MicroScope articles from February 2004

MicroScope archives from February 2004

Paperweight.(printing)
February 2, 2004... Printing costs money, but with the right approach, resellers can ease the cost burden for businesses by providing managed print services How much does a printer cost? It's an easy enough question to answer -- just flick through the ads in...

Technical resellers urged to embrace self-assembly kit.(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... Component specialists are increasing the number of laptop self-build offerings to encourage resellers with technical skills to take advantage of the growth in mobile demand. An increase in the number of laptop components being incorporated into...

Maverick tells dealers not to forget sound side of AV sale.(Imago Micro)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... Resellers aiming to crack the audio-visual market have been advised to concentrate on the sound part of the equation to add margin to their projector and screen sales. Despite the fact that margins on audio equipment are usually higher than...

The strength to stand alone.(Ramesys's plans for the future)
February 2, 2004... If the true role of an enterprise-level service provider is to make itself indispensable in a vendor's route to market strategy, then it requires a little more effort than simply trading on the strength of a vendor's brand. This sentiment is...

Mitel says VoIP is easy.(the transition to IP-enabled telephony systems is easy)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... Mitel is to launch a new upgrade programme through its reseller channel based on the message that the transition to IP-enabled telephony systems is easier than corporates believe. The telephony group is to highlight the return on investment...

Toshiba Business Communications turns to data dealers.(plans to address the market with voice resellers)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... Despite initial plans to address the market with voice resellers, Toshiba Business Communications has decided to look to data dealers to help its progress. Last year, the vendor said it would initially tackle the converged space with its...

Dealers seeking HP rebates told to hand over data in good faith.(CCD Online Systems Inc.)(Computacenter PLC)(Software Clearing House Inc.)
February 2, 2004... Distributors running scheme for vendor insist they can be trusted with customer information passed on by resellers Hybrid channel players Computacenter and SCH have moved to reassure resellers they have nothing to fear if they pass on...

Victims of Logcom collapse begin legal action.(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... After formally appointing PricewaterhouseCoopers as administrators, failed buy and build reseller Logcom is facing legal action from the owner of one of its acquisitions and private investors. The City-based reseller's ambitious plan to...

Tandberg launches assault on UK after six-month trial.
February 2, 2004... German storage specialist Tandberg Data has launched a channel strategy in the UK in an effort to double its partner base and drive SME sales of its tape drives. At the same time as unveiling its three-tiered storage partner programme, the...

Iomega admits defeat in high-end NAS market.(network attached storage)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... When Iomega took its first tentative steps in the network attached storage (NAS) arena in 2001, the storage industry was sceptical about its ability to succeed. Industry experts questioned whether Iomega had the knowledge to break out of its...

C&E makes headway in MTIC fraud battle.(Customs and Excise Ltd.)
February 2, 2004... Customs & Excise has warned dealers or brokers involved in missing trader intra community (MTIC) fraud that their days are numbered after the agency suspended 1,000 companies last year and prevented a further 1,000 from registering. The...

Westcon among IT flotation hopefuls.(Cambridge Silicon Radio)(Datatec Industries Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... The wave of optimism sweeping the IT channel has been backed up by news that global distribution giant Westcon has revived plans for a US IPO. At the same time, a number of UK companies revealed that they too had their eyes on US stock market...

OpenPSL break-in flags up need for vigilance.(a quantity of computer equipment was stolen at OpenPSL's Greater Manchester )(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... Lancashire police are currently investigating a break-in at OpenPSL's Greater Manchester headquarters in Haslingden after thieves stole a quantity of computer equipment on the night of Friday 23 January. A spokeswoman for Lancashire police told...

Ironing out all the creases.(European PartnerOne programme)
February 2, 2004... One year on from the launch of PartnerOne, HP says it has fine-tuned its channel programme in response to feedback When Hewlett-Packard rolled out its European PartnerOne programme just over a year ago, the vendor positioned it as the...

Teksys to partner Microsoft LAR in bid to grow client base.(large account reseller)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... Reseller follows software giant's call to encourage SAM and LAR partners to work together Teksys has revealed its intention to partner with a Microsoft large account reseller (LAR) to grow its market share and customer base. The reseller,...

Novell names accounts to end confusion.(dealing with partners)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... Novell has sparked a mixed response from partners after issuing a list of its named accounts to resellers in an attempt to avoid conflict. Some partners believed the vendor was trying to elbow them out of the biggest deals. At the recent Kick...

Becta draws up audio-visual shortlist.(contracts to furnish schools)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... Following the government's [pounds sterling]50m pledge to furnish schools with audio-visual equipment over the next two years, a shortlist of approved suppliers has been drawn up by procurement agency Becta. A total of 24 approved whiteboard...

Insight defends Sheffield job creation.(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... Insight UK has played down suggestions that it failed to meet job creation targets agreed upon when it established its European headquarters in Sheffield. According to reports in The Sheffield Star newspaper, the US-based reseller giant has...

SMEs wake up to virus threat.(Small and medium sized companies)(market statistics)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... The channel should cash in on the growing awareness of security issues among SMEs. While the industry has traditionally focused on high-volume enterprise business, the sector is drying up and smaller businesses are becoming more aware of...

Novell to reward partners that influence sales.(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... Novell is attempting to build bridges with its partners and has admitted it plans to reward resellers that influence sales but fail to fulfil orders. Ben Bulpett, UK sales director at Novell, said he realised these partners deserved...

HP Procurve signs Azlan to grow enterprise share.(Hewlett-Packard Co.)
February 2, 2004... The Procurve networking business unit of HP is looking to increase its share of the top-end enterprise market after formalising the appointment of Azlan as a Europe-wide distribution partner. Although Procurve has been working with Azlan...

Too much information.(Customer relationship management software)(Wainewright)
February 9, 2004... Phil Wainewright One day, high street shop assistants may be able to determine our inside leg, and other salacious data, from electronic tags in our clothes -- all for the vain pursuit of perfect customer service How would you feel if,...

Avaya demonstrates indirect commitment.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... dominic hall dom.hall@rbi.co.uk Avaya has moved to strengthen its European management team with a raft of appointments in channel and application sales, including the formal announcement that ex-3Com area sales director Buddie Ceronie has...

COMMENT.
February 9, 2004... Around six months ago, MicroScope came across a new buzz phrase being tossed about the channel to define a certain type of distributor: deep and narrow. The phrase was first used to our knowledge by ex-Tech Data boss Graeme Watt during last...

Magirus moves out of Milton Keynes.(Bracknell, England)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... German-owned distributor Magirus is to consolidate its UK operations with the closure of its Milton Keynes office and subsequent relocation to new premises in Bracknell. Andrew Binding, Magirus UK managing director, said the move would pave the...

A visit to The Surgery.(Channel Surgery)
February 9, 2004... Sue Saunders, director of The Channel Surgery, tackles reseller business problems head-on I'm sure you don't need me to remind you about ever decreasing margin on hardware, and the fact that even emerging technologies are suffering from...

Innovation: a subject deserving of debate.(Adrian von Hammerstein)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... The focus on using technology to reduce costs and improve efficiencies has dominated discussions between resellers and customers in recent years, with all talk on the innovative qualities that the kit offers put to one side. Now, as the...

Printer margins to fall.(Gartner Dataquest)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Resellers will have to run harder to stand still in the colour laser market this year as intense competition at the entry level results in cut prices and hit revenues despite healthy unit growth expectations. The average unit price has...

Chip sales rocket sparks SIA warning of supply shortfall.(Worldwide sales of semiconductors soared in December 2003 by 28 per cent to $16.03bn)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Worldwide sales of semiconductors soared in December 2003 by 28 per cent to $16.03bn ([pounds sterling]8.7bn), compared with the same month in 2002, contributing to one of the strongest second-half growth rates on record. The Semiconductor...

Atos Origin buys in new strength.(Atos Origin completed its acquisition of SchlumbergerSema)
February 9, 2004... christopher walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk The SchlumbergerSema name finally disappeared from the UK last week as Atos Origin completed its acquisition of the oil market's favourite IT service provider, forming the largest European...

Some win, some lose in HP clearout.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Hewlett-Packard's summer decision to purge service providers that did not sell a minimum of [pounds sterling]1.4m of kit was greeted with serious derision as those forced out of HP's service channel believed it decried their ability to create...

EDS sings praises of BPO.(BPO contract )(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... After some high-profile contract losses, including relinquishing its flagship Inland Revenue contract to Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, EDS has bounced back with a 13-year [pounds sterling]109m BPO contract in the financial services sector. While...

Market regains its spark as IT players line up to join IPO rush.
February 9, 2004... simon quicke simon.quicke@rbi.co.uk For the first time in a couple of years it seems the IT sector is on the verge of a rash of IPOs, illustrating a level of public confidence in the market that had almost disappeared in the last two...

COMMENT.(VoIP Telecom Inc)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... The concept of voice over IP has been around for several years, writes Roanna Avison. Back in 2001, BT predicted that VoIP would permanently change the pace of the telecoms market, and since then there has been a constant barrage of hype. But...

WatchGuard releases 'easily upgradeable' firewall.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... dominic hall dom.hall@rbi.co.uk WatchGuard has upped the ante in the SME security space through the launch of a firewall which users can upgrade with a software licence key. Firebox X combines a firewall and VPN with application-layer...

C2000 loses MD.(Julian Klein leaves his position as managing director of Computer 2000)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Paul Kunert paul.kunert@rbi.co.uk Julian Klein leaves his position as managing director of Computer 2000 after more than a decade at the distributor Computer 2000 has been shaken by the shock departure of long serving managing director...

Experts flag up danger of curb on credit.(medium-sized reseller failures)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... dominic hall dom.hall@rbi.co.uk The rash of medium-sized reseller failures over the past two months, coupled with a wide spread of uninsured debt, could lead to a restriction in credit provision, industry experts have warned. Following...

InfoSec planners wonder who cares.
February 9, 2004... joe o'halloran microscope@rbi.co.uk As the MyDoom virus spreads almost unabated to the point of even taking down the SCO Web site, to postulate whether anyone really cares about Internet security seems faintly ludicrous. Yet this question...

Resellers urged to view information as a whole.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... simon quicke simon.quicke@rbi.co.uk Storage resellers which have learnt the mantra that data is the most important asset the customer possesses and to target it at an application level are being encouraged to widen their approach to...

HP Superdome server proves sales hit for OpenPSL.(Hewlett-Packard)(Superdome server)
February 9, 2004... christopher walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk When Hewlett-Packard launched its enterprise-level Superdome server two years ago, analysts and systems integrators were sceptical about its chances of success, but distributor OpenPSL has...

Intel urged to boost Prescott production.(desktop processor)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Two of the UK's largest component distributors have warned Intel that unless it heavily ramps up production of the newly launched Pentium 4 chips, supply shortages will become a real issue. The chip giant last week unveiled four desktop...

A 2.0 media storm.
February 9, 2004... Some people will go to any length for a bit of publicity and sadly, here at Soap Towers, we often help them get what they want. So this week's 'I'm an idiot, get a TV crew here' award goes to the man who rounded off the name of his second...

PinkRoccade prepares to scale down UK operation.(information technology services industry)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... christopher walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk Service provider to slash UK workforce and let go of maintenance arm after financial difficulty The UK arm of Dutch-owned service provider PinkRoccade is set to cut ten per cent of its...

Check Point pulls plug on Azlan deal.(software industry)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... dominic hall dom.hall@rbi.co.uk Check Point has ended its pan-European distribution relationship with Azlan after 15 months. The restricted distribution deal, which gave Azlan access to Check Point's SME-focused products, was originally...

Westcon reshuffles core units.(restructuring)
February 9, 2004... dominic hall dom.hall@rbi.co.uk Global networking and convergence distributor Westcon has undertaken a strategic realignment of its business units in order to expand the reach of its product portfolio and increase efficiency. The...

Microsoft ISVs ask for more freedom.(Microsoft's independent software vendor)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... karen gomm karen.gomm@rbi.co.uk Some members of Microsoft's independent software vendor (ISV) community have accused the software giant of restricting their ability to develop a broad range of applications. The ISVs attacked the limited...

EBS acquires Sage unit from Myratech.(Electronic Business Systems Acquiring Myratech's Sage business )(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Electronic Business Systems (EBS) has bought the Sage reseller arm and associated software contracts from Myratech.net after the Web-based company failed to meet expectations with the platform. Signalling further consolidation within the Sage...

Linksys to open reseller programme in UK.(small business markets are the targets)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Cisco-owned wireless vendor Linksys is to expand its reach into the VAR community with the launch of its first formal UK channel programme. The company, which was acquired by Cisco in June for $480m ([pounds sterling]297m) and which previously...

Colour printer market reports 85 per cent growth for 2003.(Brief Article)
February 16, 2004... One of two printer markets showing signs of life in 2003 -- the colour laser sector -- posted growth of 85 per cent, according to Gartner Dataquest. The vendor line-up remained pretty much static year-on-year, except for Konica Minolta Printing...

Disties call for creativity in wireless mobility market.
February 16, 2004... paul kunert paul.kunert@rbi.co.uk Distributors have called on notebook vendors to think creatively and develop wireless solutions for the SME community, or risk another year where the mobile message only resonates with corporate users. As...

iSoft brings Torex into the fold in the shadow of OFT deliberation.(Office of Fair Trading )
February 16, 2004... christopher walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk The merger between two of the UK's largest public sector suppliers, iSoft and Torex, has been one of the most complex and protracted in the recent history of the country's IT industry. But...

Compel posts revenue boost after four years of reductions.(Brief Article)
February 16, 2004... Compel has posted an 18 per cent rise in revenues for the first six months of its current financial year, buoyed by the acquisition of Syscap Rentals in December which boosted the market share of Hamilton Rentals. Total turnover for the group,...

Samsung appointments.(David Garwood and Nick Carey )(Brief Article)
February 16, 2004... Samsung Telecoms has appointed David Garwood as European product manager, covering the whole of Western Europe, and Nick Carey as international territory manager, with responsibility for Scandinavia and Iceland. Garwood has worked in the...

HP plans to raise telco profile through ISVs.(Hewlett-Packard)(Brief Article)
February 16, 2004... karen gomm karen.gomm@rbi.co.uk Hewlett-Packard has revealed that it plans to boost its profile in the lucrative telecoms market through its extensive network of ISV partners. The vendor has been quietly running a large telco business...

Juniper makes waves.(acquired enterprise network security vendor NetScreen Technologies)(Brief Article)
February 16, 2004... karen Gomm karen.gomm@rbi.co.uk Juniper Networks has taken a swipe at rival Cisco by acquiring enterprise network security vendor NetScreen Technologies. Juniper has made strides in the enterprise network security sector, which Cisco also...

Hamsard pushes lead-generation approach.(Panopticon )(lead generation programme)(Brief Article)
February 16, 2004... Christopher walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk Rising out of the ashes of folded service management provider iRevolution, the Hamsard Group has placed Swedish CRM vendor Panopticon and Russian enterprise security developer Synartra under...

AltiGen confirms VoIPStore deal.(partnership for expansion of the business in United Kingdom)(Brief Article)
February 16, 2004... roanna avison roanna.avison@rbi.co.uk AltiGen is hoping to raise its profile in the UK through its partnership with newly formed convergence-focused distributor VoIPStore. When VoIPStore announced its intentions to the market last year, it...

Storage players set sights on security arena.(information technology)(Brief Article)
February 16, 2004... simon quicke simon.quicke @rbi.co.uk Storage software specialists have hinted that the security market is in their sights as they expand their capability to offer users complete data management. Over the past year, storage players have...

Sage resellers fear domination of Wylie empire.(former Sage managing director Graham Wylie)
February 16, 2004... Karen Gomm karen.gomm@rbi.co.uk The rapid expansion into the reseller market by former Sage managing director Graham Wylie has raised concerns among some rival dealers that the SME accountancy software market could be dominated by a single...

It's a long and rocky road to storage virtualisation.(Brief Article)
February 16, 2004... simon quicke simon.quicke@rbi.co.uk Resellers are being warned that users have concerns about the gap between the promises and actual delivery of storage virtualisation. Ideally, a storage manager should be able to visualise all of their...

Cisco says it has put stop to grey growth.(after increasing its investment)(Brief Article)
February 16, 2004... dominic hall dom.hall@rbi.co. uk Vendor tells partners in Hawaii that focused investment has paid off Cisco claims to have halted the growth of the grey market after increasing its investment in measures intended to stamp out...

PCWB promises to reduce SME IT problems with remote management.(PC World Business)(Small and Medium sized Enterprises)(Brief Article)
February 16, 2004... christopher walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk Move by PC World Business to offer remote managed services for small to mid-sized businesses is met with scepticism PC World Business (PCWB) has triumphed a remote managed service for SME...

BBC draws up outsourcing shortlist.(British Broadcasting Corporation Ltd)(Brief Article)
February 16, 2004... The BBC has unveiled a shortlist for a ten-year [pounds sterling]2bn outsourcing contract and will combine the procurement with the sale of internal IT division BBC Technology. The corporation put the division, which is home to [pounds...

Axcelerant lets Secon go.(Axcelerant Inc.)(Secon)(Brief Article)
February 16, 2004... christopher walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk Group sells reseller to former non-executive director to free up funds for sister distributor The holding company of e92plus, Axcelerant Group, has divested its interests in specialist...

NAI opens direct accounts to dealers.(Network Associates Inc.)(IntruVert.)(Brief Article)
February 16, 2004... roanna avison roanna.avison@rbi.co.uk Resellers will be able to access a list of accounts that Network Associates deals with direct as part of a series of changes the vendor has in the pipeline for its channel programme. Following in the...

Tiny announces big ambitions as it prepares to return with new brand.(Tiny Online)(Time Group Ltd.)(Brief Article)
February 16, 2004... paul kunert paul.kunert@rbi.co.uk Tiny will re-enter the UK PC market later this month as Tiny.com, with the intention of gaining eight per cent market share in its first year by heavily undercutting rivals. The company, which fell into...

Home intruder jailed for burglary and attempts to pervert course of justice.((Hemani, Joe))(Brief Article)
February 16, 2004... One of the men involved in a burglary at Westcoast chairman Joe Hemani's home has been given a four-year sentence for the offence and subsequent attempts to pervert the course of justice. The ruling relates to an incident that took place 17...

60 seconds on: oracle and peoplesoft.(Oracle Corp.)(PeopleSoft Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 16, 2004... The Department of Justice has advised the US government to block Oracle's hostile takeover bid for PeopleSoft, writes Karen Gomm. The DoJ will give the White House its final report on 2 March, but the bid will also need approval from...

HP aims to raise profile of its software business.(Hewlett-Packard Co.)(Brief Article)
February 16, 2004... karen gomm karen.gomm@rbi.co.uk Hewlett-Packard intends to double its software business over the next two years and raise its profile in this part of the industry. Although HP is a well-known brand in the hardware sector, it is not often...

Frontrange to switch to indirect channel sales model.(FrontRange Solutions Inc.)(Co-Op)(Kellogg Co.)(Brief Article)
February 16, 2004... dominic hall dom.hall@rbi.co.uk Help desk management and CRM vendor Frontrange has pledged to switch to a 100 per cent indirect channel sales model, after closing down its internal new business operations and making some staff redundant....

Standing firm over shared support.(Cisco Systems Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 16, 2004... Dominic Hall reports on the latest announcements at the Cisco Partner Summit in Hawaii Cisco has told services-focused partners it will not cut deals with them over its controversial shared support programme. The vendor is attempting to...

Cisco plans to augment SME market share through joint CRM offering with Microsoft.(Cisco Systems Inc.)(Microsoft Corp.)(Brief Article)
February 16, 2004... Cisco is aiming to increase its share of the SME market through a product tie-up with Microsoft, which will see the companies develop a joint CRM offering based on the 831 router and Small Business Server 2003. The alliance is designed to...

On the up.
February 16, 2004... Tony Glover The technology sector is tipped for a dramatic recovery in 2004 -- raising the spectre of a new cycle of boom and bust There is firm evidence that 2004 will be the year when the technology sector's four-year spending...

The secret of SME success.(Small and medium sized companies)
February 23, 2004... Billy MacInnes y Vendors make a big mistake when they try to fob off their wares on small companies when more traditional markets dry up, because SMEs want IT that works now, not kit that might work tomorrow How do you get the best out...

Picking a fight with the powerful opposition.(vendors)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2004... One of the inevitabilities of a competitive market is that vendors will turn on each other to gain market share. Demonising rivals is part and parcel of business but not always an approach that produces the right results. In a week that saw a...

Teething problems.(rebate payments dissatisfied the Hewlett-Packard resellers)
February 23, 2004... dominic hall dom.hall@rbi.co.uk Hewlett-Packard resellers are failing to laugh off rebate payment woes brought about by new OPG procedures Hewlett-Packard has promised to address problems with its OPG special bid rebate procedures,...

Pitfalls could block route ; to the HCI PC opportunity.(Home Computing Initiative promotes personal computers)
February 23, 2004... paul kunert paul.kunert@rbi.co.uk Just as the industry was looking for something to breathe new life into the lacklustre desktop PC market, the Home Computing Initiative (HCI) has opened up an incremental sales channel. The concept is not...

Outsourcing has potential.(Brief Article)
February 23, 2004... Christopher walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk The UK market for outsourcing is outperforming rival markets in France and Germany, but European blue chips are still failing to take advantage of a potential [pounds sterling]5.4bn black hole...

Resellers under brand pressure.(Brief Article)
February 23, 2004... As vendor service arms and the direct trade of major manufacturers grows, many resellers have had to make themselves brands unto themselves to retain their independence. This pressure has been felt at the top end of the channel in particular,...

Taking a positive venture capital view of flotations.
February 23, 2004... christopher walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk One of the most high-profile figures in the UK IT industry has nothing to do with the invention or reselling of technology -- he finds the money that enables IT companies to exist. But all...

Samsung Telecoms seeks data resellers with interest in VoIP.
February 23, 2004... Roanna Avison roanna.avison@rbi.co.uk Data resellers looking to move into the convergence space may be tempted to opt for high-profile brands such as Avaya and Mitel, but by doing so they would be missing out on cutting-edge technology....

Fortinet enlists Norwood Adam.(Brief Article)
February 23, 2004... dominic hall dom.hall@rbi.co.uk Firewall vendor Fortinet has completed a reshuffle of its UK channel which has seen the vendor replace Wick Hill and Ideal Hardware with convergence and telecoms specialist Norwood Adam. Fortinet originally...

NAI plans Microsoft-style certification option.(Brief Article)
February 23, 2004... roanna avison roanna.avison@rbi.co.uk Reseller employees could soon have personal Network Associates qualifications after the vendor revealed plans to extend its training options. Currently the vendor only has on-line training facilities,...

DTI survey shows UK firms exposed to disaster fallout.
February 23, 2004... roanna avison roanna.avison@rbi.co.uk The message about the importance of data back-up and recovery is failing to make it into the boardrooms of UK businesses, leaving many exposed to serious disruption in the event of disaster. According...