MicroScope articles from February 2008

MicroScope archives from February 2008

Not so enterprising Britain.(05 Editorial)(Editorial)
February 4, 2008... UK businesses should not use our tax system and the burden of red tape as an excuse for their difficulties competing in Europe As the global economic situation started to take a serious turn for the worse last month, I found myself reading...

Remote management made easy.(09 Tech Traders)(NetOp Remote Control )(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... As workforces spread to operate from various office locations and their own homes, the question of support becomes critical. If someone is unable to get the most out of their technology, then clearly productivity will be reduced. In...

Virtual meetings from the desktop.(09 Tech Traders)
February 4, 2008... If you were to stick your finger in the air to judge which way the wind was blowing on major technologies, you could guarantee it was heading for videoconferencing. Videoconferencing no longer involves simply sitting in one room and...

GyYg.(15 Columns)
February 4, 2008... Gy In the past nine to 12 months there has been an enormous surge in the uptake of VoIP and other converged technologies. With all the functions that previously ran on separate networks now running on the same IP network, many resellers...

Free mobile calls everywhere you go.(09 Tech Traders)
February 4, 2008... Sometimes a piece of technology arrives in the office but gets slightly lost in all the noise about the end of the year. That happened to some extent with Yeigo, which first appeared last November. In the run-up to Christmas, people were...

03 Networking.(ZyXEL USA)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Networking kit vendor ZyXEL has rolled out a programme to help the UK's independent technology retailers keep their heads above water in an increasingly competitive age. Dubbed the Retail Independent Programme, the initiative will offer...

Switch sales growth slows.(03 Networking)
February 4, 2008... Context's latest Networks SalesWatch Distribution report for the UK, France and Germany has revealed that while unit sales growth on network switches remained healthy, the overall rate was beginning to slow. Averaged across the three...

03 Networking.(Cisco Inc. strengthens networking training)
February 4, 2008... Cisco strengthens networking training Cisco claims to have responded to customer pressure for more training options with the launch of a networking design certification, CCDE, which is designed to sit alongside its existing CCIE network...

04 Hardware.
February 4, 2008... Hewlett-Packard has announced its first thin client products after the acquisition of market specialist Neoware last year and revealed that it plans to bring together the two vendors' channels in the second half of the year. The...

04 Hardware.
February 4, 2008... Gy Sony' has announced plans to roll-out a number of VAIO models based on the Intel Core 2 Duo Processor. The processor will be included across several products designed to appeal to users looking for laptops capable of supporting...

05 Editorial.(drawbacks of selling computers and related equipment )(Editorial)
February 4, 2008... One of the biggest drawbacks of selling computers and related equipment is that they are valuable and easily sold on and often not too easy to locate. The attractiveness of the IT channel as a target for criminals is well-documented and...

07 Security.
February 4, 2008... A recent survey into levels of corporate fraud in British business has sparked much debate in the channel and in the credit management industry in particular. The survey, conducted by credit specialist Graydon and carried out among credit...

08 Storage.
February 4, 2008... Up until now flash memory was for thumb drives and trying to speed up slow notebooks suffering Vista bloat, which has been unsuccessful. Adding flash cache to hard drives also proved disappointing in getting a performance edge. Top-end...

01 News.(Cisco Inc. strengthens the networking industry )(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Those operating in the networking channel can put aside fears of a recession and concentrate on enjoying a decade of financial security because of the deployment of next generation networks (NGNs). The positive outlook was given by Cisco...

01 News.
February 4, 2008... PC manufacturers Acer and Lenovo are preparing significant changes to senior management in the UK. As revealed last week, Acer UK country manager Semmy Levit is to leave the UK after more than two years at the helm and Chinese vendor...

01 News.
February 4, 2008... German business software giant SAP has turned in preliminary numbers for the year ended 31 December, revealing total revenues of [euro]10.25bn ([pounds sterling]7.6bn), up nine per cent on 2006. While operating income was up six per cent to...

01 News.
February 4, 2008... These days readers want to click, surf and crawl they expect content to be available online, and updated regularly. From today www.microscope.co.uk has evolved to meet the needs of the channel professional looking for news and analysis at their...

01 News.
February 4, 2008... A high court judge has thrown a spanner in the works of UK intellectual property policy by ruling that the practice of rejecting patent claims for computer program products is wrong. The judgement by Mr Justice Kitchin in an appeal hearing...

01 News.(skills crisis in information technology and telecoms markets)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... The skills crisis in the industry could cost the UK economy billions if more people cannot be found to fill the gaps. The warning comes from e-skills UK, which monitors the skills situation in the IT and telecoms markets. It estimates that...

01 News.
February 4, 2008... Memory specialist distributor Simms International has been appointed as IronKey's first and only distributor in the UK for IronKey's product, which offers a secure and tamperproof USB drive to transfer data . SCC is set to launch a new...

02 Software.
February 4, 2008... Despite outlining a general SaaS strategy earlier last year it was the mention of hosted software that made the headlines after IBM's Lotusphere event. IBM took the wraps off its Bluehouse strategy, which links together a Lotus-based...

02 Software.
February 4, 2008... Embarcadero Technologies is introducing a version of Change Manager that allows developers and database administrators to conduct high-speed data and database configuration comparisons from a Linux workstation. Change Manager for Linux runs on...

13 Back Pages.
February 11, 2008... What is the best advice you have received and from whom? 'The early bird catches the worm', from my former boss, Peter Patsalides. What is the best book you've ever read? Emil und die Detektive by Erich KA[currency]stner was one of...

Calling time on a green circus.(15 Columns)
February 11, 2008... It is commendable for disk vendors to tweak their products to make them more efficient, but hardware is intrinsically un-green This year storage could overtake servers in many organisations as the biggest consumer of power in the data...

15 Columns.
February 11, 2008... Considering 43 per cent of internet users cannot read English, translating its website into a foreign language is a powerful way for a business to promote itself and an attractive opportunity for resellers. For many, getting a website...

15 Columns.(movie industry)
February 11, 2008... I hadn't been to the Everyman Cinema in London's Hampstead since the 1970s. I remembered cigarette smoke, tip-up seats, black and white movies with subtitles, and cries of "focus!" from the audience when the projection lens drifted off in the...

15 Columns.
February 11, 2008... Years ago a fellow editor ran into an argument with the advertising department after refusing to tell them what stories and articles were going to be in his magazine. "You should be selling the magazine on its brand and reputation, not...

10 Features.
February 11, 2008... Once upon a time the channel for mobile communications was an entirely separate industry from the IT channel. The data market knew what it did - servers, software licences and routers - while the communications experts, and latterly mobile...

04 Hardware.(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... For the first time notebooks outsold desktops in the UK last year and with vendors focusing more on the mobile platform, the gap will continue to widen in certain sectors in 2008, analysts have predicted. A total of 3.3 million PCs were...

07 Security.
February 11, 2008... Resellers wondering what a managed security service might look like have been given food for thought by Postini's decision to slash the price of its hosted services. The Google-owned email filtering and archiving specialist has unveiled a...

07 Security.(Survey)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... Concerns about end point security continue to cause sleepless nights among corporates facing the pressure to allow greater access to remote services. The latest evidence of customers' worries came from a FutureSoft and Information Systems...

08 Storage.
February 11, 2008... The continued growth of storage installations in mid-sized organisations is a time bomb set to explode in the near future unless businesses consolidate infrastructures to drive efficiencies. This was the prognosis of IDC after research...

08 Storage.(Magirus has extended its trading relationship with FalconStor software)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... Magirus has extended its trading relationship with FalconStor from mainland Europe to the UK and believes the uncertain economic climate could increase storage virtualisation adoption as companies look to consolidate. The distribution...

12 Soap.
February 11, 2008... Fact not fiction Often, looking for humorous events of the week, it's a case of having to look at life through a warped lens. But real life managed to throw up a couple of stories last week that sound so fabricated they have to be the...

01 News.
February 11, 2008... The result of the Business Software Alliance campaign in Glasgow has been to expose continuing levels of apathy towards the question of illegal software. The BSA ran a 30-day software check late last year for those companies that might be...

01 News.
February 11, 2008... If there was a theme to the markets then it was around the areas of telecoms and networking with both BT and Cisco reporting figures. The slightly shaky state of those once mightly large conglematres that operate across numerous sectors in the...

01 News.
February 11, 2008... Struggling AV outfit Owl Visual Systems has been bought out of administration by Midwich, handing the Diss-based distributor a foothold in the AV leisure market. The commoditisation of AV equipment, particularly projectors, and an...

01 News.
February 11, 2008... The value of fraud in the UK in 2007 was at its highest in a decade according to KPMG's barometer with over [pounds sterling]1bn worth coming to court but there are fears the situation could deteriorate because of the credit crunch. Though...

01 News.(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... The future of unified communications (UC) will be tied to the growing popularity of software as a service (SaaS) as more hosted offerings combine IP PBX, UC and conferencing facilities to run alongside applications. The findings from...

02 Software.
February 11, 2008... Microsoft's move to acquire Yahoo has been seen as a straightforward attempt to catch up on ground lost to Google. The bid of $44.6bn ([pounds sterling]22.4bn), which will eat into the cash reserves of the software giant, indicated how much...

02 Software.
February 11, 2008... Open source specialist Red Hat has announced its first EMEA partner summit, taking place between 2 to 4 April in Malaga, Spain. Resellers will get the chance to meet newly appointed President and CEO, Jim Whitehurst and get their hands on the...

03 Networking.
February 11, 2008... Following recent criticisms from Cisco customers that key partners have failed to install functioning networks and unified comms packages (MicroScope 28 January), service providers have voiced the view that responsibility for training rests...

03 Networking.(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... The accidental cutting of three submarine fibre cables in the Mediterranean and Red Sea, which provided internet services across the region, has had an impact on outsourced operations that service UK customers. It is thought up to 70 per...

Intelligent laptop case detects Wi-Fi connection.(15 Columns)
February 11, 2008... Computer bags have almost reached the point where they are the universal choice for anyone not wanting a sports bag or a handbag. The reason is no doubt the increasing ownership of laptops, but also the convenience of a bag that can take a...

Flexible wireless access is easy to install.(15 Columns)
February 11, 2008... As we come to the end of the deep box that held a number of products from Level1, it is time to look at the PoE AP Access Point. The 108Mbps wireless box can support bridge, client and repeater mode and has power over Ethernet (PoE)...

13 Back Pages.
February 11, 2008... 21630, Tender Invitation UK-Liverpool: computer hardware Supply up to 300 Pentium 4 PCs and up to 100 monitors. 12892, Tender Invitation IRL-Dublin: WAN Supply of a LAN speed wide area connection. GB003M34218, Tender...

01 News.(International Business Machines Corp.)(Brief article)
February 18, 2008... IBM is expected to introduce a raft of changes to incentives in its General Business market this quarter that will reduce the administrative burden of claiming margin at the back end and pay partners to drive new business. The launch of...

05 Editorial.
February 18, 2008... What is the best/worst advice you have received and from who? In the mid-1980s my dad had the foresight to predict how important the tech industry was going to be, and encouraged me to be part of it. What is the best book you've ever...

10 Features.
February 18, 2008... Rising levels of credit card fraud started making credit card issuers look like slapstick fall guys last year. The banking industry had spent [pounds sterling]1bn on Chip and PIN, a line of security placed between fraudsters and the high street...

Dell to retain EqualLogic partners.(08 Storage)
February 18, 2008... Dell's head of channels EMEA has confirmed it will maintain existing relationships with EqualLogic's partners - for the short term at least - after finalising the acquisition of the specialist storage vendor. Last year Dell bid [pounds...

04 Hardware.
February 18, 2008... Profits soar at Avnet Avnet reported a 22 per cent rise in second fiscal quarter revenues to [pounds sterling]2.46bn, with an increase in profits from [pounds sterling]50.8m in the period a year earlier to [pounds sterling]72.9m. The...

Maverick eyes expanding LFD market.(04 Hardware)(large format displays)(Brief article)
February 18, 2008... The ink is still drying on distribution deals Maverick has signed with Samsung, LG and Philips as it homes in on the widening digital signage market for large format displays (LFD). The AV specialist acquired by Computer 2000 late last year...

NetApp rolls out scheme to enhance services delivery.(08 Storage)(Network Appliance Inc.)
February 18, 2008... NetApp is standardising the way reseller services are delivered to ensure a minimum level of quality in the channel - something partners believe has been inconsistent in the past. The Authorised Professional Services Partner Programme...

Web 2.0 for adults.(15 Columns)
February 18, 2008... The channel has a key role to play in empowering individuals while addressing organisations' concerns about compliance and trust As Web 2.0 and unified communications tools become integral to the corporate environment, the legal, HR and PR...

Benefit from the Facebook phenomenon.(15 Columns)
February 18, 2008... How the channel can turn the social networking boom into a reselling opportunity Over recent months social networking sites have increased in popularity and yet it seems there is a growing corporate backlash against them. More and more...

15 Columns.
February 18, 2008... Silicon Valley got quite a jolt recently when Microsoft made a $44bn bid for Yahoo, even though the offer was rejected last week. It also signalled that Microsoft would like a larger presence in the heart of the tech epicentre. Although it...

05 Editorial.(Editorial)
February 18, 2008... One of the signs of depression is the feeling that the world is closing around you and the effort to do anything becomes almost impossible to exert. The same feels as if it is happening to the transport system and it will take more than an...

01 News.(Dell Inc.)
February 18, 2008... Dell has told prospective partners that it will police initiatives to protect them against potential conflicts, and tailor rebates and marketing funds individually, dependent on its "share of wallet" in each reseller. The Partner Direct...

01 News.
February 18, 2008... Cisco SMB resellers are still losing substantial sums of money on misplaced or duplicated SMARTnet support contracts six months after the system was refreshed. In spite of repeated calls from the channel to simplify the quotation process,...

01 News.(changes for Richard Austin)(Brief article)
February 18, 2008... Richard Austin, the founder and one time chairman at Evesham Technology, has left the company and is expected to help a US retailer set up in the UK. In the summer Mohsan of Time Group Middle East and PCC Technology bought Evesham in a...

07 Security.(Brief article)
February 18, 2008... Retailers appear to be unprepared for the looming payment card industry (PCI) requirements that are due to come into force this summer. According to research from Deloitte, 86 per cent of retailers had never bothered to check where customer...

01 News.
February 18, 2008... Officials from the European Commission have raided DSGi's headquarters in Hemel Hempstead as part of an investigation into alleged anti-competitive behaviour in the retail PC market by Intel. This follows on from charges brought against the...

01 News.
February 18, 2008... Xerox is helping its mono branded concessionaires to identify acquisition targets in rival channels to fuel its growth ambitions but switch selling customers may not be a straightforward process. The initiative kicked off in the US last...

01 News.
February 18, 2008... Nearly six months after the fanfare surrounding the launch of Microsoft's Office Communications Server (OCS) the package has done little to frighten competitiors, but appears to be encouraging more industry collaboration. Benjamin Ellis,...

01 News.(Brief article)
February 18, 2008... Morse has continued to increase its operating margin as it squeezes more money from services despite revenue dipping and forecasted to remain near to flat. Interim results for the six months ended 31 December showed a dip in revenue but a...

01 News.(VMware Inc.)
February 18, 2008... With just days to go before the virtualisation world meets up in Cannes VMware has ensured that resellers will be focusing attention on its partner programme. The vendor has announced wholesale changes to its rebate structure and training...

01 News.(Brief article)
February 18, 2008... Plans mooted by the Government to crack down on users that download illegal software and music could have an impact on corporate customers. The warning comes from lobbyists trying to keep corporate networks clean of illegal content and...

01 News.
February 18, 2008... Microsoft has moved quickly to allay fears that the product stolen from a lorry destined for VIP will cause problems in the channel. The theft of a significant amount of software, worth a five figure sum, from Purfleet in Essex last month...

Microsoft enhances Office Live Small Business.(02 Software)
February 18, 2008... The move to get more customers using online services should be boosted by Microsoft's enhancements to its Office Live Small Business service. The vendor has already signed up hundreds of thousands of customers across Europe, but hopes that...

Security lags behind next-gen mobile apps.(03 Networking)
February 18, 2008... As the mobile telephony industry converged on Barcelona for the annual Mobile World Congress last week, mobile broadband, 4G and WiMAX services and delivering a new generation of applications to mobile consumers and workers were the key talking...

Opal and Voiceflex to offer SIP trunking.(03 Networking)
February 18, 2008... At the end of last year, channel watchers predicted 2008 would be the year that SIP trunking - the connection of an IP PBX to a standard phone system via SIP VoIP - entered the mainstream. Those predictions were borne out last week when SIP...

07 Security.
February 18, 2008... The government has been urged to copy the best practice of businesses by developing a consistent approach to business continuity across all departments. A number of organisations have supported Business Continuity Expo 2008 in setting up a...

12 Soap.
February 18, 2008... Pride at stake What do you do if one of the world's richest men is queuing up to buy your company? You certainly don't accept his first offer. So it is back to the drawing board for Microsoft in its bid to pick up Yahoo. Having declared...

02 Software.
February 18, 2008... Oracle's Accelerate has vertical take-off It feels like yesterday there was a stampede by enterprise software players for the SME market, with various programmes being launched to recruit the channel. A year ago Oracle launched...

Small but packs a punch.(09 Tech Traders)
February 18, 2008... Just because laptops are starting to sell more than desktops does not mean that a reseller can take it for granted and serve up any old mobile. The demands on the portable computer have changed dramatically in the last few years and they...

An effective weapon in the battle for security.(09 Tech Traders)(Brief article)
February 18, 2008... If there is one section of the channel that should remain unaffected by a downturn, it has to be security. The threats that exist now are barely being fended off by most customers. Add to that the numerous problems in the pipeline and it is...