls outside the control of the...

The Emperor's new clothes.(05 Editorial)
August 13, 2007... With US giant Ingram Micro making so little Q2 profit, it does make you ponder how anyone makes a living in broadline distribution Billy MacInnes Opinion The announcement of Ingram Micro's second quarter results a couple of weeks ago...

01 News.
August 13, 2007... Decision overturned A US district court in San Diego has overturned a decision ordering Microsoft to pay phone firm Alcatel-Lucent $1.52bn ([pounds sterling]777m) for infringing music patents that dealt with how audio is converted into MP3...

LARs face a challenge.(01 News)
August 13, 2007... Microsoft to link rebates to revenue generation, sales volumes and accreditations Large account resellers (LARs) could lose Microsoft rebates from 1 October if they fail to meet a minimum revenue threshold or score well with accreditations...

01 News.(Tahir Mohsan appointed at Evesham Technology)
August 13, 2007... Mohsan takes up the reins at ailing Evesham Tahir Mohsan of Time Group Middle East is the new owner of Evesham Technology, after the company fell into administration on 3 August and was bought out under a pre-pack arrangement. This...

01 News.(HKW Information Services)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... The future of Manchester-based HKW Information Services was hanging in the balance at the time of going to press as the bankers for the cash-strapped reseller were believed to be ready to appoint administrators. At the same time, another...

Channel doubts HP is making a smart choice.(04 Hardware)
August 13, 2007... Billed as a Dell-busting tool, Hewlett-Packard's Smart Choice portal gave resellers a slick marketing engine, but despite signs that online orders were picking up the vendor plans to wind down the system over the summer. This is a huge...

07 Security.(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... Corporate worries over botnet threat Botnets have long been a problem in the home PC market, exploiting user indifference to security to use desktops as zombies in denial of service and spam attacks. But the threat of botnets is now...

07 Security.(Tumbleweed Communications Corp. partnered with Small and medium sized companies)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... Messaging firm signs partners for SME market There have been plenty of vendors that have repainted themselves in SME colours as they move to embrace a sizeable market and there are examples where it has been done successfully. Secure...

08 Storage.
August 13, 2007... With each generation of technology, the ideal of a single, automated box slips ever further away Simplicity proves slippery There's a lot to be said for direct access storage. It just sits there and does its thing, naturally controlled...

Wake up to your favourite tunes.(09 Tech Traders)
August 13, 2007... When the iPod arrived on the scene Apple not only turned the world of digital music on its head but gave birth to an entire sub-industry that was able to target the accessories market. In an almost classic demonstration of what adding value...

Innovation to break boundaries.(09 Tech Traders)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... There are broadly two types of vendor - those that innovate and those that mimic and sell at a lower price - and dealing with the former is where resellers can make margin. One of the announcements that might have slipped under the radar is...

A solid wall to block threats.(09 Tech Traders)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... It doesn't really matter what size company you are these days - the demand is for mobile working and within limits SMEs are having look into ways of providing remote access. Making sure that staff can be efficient but secure is the hurdle...

HP considers a U-turn over server promotion.(01 News)
August 13, 2007... Lacklustre new promotion will be reviewed at the end of August The server promotion Hewlett-Packard is running for August will be reviewed at the end of the month and if sales have dropped the vendor might revert to the TopValue option...

Avnet merges under one banner.(01 News)(Avnet Technology Solutions)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... An Avnet reorganisation will see the divisions merged under one banner with greater cooperation between sales teams to ensure it does not miss out on the growing demand for multi-technology solutions. This signals the end of the Visual and...

01 News.(Packard Bell NEC Inc. buys Lenovo Group Ltd.)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... Packard-Bell buy will give Lenovo early retail entry With its own branded consumer PCs not scheduled to be released until next year, Lenovo might saunter into the fast-growing European retail market earlier than planned by acquiring...

Fears for future as IT jobs lose appeal.(01 News)
August 13, 2007... An IT staffing crisis looms unless employers offer less rigid conditions The next generation is not going to join the workforce unless employers are willing to provide flexible working and embrace the latest web 2.0 technology. A...

01 News.(briefs)(Sheffield City Council)(Essex County Council)(Financial report)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... Rosy outlook as vendors report solid results The real points of interest in the financial activity in the channel are not so much around the figures but in what investments, ambitions and contracts have been made and won. Recent results...

Wavelan offers debt recovery services to channel creditors.(01 News)
August 13, 2007... The creditors of one collapsed reseller have been approached by a debt recovery agency The number of collapses in the channel that have left suppliers counting their losses has led to the emergence of debt recovery specialists promising to...

01 News.(DNS Arrow purchase Centia Ltd)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... DNS Arrow seeks strength through purchase of Centia Consolidation in the channel has continued at the distribution level with DNS Arrow picking up Centia and the AKS Group. DNS Arrow parent DNS Int. Europe made clear its intention to...

01 News.(Datatec Ltd. merger with Crane Telecommunications)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... Westcon financial boost sparks talk of further buys Westcon's parent, South Africa-based Datatec, has upped the distributor's credit lines by $236m ([pounds sterling]116.7m) to $610m at its North American and European subsidiaries,...

SAM gains prominence.(02 Software)
August 13, 2007... The importance of software asset management (SAM) as a value-added service was underlined last week by Dell's purchase of ASAP and Trustmarque Solutions' acquisition of SAMpartners. Dell's decision to splash out $340m ([pounds...

Save energy with PC power naps.(02 Software)
August 13, 2007... One of the problems for those trying to make their desktops more energy efficient is the power the units consume through the working day while not being used. Whenever vendors have tried to look into the standby or sleep options the...

02 Software.
August 13, 2007... ThinkPads to come loaded with open source Lenovo and Novell have made an agreement to provide preloaded Linux on ThinkPad notebook PCs along with support for the open source operating system. Novell will provide maintenance updates for the...

03 Networking.
August 13, 2007... Predatory Nortel shrugs off poor sales results Despite incurring a second quarter loss through falling sales and some hefty restructuring charges, Nortel CEO Mike Zafirovski has confirmed rumours that he is on the lookout for acquisitions....

Court delays Mitel and Inter-Tel tie-up.(03 Networking)(Mitel Networks Corp.)
August 13, 2007... Following the announcement of a tie-up between business voice and data comms vendor Inter-Tel and Canadian IP comms specialist Mitel, the reseller channel has been weighing up the implications of the $723m ([pounds sterling]356.7m) deal. ...

03 Networking.(Ethernet sales soar in Europe)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... Ethernet sales are set to soar in Europe Spending on carrier Ethernet services in western Europe is predicted to overtake spending on legacy network services within the next four years, with sales anticipated to hit a total value of $4.1bn...

Not the month of the great discounts of old.(05 Editorial)(Brief article)
August 20, 2007... In years gone by the month of August was usually characterised by cost cutting, heavy discounting and marketing campaigns that were all designed to stir up business in what is traditionally a dead period. This time around things are...

12 Soap.(briefs)
August 20, 2007... www.weirdworld this week complains of cheap bribery and encourages boxes rather than single packets, clicks on to Geemore.com, and watches in wonder at another large battery recall One pack! You'd think the best way to bribe...

04 Hardware.
August 20, 2007... Early release of Intel quad-core processors Intel has launched two quad-core Xeon processors ahead of schedule, ranging from 2GHz at 50W to 3GHz that fits inside a standard 120W power envelope. The X5365 and L5335 both feature...

08 Storage.(EMC Corp.)(Magirus)
August 20, 2007... Marketing with a difference Marketing programmes are often too short term and lack structure with sales leads getting lost once the initiatives come to an end before customers have made a buying decision. At least that was the view...

08 Storage.(Survey)
August 20, 2007... Excess storage a costly problem Research by web hosting services specialist Hostway has found that 44 per cent of IT managers are tired of being forced into buying more storage than they need when investing in extra capacity for future...

Component drought knocks PC vendors.(01 News)
August 20, 2007... Build-to-order firms feel pinch first as manufacturers shift production A range of component shortages have already hit some PC vendors but the situation may deteriorate in the third and fourth quarters meaning the channel could see price...

Party on down in style with Gear4.(09 Tech Traders)(Interview)
August 20, 2007... The idea of expanding the limits of a product like the iPod has given growth to an entire industry and one of those that has been in from the start is Gear4. The vendor produces a range of accessories from plug converters and chargers to...

Big name + fast speed = easy sale.(09 Tech Traders)
August 20, 2007... The target for resellers selling colour laser printers has to be the SME sector because prices have come down, demand is there and the functionality offered by the products is so deep. Take the Lexmark X502n as an example - this...

Bags of style.(09 Tech Traders)(Brief article)
August 20, 2007... It might seem like a rather inconsequential part of a laptop sale but helping users choose the right bag in which to lug around their expensive hardware is important. Get it wrong and you could end up having to face a customer with a...

Open XML well received.(02 Software)
August 20, 2007... Microsoft has claimed its Open XML standard has been very well received by channel partners seeking to build products that work across vendors and applications and is predicting "massive adoption" of the file format. Open XML, the file...

WAN firm focuses on rise in mobile workers.(03 Networking)
August 20, 2007... With IDC's recent Mobile Worker Forecast for 2005-2009 proclaiming that 75 per cent of global businesses are forecasting an increase in the number of mobile workers, and the number of employees working from home or out on the road set to hit...

Distributor rebrands convergence project.(03 Networking)
August 20, 2007... Networking and mobility distributor Westcon has rebranded its VoicePoint programme ConvergencePoint in the UK and Europe to bring it in line with the US. According to Gartner figures released by Westcon, 97 per cent of all systems sold...

Networking IT staff lack formal training.(03 Networking)
August 20, 2007... A poll of British IT and telecoms decision makers supported by comms infrastructure specialists SAS Group has revealed that a worrying 29 per cent of firms are making IT staff take on network management duties without specialist training. ...

03 Networking.(Acopia Networks Inc.)(F5 Networks Inc.)(Brief article)
August 20, 2007... F5 Networks purchase extends Acopia UK reach Application delivery services vendor F5 Networks has snapped up virtualisation specialist Acopia for $210m ([pounds sterling]105.6m) in a deal expected to close in mid-September. While F5...

Stock vanishes.(01 News)
August 20, 2007... Evesham creditor concerns escalate as millions of pounds of hardware goes missing Following creditor concerns that Evesham Technology's pre-pack administration was handled without their best interests, the disappearance of several million...

01 News.(Bell Microproducts Inc.)(EMC)
August 20, 2007... EMC terminates Bell distribution contract The six-year UK distribution contract between EMC and Bell Micro has been ripped up by the vendor amid suggestions that sales had fallen and reseller recruitment had slowed. The deal, which...

Virtualisation has negative impact on demand for servers.(04 Hardware)
August 20, 2007... In line with analyst predictions, vendors and resellers are starting to see the impact of virtualisation in the corporate enterprise as organisations buy fewer, higher-specification servers to run the environment. Earlier this year, IDC...

HP shortage dampens sales.(04 Hardware)
August 20, 2007... Higher than anticipated summer demand for Hewlett-Packard's ultra slim desktops has created shortages in the channel weeks before the vendor transitions to the next generation line. Resellers said HP had poorly forecasted sales of the...

Lords call on vendors to take responsibility.(07 Security)
August 20, 2007... The summer recess is usually a quiet time on the political front, but the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee has ruffled a few feathers with its report on internet security. The aim of the report was to make recommendations...

Credit card spec delayed.(01 News)
August 20, 2007... The delay of the technical specifications around the credit card payment protection standards has left some resellers fuming after making efforts to comply. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) was due to come into...

01 News.(Fujitsu Siemens Computers)(Brief article)
August 20, 2007... Fujitsu and Snadden part ways It is the end of an era for Fujitsu Siemens after long-standing SME channel and latterly corporate enterprise sales director Ian Snadden left the business to take up a senior position in services provider...

HP assures channel following departure.(01 News)
August 20, 2007... Vice-president restates commitment to channel as manager leaves Following the departure of HP ProCurve's well-regarded UK and Ireland country manager, Jon Weatherall, at the end of July, the firm's EMEA vice-president and general manager,...

01 News.
August 20, 2007... Second half sees companies' profits bounce back A set of results indicating the importance of the right relationships and a return to a better second half of the year dominated the financial landscape last week. Salesforce.com has...

01 News.
August 20, 2007... Briefs NHS publishes 'longlist' for supplier tenders Following on from its announced intention to open up the supplier market in the health market to smaller companies - which has a positive impact for the channel - Connecting for...

Warm welcome for Sun's replacement channel head.(01 News)
August 20, 2007... Partners are pleased by Sun's appointment of Paul Flannery to lead its UK & Ireland channel The search for a new channel head at Sun Microsystems is over, with industry veteran Paul Flannery picking up the reins for the UK and Irish...

01 News.(growth of virtualization software)(Brief article)
August 20, 2007... Virtualisation boom Industry analysts have claimed that virtualisation solutions vendor VMware's successful IPO indicates a level of interest in recently established vendors not seen since the turn of the century. Initially priced at...

01 News.(Grant Thornton L.L.P)(Brief article)
August 20, 2007... CET administrator 'in discussions' with several interested parties The administrator handling CET is talking to several bidders interested in buying the assets of the business that over-traded and was unable to keep on top of its debts....

Oracle partners hit the accelerator.(02 Software)
August 20, 2007... Oracle has revealed its global partners signed up for its Accelerate programme targeting vertical markets in the SME sector, with a decent handful from the UK. The list of 25 partners includes three from the UK, including Application Lynx,...

The route to profit.(10 Features)(market of space navigation equipment)
August 20, 2007... Statistics from Canalys suggest that sat-nav shipments worldwide will rise from 39.4 million in 2005 to 162.9 million by 2009. With more than four million systems already in use in the UK, and 2007 sales estimated at 2.5 million units, how can...

12 Soap.
August 27, 2007... www.weirdworld this week gets wet with Pegasus, ducks flying BlackBerrys in Brooklyn, deletes our Wikipedia entry and wonders whether baby warthog owners will boycott the Conservative Party Wet feet Software vendor Pegasus was forced...

Next big thing.(10 Features)
August 27, 2007... For a technology that did not get itself off the ground as a major market proposition until seven years ago, the impatience surrounding the take-up of voice over Internet protocol is palpable, writes Chris Walton Today, vendors are...

03 Networking.
August 27, 2007... Merger is done deal Following the rejection of a last-minute bid to halt the tie-up between Mitel and InteraTel, the firms have announced completion of the merger. According to Mitel, the resulting company has moved up to the number two...

04 Hardware.
August 27, 2007... Logicalis has stressed the importance of the role of resellers and integrators in communicating and implementing the Green Grid's best practice and industry standards for improved data centre efficiencies to customers. The industry...

04 Hardware.(Advanced Micro Devices Inc. contract with Evesham Technology)(Brief article)
August 27, 2007... AMD has stopped trading with Evesham Technology following its pre-pack administration two weeks ago and distributor Microtronica has confirmed it will supply the company on a cash-only basis. The firm, which had been talking to interested...

04 Hardware.
August 27, 2007... With businesses under pressure to digitise documents to comply with legislation, Northamber is to add Canon to its workgroup scanner portfolio next month. The 8th Company Law Directive - the European Sarbanes Oxley - comes into effect at...

The front line of defence advances.(07 Security)
August 27, 2007... As hackers become more cunning, companies need to raise their game to keep their systems secure. The emphasis is on being able to react more quickly to new threats, or even better, anticipate the threats before they happen. The traditional...

08 Storage.(growth of disk storage media)
August 27, 2007... Tape holds as disk grows The death of tape and the inexorable rise of disk storage media is an oft-heard call in the industry press. According to figures from Freeman Reports, total revenue from all tape libraries withered by 15.6 per...

A blast from the past.(14 Miscellaneous)(information of desktop computers)
August 27, 2007... The summer is traditionally one of the quietest times in the channel, with sales slowing and technology launches being put on hold until the audience is no longer distracted by holidays. But over the past 20 years, a series of price wars,...

Agenda.(13 Back Pages)(Calendar)
August 27, 2007... September 20-22 September Viscom Europe: International Trade Fair for Visual Communication Exhibition Centre Dusseldorf Dusseldorf, Germany Web: www.viscom-europe.com Email: info@viscom-europe.com 25-29 September...

Tenders.(13 Back Pages)
August 27, 2007... 184282, Tender Invitation UK-Dundee: data network Circuits for connections within the FaTMAN area. 192268, Tender Invitation UK-Birmingham: data and voice media Multimedia network infrastructure and service. 191989,...

Five Minute Interview.(12 Soap)(interview with Charles Courquin)(Oracle Corporation UK Ltd.)(Interview)
August 27, 2007... Charles Courquin, director technology SMB for Oracle UK, Ireland & Israel, takes the hot seat this week as MicroScope directs some probing questions at him What is the best/worst advice you have received and from whom? On my first day...

02 Software.
August 27, 2007... Business intelligence (BI) tools have traditionally been considered the domain of large enterprises, not least because the investment - the licences and support infrastructure - can be substantial. But things are starting to change,...

03 Networking.
August 27, 2007... Avaya to cash in on IPT refresh Avaya is hoping to tap into a growing opportunity for IP telephony deployments in the UK public sector as the refresh cycle for PBX networks installed before 2000 starts to kick in. Avaya EMEA...

EMC pushes VoIP management.(03 Networking)
August 27, 2007... EMC has called on channel partners to exploit the opportunity presented by the lower resilience of data networks to promote its performance management and reporting tools to customers deploying VoIP technology. Andy Waterhouse, EMEA...

UK slow to adopt unified comms.(03 Networking)(survey on unified communications technology in british firms)(Survey)
August 27, 2007... British firms are falling behind companies in the developing world in adopting unified communications (UC) technologies, with Asian businesses leading the pack. According to research from Dimension Data and Datamonitor, only 33 per cent of...