MicroScope articles from December 2006

MicroScope archives from December 2006

Message is clear: it?s time to get involved.
December 4, 2006... There was a clear warning from Buddie Ceronie, UK vice-president and managing director at Avaya, when he was asked about the state of the converged voice and data channel. His reply was that data resellers had been slower to embrace the...

Five Minute Interview.(Interview)
December 4, 2006... What is the best/worst advice you have received and from whom? My parents always taught my sister and me to treat everyone with respect, no matter what the circumstances were, which I think is excellent advice. Translating this to business,...

The Web 2.0 illusion.
December 4, 2006... Even though there are many differences from the dot com bubble of 1999-2000, the current climate in Silicon Valley is becoming reminiscent of that era. Today? technology trend-watchers and innovators refer to those days as Web 1.0, and have...

Agenda.
December 4, 2006... January 2007 31 January-1 February The Retail Business Show 2007 Earls Court 2, London Web: www.retailevents.co.uk/trbs2007/index.htm Tel: 020 7430 0077 February 2007 27-28 February 2nd Strategic Software Asset & License Management...

Security that takes away the pain.(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... One of the most important things about security is that the products are constantly updated, otherwise of course they would fail to protect against the latest threats. The most attractive approach for an SME user is to buy a package that...

A world of change.
December 4, 2006... The PC has been a growing part of our lives for 25 years now and there has been ongoing development during that time. Danny Bradbury investigates where it is heading now What have microprocessor development forums and fashion catwalks got in...

Users benefit from more free minutes.(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... The total tariffs market continued to grow in volume in September, with an increase of 4.8 per cent against the same time last year, writes Greg Allen. Standard tariffs now account for 28 per cent and prepay tariffs for 72 per cent volume of...

Desktop scanning to meet all needs.
December 4, 2006... There is always a lot of talk about the paperless office; particularly now as green issues climb up the agenda, with companies coming under pressure to make their documents digital. That is a large challenge for current working practices...

Inside OutCatching all the calls.
December 4, 2006... Utter the words ?call centre? and you?ll almost always be greeted with a barrage of opinion ?? mostly negative. A call centre brings to mind a massive sweat shop operation, probably in India, staffed by demotivated, sometimes even downright...

An opportunity to show off.
December 4, 2006... Exhibitions can provide an ideal opportunity to put a business on the map. They can also be a costly waste of time. In the time it takes to read this paragraph, a visitor to an exhibition will look at a stand, ask themselves whether or not...

Upward trend in server spend.
December 4, 2006... The third quarter 2006 producedsaw the largest spend on servers worldwide since the turn of the millennium, with EMEA showing year- on- year growth of 4.8 per cent. According to IDC? worldwide quarterly server tracker, high- end enterprise...

Success of mobile devices builds security opportunities.
December 4, 2006... The growth of smartphones and increasing risk to wireless data is driving security specialists to strengthen their channels. Trend Micro, Siemens and ForeScout are all seeking additional partners to promote the need for security on handheld...

Channel opportunity for contract fulfilment.
December 4, 2006... With Microsoft buying 70,000 SUSE Linux subscriptions to distribute to its major customers, Novell resellers are asking who will fulfil the contracts. The deal, which has shocked the industry, includes a clause that states Microsoft will...

Vendor prepares to attack.
December 4, 2006... Avaya is seelooking to improve its partner engagement model and increase coverage in the UK market during 2007 as dealers question the ease of doing business with the telephony giant. With two-thirds of its UK business now derived from...

Oracle strengthens SAM pressure group.
December 4, 2006... Software asset management (SAM) pressure group Investors in Software (IiS) has received a massive boost as Oracle has become a fully signed-up member. The vendor adds significant influence to the group, which already boasts software giant...

Shared support boost for Affiniti.
December 4, 2006... Systems integration giant Affiniti has received a financial boost to its balance sheet as a result of implementing Cisco shared support across its customer base in a dramatic turnaround from the bad feeling that has existed around the SIS 98...

Consultancy set up following demise of Qospel.
December 4, 2006... Consultancy EZ SLM has risen from the ashes of specialist WAN optimisation integrator Qospel, which became technically insolvent at the end of last month. The Hampshire-based integrator, which was founded in 2003, specialised exclusively...

Microsoft matchmaking will face pitfalls.
December 4, 2006... Partnerships between resellers have been tried and tested, with some successes, but the cynic in us will always have misgivings. We have seen it in networking between voice, data and security specialists, and in the public sector between...

Networks First seeks skills.
December 4, 2006... Consolidation continues unabated as third party maintenance providers work towards growth Networks First is set to make its first acquisition in 2007 in a third-party services market where rivals have shown some uncertainty (see box below) and...

Seize the opportunity.
December 4, 2006... The market for mobile devices has been strong again in 2006, but expectations are that it will be even stronger next year and the challenge is on for resellers to take advantage of the growing interest among customers and get involved with the...

Compromising our privacy.
December 4, 2006... Is storage technology a blessing or a curse? If we ask Nationwide about laptop storage technology the reply might be mixed. It was a blessing that enabled the user of the laptop computer stolen three months ago to work on the 11 million user...

Tenders.
December 4, 2006... 218609, Tender Invitation UK-Northallerton: computer cabling Supply and installation of data cabling services. IE001M41605, Tender Invitation IRL-Waterford: ICT equipment 20 desktop PCs, 10 laptops and 3 servers. 216325, Tender...

Gowers adds to the pressure on IP crime.
December 11, 2006... The legal system is playing catch-up over the whole area of technology crime as it works out the proper sentences for criminals who have stolen intangible assets such as intellectual property (IP). But with the Gowers Review on intellectual...

Sun legal threats scare off dealers.
December 11, 2006... Second-hand brokers are walking away from Sun Microsystems citing uncertainty over the legitimacy of the market and the viability of their businesses in the current climate of threatened legal action. The vendor is using copyright...

The only way is up.
December 11, 2006... Momentum is building as the software asset management (SAM) snowball gains weight, and after vendors and resellers invest, customer adoption will be the next spur to drive the competency on. The past couple of years have seen Microsoft nail its...

Agenda.(Calendar)
December 11, 2006... January 2007 31 January-1 February The Retail Business Show 2007 Earls Court 2, London Web: www.retailevents.co.uk/trbs2007/index.htm Tel: 020 7430 0077 February 2007 27-28 February 2nd Strategic Software Asset & License Management...

An age of choice.(firmware upgrades and releases)
December 11, 2006... At the age of 42, I am accustomed to being told by society that I?m too old for a lot of things. There are some things where it doesn? matter to me ? I don? get upset that I can? join the army or the police force because if I?d wanted to be a...

Cutting edge board to fly into 2007.
December 11, 2006... This time of year there are plenty of people thinking not just about the games they might be able to play on a top PC but of the components they need to build one. It goes without saying that the motherboard is the most important element and...

Mobile PCs still driving market growth in the UK.(personal computers)(Brief article)
December 11, 2006... The PC market continued to show amazing growth in October 2006, with total PCs sold exceeding half a million units for the first time in this period, writes Tracy Goodfellow. Total market growth, compared with October 2005, was 30 per cent,...

Inside OutFrom the core.(Security services industry)(Column)
December 11, 2006... When Rolls Royce Security Sales Peter Ward, the former chief executive of Rolls Royce, was asked who the company? competitors were, his. Ward? answer was ?boat makers and estate agents.?. He knew his market: the typical Rolls buyer...

Five Minute Interview.(Interview)
December 11, 2006... What is the best advice you have received and from whom? One of my old bosses told me: ?If you haven? got anything useful to add in a meeting, don? say anything.? It? something I always use and allows you to listen, understand more and then...

Keep it simple.(tax complexity)
December 11, 2006... Governments are always willing to play with the tax system, but at least they sometimes listen to business when thinking about what to do. It therefore pays to be clear about what sort of tax system business would like. Here are some things...

Predictability demand.
December 11, 2006... Though rules should prevent Hewlett-Packard? direct salesforce from pinching business from partners in the corporate PC market, enterprise resellers want to see more predictability from the vendor in 2007. To date, HP has created a list of...

HP and IBM outdo Dell in UK server market.(Industry overview)
December 11, 2006... A stronger product mix, coupled with the service and support capabilities offered by the channel, helped Hewlett-Packard and IBM overshadow Dell? sales in the UK server space during the third quarter. Gartner figures showed x86 shipments ?...

Vista consumer launch to present millions of upgrade opportunities.
December 11, 2006... nVidia? group director of marketing EMEA has talked up the upgrade opportunity for resellers operating in the retail PC space when Microsoft launches its Vista consumer OS in January. Alain Tiquet, senior marketer at the graphics card...

US rules shake up storage.
December 11, 2006... Last week the US government tightened the rules onaround data management yet again. This time it relates to the way documents are retained prior to, and produced in litigation cases. As a result of the changes to the federal rules of civil...

Gowers report recommends punishment for IP theft.
December 11, 2006... Software pirates will face tougher prison sentences, be forced to pay higher damages and come up against a more empowered Trading Standards body if advice in an intellectual property (IP) crime report is followed. The Gowers report,...

HP rebate threat puts squeeze on margins.
December 11, 2006... Hewlett-Packard may cut the rebate distributors receive on products paid for within 14 days of delivery, after informing partners that the process is under review. To date, distributors and some resellers that buy products directly from HP...

Project Apollo takes off to couple partner services.
December 11, 2006... Resellers appear unnerved at Hewlett-Packard? attempt to formalise a go-to-market model to acquire business from rivals in the corporate enterprise space by selling its PCs direct coupled with partner services. The Project Apollo scheme is...

Logicalis buys part of CSF for ?6m.
December 11, 2006... CSF remains in advanced talks with a mystery party over a potential merger with its managed services business after selling its solutions division to perennial acquirer Logicalis. Having splashed out ?6m in a mixture of cash and shares...

Briefs.
December 11, 2006... Dell knuckles are rapped over ad for expired offer Dell has been warned to take greater care in future after the Advertising Standards Authority upheld a complaint about an advert offering the Inspirion 1300 with 512MB RAM, when the offer had...

BSA shows teeth in piracy clampdown.
December 11, 2006... Court cases involving software pirates and companies using software illegally are increasing as the industry unites to claw back millions in lost revenues. Last week an investigation by the Business Software Alliance (BSA) revealed the...

Symantec licences hit bottleneck.
December 11, 2006... Resellers have urged Symantec to address problems with its web site that areis preventing customers from registering licences online. One Ssouth Wwest-based reseller said his customers had faced ?real problems? registering Backup Exec...

LARs urged to set up transatlantic alliances.
December 11, 2006... UK-only Microsoft large account resellers (LARs) targeting broad customer bases should form partnerships with US players to enable them to compete on multinational licensing deals. The concern of UK-based LARs that they are disadvantaged...

Vista aids Linux leap.
December 11, 2006... Windows Vista is unlikely to take off until the software? first services pack is launched and in the meantime this could increase interest in Linux on the desktop, as customers weigh up their options in specific business processes. ...

SOA vendor signs partners.(Service-oriented architecture)(Cape Clear Software)(Brief article)
December 11, 2006... Service-oriented architecture (SOA) software maker Cape Clear has set its channel in motion as the opportunity reaches the mid-market. The vendor has signed 16 partners globally ? eight in EMEA and the same number in the US ? to sell its...

The D?Ambrosio message: ?tell me when we?re wrong?
December 11, 2006... Avaya? CEO has conceded that the vendor is too complex to work with and has made a personal plea to partners: contact him directly if the company is doing anything wrong. Speaking to its assembled EMEA partner base at Avaya? 2007 partner...

Wide screen laptop with broad appeal.
December 11, 2006... There are a few variations on the laptop theme but one of the twists that has a wide audience is large screen models. It? not just graphics designers who like to be able to see what they are doing on a fuller screen ? gamers are also attracted...

Review roundup.
December 11, 2006... 2006 has been a bust year on the product front with a host of launches aimed at making life easier for small businesses and home users. January Hardware The theme of the month was projectors with offerings from Viewsonic and Toshiba coming...

Tenders.
December 11, 2006... 218609, Tender Invitation UK-Northallerton: computer cabling Supply and installation of data cabling services. IE001M41605, Tender Invitation IRL-Waterford: ICT equipment 20 desktop PCs, 10 laptops and 3 servers. 216325, Tender...

Looking back.(Market overview)
December 17, 2006... As the shutters come down on another year, on reflection it has been one that despite remaining tough has shown signs of improvement compared with the previous couple of years, offering promising signs that the channel has weathered the storm....

Finger food.(dress codes in press conference)
December 17, 2006... ?Press Conference. Location; Eitrigg server. Rules; No ninjas. Safe passage will be provided to Horde characters, but your questions may be lost in translation. Keep your armor on, do not dance unless you are an orc.? Time was when a dress...

Five Minute Interview.(Interview)
December 17, 2006... What is the best book you?ve ever read? Insanely Great, (The Life and Times of the Macintosh) by Steven Levy. I am a self-confessed Mac devotee! What temptation can you not resist? New gadgets. I have to have the latest gadget on the...

Energy saving plans will keep data cool.
December 17, 2006... Systems integrators are preparing initiatives that will identify the amount of energy a customer? data centre consumes and then provide advice on the most efficient way to make savings. The average cost of running a server farm is predicted...

Toshiba moves towards a more aggressive marketing strategy.
December 17, 2006... Toshiba plans to get more aggressive in the entry level notebook market following a period of stagnation in the segment when reseller partners complained its low-end portfolio had lost its edge. After providing stiff competition to low-end...

Mystery buyer for SurfControl creates industry speculation.
December 17, 2006... News that UK internet filtering vendor SurfControl has a mystery suitor, interested in taking over its business, is not surprising given the ferocity of the security sector? consolidation. The vendor revealed that it had been approached by...

Large vendors corner storage market deals.
December 17, 2006... Smaller vendors are losing out to the tier one brands in the storage market with the top seven vendors accounting for 83.5 per cent of the external controller-based disk market worldwide in the third quarter. According to Gartner...

Quantum to make a ?point? about mergers.(Brief article)
December 17, 2006... Quantum is using its latest product release as a way of indicating to the market its deal with ADIC has been able to produce solid results. Steve Mackey director of product marketing EMEA for Quantum said that its data de-duplication...

Channel expects Digital Challenge.
December 17, 2006... The local authority that wins the Government-backed Digital Challenge next month will be allowed to roll out its model to tackle digital exclusion nationwide, embedding IT into the fabric of communities across the UK. On 19 January the ten...

Microsoft fails to promote Vista upgrades in UK.
December 17, 2006... Microsoft has failed to get the message across on its UK Vista upgrade programme in time for resellers to benefit from it, after delays meant the vendor passed responsibilities to PC makers. Channel players said Microsoft had made a mess of...

Value is a key margin-maker.
December 17, 2006... Dealers that focus on fulfilling Sun Microsystems volume lines without generating leads or investing in vertical or product skills will receive a lower base margin under a revamped reseller scheme to be launched on 1 January. Focused on...

Sun pledges support for ?healthy and thriving? second user market.
December 17, 2006... After weeks of uncertainty that has included threats of legal action over trademark infringement, leading second-hand brokers to walk away from dealing in the vendor? products, Sun Microsystems has reiterated its commitment to a ?healthy and...

How partners will fit in go-to-market model.
December 17, 2006... Four corporate resellers ? Computacenter, SCC, ComputerLand and Basilica ? have been chosen to work with Hewlett-Packard on an initiative that will see the vendor sell PCs direct to large enterprises with the services element provided by the...

FAST targets 20 firms to catch file sharers.(Federation Against Software Theft)(Brief article)
December 17, 2006... As many as 20 UK corporates are under the spotlight after the Federation Against Software Theft (FAST) found illegal file sharing activity on their networks. With recommendations from the Gowers report on intellectual property (IP) crime...

Suitors line up for choosy ICM.(Brief article)(Market overview)
December 17, 2006... ICM has rejected this month? offer from NetStore and is considering an approach from a mystery third-party instead as the three month will-they-won?t-they saga took a new twist with Christmas approaching. A ten-shares-for-one offer for ICM...

T-Mobile names Northamber as distributor.
December 17, 2006... Ahead of a partner programme to be launched early next year T-Mobile will try to reach a broader set of IT resellers through the appointment of its second distributor Northamber. The deal initially focuses on the telco? web ?n? walk service ?...

HP ProCurve divides to conquer switch market.
December 17, 2006... Hewlett-Packard? ProCurve networking division hasve outlined plans for 2007 ?? which includes a restructuring of its internal business divisions ?? as it seelooks to increase its hold on second place in the switching market. ProCurve UK is...

2007 is the year for coming out stronger.(Brief article)(Market overview)
December 17, 2006... The year finally draws to an end, from us at MicroScope at least, and for all of us here there is a mixture of relief after 12 months of hard work and excitement about the year ahead. The channel continues to evolve, as do the magazines...