MicroScope articles from December 2007

MicroScope archives from December 2007

01 News.
December 3, 2007... Dell plans to hit the ground running in the retail space next year by partnering with hypermarket giant Carrefour across Europe and is expected to sign a deal with Tesco in the UK. This is the first evidence of the computer leviathan's...

01 News.
December 3, 2007... The channel is frequently advised by vendors to charge for deliveries as part of its valued services to customers and that may now become more prevalent as continually rising fuel prices hit profits. PC giant Dell charges customers for...

03 Networking.
December 3, 2007... Computer 2000's nine-month contract to sell IBM's System x Series server distribution is effectively dead after suggestions surfaced that weak sales were about to force a split between Big Blue and its Basingstoke-based distributor. C2000...

01 News.(Fortinet Inc. signed contract with NOXS and VADition)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... A war of words has broken out between Fortinet and NOXS after the security vendor faced criticism for its stocking policies and in turn accused the departing distributor of losing its specialist credentials. At the same time, Fortinet has...

05 Editorial.(Editorial)
December 3, 2007... The administrators' report on Into Technology has revealed that unsecured creditors will be left out of pocket because of the failure of a business that could not generate the cash to support its ambitions. According to the creditors'...

01 News.
December 3, 2007... Vulnerabilities around VoIP have been highlighted as one of the major threats next year as cyber criminals target routes into company networks. The McAfee Virtual Criminology report has named VoIP, along with online banking and social...

01 News.
December 3, 2007... The Chancellor will consider alternatives to the near doubling of capital gains tax that would inevitably stifle investment and innovation should it come into effect next April as planned. In October Alistair Darling said he would scrap...

01 News.
December 3, 2007... There were indications that thins were going well for those operating in the distribution or software arena but in retail the warning bells are already sounding over the prospects of a strong year. As well as the largest retailer reporting a...

05 Editorial.(Editorial)
December 3, 2007... Novell has moved to calm reseller fears that it is undermining its commitment to grow indirect business by shaking up its partner marketing team. The open source specialist has launched its Partner Advice Desk (PAD) service for resellers...

05 Editorial.(Editorial)
December 3, 2007... Hard on the heels of initiatives launched by Oracle and Microsoft to help start-up companies Sun Microsystems is taking the wraps off its efforts to promote the entrepreneurial spirit. Later this week the vendor will outline its Startup...

01 News.
December 3, 2007... Jim McDonnell, the head of Hewlett-Packard's global partner network will move today to lead the worldwide enterprise servers and storage team (ESS) at the vendor. A spokesman at HP told Microscope "we respect his decision to apply his...

03 Networking.
December 3, 2007... The channel has warned networking vendor Avaya it will need to assess prospective partners very carefully when it recruits a distributor in the near future. A source familiar with the situation has confirmed to MicroScope that discussions...

03 Networking.(licensing agreements between Eurodata Systems and Mitel Telecom Ltd.)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... Microsoft Gold Partner Eurodata Systems has been named as the first to be certified for a unified communications (UC) initiative from Mitel. Using Eurodata's own business as a test bed, managing director Des Lekerman claimed the designation...

03 Networking.
December 3, 2007... Behavioural analysis software vendor Tier-3 has warned businesses using VoIP to be vigilant after legitimate researchers successfully developed an IP telephony eavesdropping application. The demo app allows VoIP call streams to be decoded as a...

12 Soap.(Kewill Systems )(Interview)
December 3, 2007... What is the best advice you have received and from who? My grandfather told me to "take the cash, lad" when I was selling ElectricMail to Kewill Systems in the internet boom days. He lived through the Crash and Great Depression of the 1930s...

05 Editorial.(Editorial)
December 3, 2007... Imagine coming home and opening the front door to find Bill Gates standing there, warmly ushering you in. Feel free, make yourself at home, says Bill. Bill, I am at home. It's my house. Shouldn't I be welcoming you? This is the eerie...

05 Editorial.(Editorial)
December 3, 2007... One of the inevitable consequences of the current global economic turmoil is that prices of key commodities such as oil tend to go up. The hike in fuel prices and shipping costs is being felt across the channel, with an increasing number of...

10 Features.
December 3, 2007... While as little as three or four years ago, few small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) were particularly concerned about the concept of software asset management (SAM), the issue is now rising steadily up their risk management agenda. But this...

04 Hardware.(printer market )
December 3, 2007... The printer market limped through the historically quietest quarter of the year, with summer holidays taking their toll on unit sales and some vendors taking a hit on shipments following the move to withdraw from the low end. According to...

01 News.
December 3, 2007... Paul Hunter has been named as the UK and Ireland commercial category director for Hewlett-Packard's personal systems group following the departure of Tim Schelling back to the Netherlands. Having joined Compaq in 1995, Hunter has since...

04 Hardware.
December 3, 2007... Box - HP - 683,000 units shipped, 7 per cent growth, 43 per cent MS Epson - 350,000 units, 14 per cent growth, 22 per cent MS Canon - 171,000 units, 0.7 per cent decline, 11 per cent MS Lexmark - 169,000 units, 94 per cent...

07 Security.(protection against missing data discs)
December 3, 2007... With the latest high-profile data leak of the HMRC's missing data discs illustrating the need for greater security, more focus will inevitably shift to encryption. According to a recent survey by Check Point, only around half of IT...

07 Security.(merger of Webroot Software Inc. and Email Systems)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... The consolidation in the security market continues apace with the merger of Webroot and hosted security specialist Email Systems. The terms of the merger were not disclosed but the move was described as complementary with Webroot...

08 Storage.
December 3, 2007... Services and software are expected to contribute the majority of incremental revenue in the storage market over the next five years as hardware sales are expected to be relatively lacklustre. Research by IDC forecasts total storage market...

08 Storage.
December 3, 2007... Overland Storage is beefing up its UK channel sales team, adding several partner account managers in preparation for 11 product launches next year and a reseller recruitment drive. With OEM revenues under pressure following...

09 Tech Traders.(products that fit into the gap between PDA and laptop)
December 3, 2007... Over the years there have been several attempts to come up with products that fit into the gap between PDA and full-blown laptop. There are two reasons why most of them have sunk without trace. Firstly the components under the hood were not...

09 Tech Traders.(mounting storage problems)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... There cannot be many customers that are not struggling to cope with their growing data, and looking for a way of getting more capacity without causing major disruption. Various options range from the sort of desktop disc backup product...

09 Tech Traders.(data security)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... One of the growth areas in recent years has been security, particularly the idea of linking CCTVs to the network so that the digital images can be stored and accessed on a system open to all. One of the positive results of the security...

01 News.
December 3, 2007... Vulnerabilities around VoIP have been highlighted as one of the major threats next year as cyber criminals target routes into company networks. The McAfee Virtual Criminology report has named VoIP, along with online banking and social...

01 News.(Capital gains tax rates)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... The Chancellor will consider alternatives to the near doubling of capital gains tax that would inevitably stifle investment and innovation should it come into effect next April as planned. In October Alistair Darling said he would scrap...

01 News.(retail survey of software industry)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... There were indications that thins were going well for those operating in the distribution or software arena but in retail the warning bells are already sounding over the prospects of a strong year. As well as the largest retailer reporting a...

02 Software.
December 3, 2007... Partners are playing a pivotal role in Microsoft's efforts to counter the shift to Linux and open source software and bring customers back into the fold because of their expertise in providing support and advice on issues such as licensing. ...

02 Software.
December 3, 2007... Oracle is making an eBook available to members of its partner network via its dealer portal. The vendor has already increased the marketing support it offers partners online and the eBook provides a comprehensive technical query service...

01 News.(Michael Dell )
December 10, 2007... It shows the level of interest in what Dell is going to do in the channel that when the vendor announces a press conference for 5pm on a cold December afternoon we all wait to see what is discussed. Ever since Michael Dell thawed in his...

15 Columns.(Dell Inc.)(Andy Dow's new position as channel director for the UK and Ireland at Dell)(Company overview)
December 10, 2007... At first sight, there are probably easier jobs than Andy Dow's new position as channel director for the UK and Ireland at Dell. There are tougher ones, obviously - bomb disposal, clearing minefields, managing the England football team - but it...

10 Features.
December 10, 2007... The well-publicised credit crunch resulting from fall-out in the US housing arena means that the market for software development is starting to soften. So while recession has yet to bite, which would inevitably have a severe impact on the...

04 Hardware.
December 10, 2007... Computer 2000 has launched an online build-to-order system for Hewlett-Packard servers and storage designed to raise the competition with Dell, but resellers want faster delivery times than the ten working days quoted. The...

04 Hardware.
December 10, 2007... Despite the credit crunch in the US and similar ripples in the UK economy, the early signs for retailers this Christmas are positive if the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) is to be believed. The industry body said early reports...

07 Security.
December 10, 2007... One of the alternatives for firms concerned about users breaking security policy could be to choose a locked-down smart client. Fears over security, particularly for remote workers, is causing customers headaches but one answer centres on...

07 Security.(technology usgae for data security)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Reseller perceptions that authentication is a complex and expensive enterprise sell are going to be challenged, with the technology increasingly being aimed at the SME arena. A handful of players operate in the market, including RSA and...

08 Storage.
December 10, 2007... We started 2007 with de-duplication a curiosity and ended the year with it present on virtually every disk-to-disk backup and reference data storage product. Data Domain and Diligent, Avamar, Sepaton and FalconStor have all made great progress....

09 Tech Traders.(Computer industry started to gear up with launches that would be targeting the crucial fourth quarter)
December 10, 2007... With the march towards the end of the year well on its way, it is a good time to look back at the fourth quarter to cast an eye over the reviews that have stood out in the last few months. Next week in Tech Trader we will cast a look back...

02 Software.
December 10, 2007... Broadband and services distributor DMSL has signed a deal to market a range of software as a service (SaaS) applications to SMEs through its fixITlocal network of resellers and expects to announce agreements with a number of other vendors in...

02 Software.
December 10, 2007... Sun is looking to increase its support for start-ups that will lean on its technology and take advantage of its business advice. As revealed earlier this month the vendor launched its start-ups programme last week, rolling out to the UK a...

03 Networking.
December 10, 2007... 3com resellers across EMEA will be offered a 6 per cent discount on networking kit sold into the public sector under an initiative announced last week by the vendor aimed at growing its share of business in the state sector. The discount...

01 News.(Northern Telecom Limited)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Nortel is hoping that its co-marketing bureau will make it quicker for its partners to capitalise on revenue opportunities and cover the costs of any joint exercises undertaken by the channel. A pilot scheme involving 25 partners has been...

03 Networking.
December 10, 2007... NIBS BOX STYLE The networking channel has announced some key internal promotions in the run-up to Christmas alongside some new appointments. Avaya's Martyn Lambert has stepped up from his previous role as VP industry solutions group to...

13 Back Pages.
December 10, 2007... 265868, Tender Invitation UK-Cambridge: telecommunications International point to point telecommunications bandwidth. 270937, Tender Invitation UK-London: case management Evidence and case management it solution. ...

01 News.
December 17, 2007... In a move that will cause rival PC vendors some concern, Dell has announced a deal with DSGi to sell through its PC World, Currys and Currys.digital stores in the UK from January. This is the first major agreement Dell has made with a UK...

04 Hardware.(Dell begins the process of building channel account teams)(Brief article)
December 17, 2007... As Dell begins the process of building channel account teams across EMEA, rivals have pointed towards their investments in partnering and warned resellers of the dangers in working with the company. Details of Dell's channel programme...

04 Hardware.(Fujitsu Siemens Computers is building its notebook portfolio)(Brief article)
December 17, 2007... Ahead of a revamped channel programme to be launched next year, Fujitsu Siemens Computers (FSC) is building its notebook portfolio with a number of PCs aimed at the mid-market, which it had not sufficiently targeted. The vendor said it had...

04 Hardware.(Seagate Recovery Services)(NEC Computers )(Brief article)
December 17, 2007... Seagate seeks resellers In response to the rapid expansion of digital data in the home, Seagate Recovery Services, which focuses on data restoration, migration and duplication, is recruiting resellers in Europe to deliver its products and...

04 Hardware.
December 17, 2007... Blade server sales rose in the third quarter, but analysts and vendors expect the raft of recently launched systems engineered for SMEs to significantly ramp volumes in 2008. In September, Hewlett-Packard released the C3000 - its first...

10 Features.(Dell Inc.)
December 17, 2007... With the curtain coming down on 2007, it has been a year that although mixed on the financial front will be remembered for a couple of reasons that might well turn out to be momentous. The dust has not yet had a chance to settle on the...

01 News.(sub-prime market and credit crunch continue to reverberate)
December 17, 2007... Resellers should be braced for a year of economic uncertainty as the effects of the collapse in the sub-prime market and credit crunch continue to reverberate around the world. Measures taken last week by a number of global banks to shore...

01 News.
December 17, 2007... Microsoft has ended the year indicating there is little chance of it showing goodwill to counterfeiters as it notched up another High Court settlement and issued writs against auction sellers. The latest case, against distributor Netcom,...

07 Security.(security for theft of personal data and sensitive company information)
December 17, 2007... There are a couple of weeks of this year left, but already, thoughts in the industry have turned to concentrating on what will be the areas for resellers to focus on in 2008. One of the givens across the market is that the threats will...

07 Security.(Jonathan Morgan joins Email Systems)(Quova has extended its partnership with RSA Data Security Inc.)(office data often lost)(Brief article)
December 17, 2007... Morgan moves Jonathan Morgan, previously major accounts manager at BlackSpider, has joined Email Systems to head the channel-focused new major accounts department that is due to be launched later this month to filter and manage the...

04 Hardware.(Advanced Micro Devices Inc.)(Brief article)
December 17, 2007... AMD has promised channel partners that the quad-core Opteron server chip will be bug-free early next year, following a disastrous three months since launch, during which glitches have resulted in the flow of supply being close to standstill....

01 News.(Value-added tax fraud)(Brief article)
December 17, 2007... The responsibility of running checks to ensure new accounts are not involved in a VAT fraud scam is piling the pressure on resellers, which are having to undertake lengthy scrutiny of fresh customers to ensure it is safe to trade with them. ...

01 News.(BT Broadband )(Brief article)
December 17, 2007... BT Broadband gold distributor DMSL has signed as a trial partner for BT's new Business One Plan, an evolution of the vendor's previous efforts to reduce fixed and mobile call rates, writes Alex Scroxton. The cuts provide discounts for...

01 News.
December 17, 2007... Big Blue increases reach IBM is to spend almost [pounds sterling]500m over the next three years to try to grow revenues from countries that are emerging markets. According to a memo attributed to chief executive Sam Palmisano, Big Blue...

03 Networking.
December 17, 2007... Avaya has increased its share of the European enterprise voice market in the third quarter, displacing Franco-American rival Alcatel-Lucent from its market-leading position. The vendor grew its share by 2.9 per cent last quarter, while...

03 Networking.
December 17, 2007... Truphone targets Facebook users As firms such as Cisco start to develop their own Web 2.0 platforms, IP telephony vendor Truphone has gone straight to the heart of the social networking phenomenon with the launch of an embedded Facebook...

03 Networking.
December 17, 2007... The mobile WiMAX market is set to leap to around 80 million subscribers worldwide by 2013, driven by growing demand from the so-called 'millennial' demographic. Juniper analyst Howard Wilcox, who carried out the research, talked up the...