MicroScope articles from January 2005

MicroScope archives from January 2005

Access technology to lift broadband barriers.(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Despite regulatory body OFCOM demanding that BT reduces the price it charges for rival ISPs to use its lines, the telecoms giant sees significant business opportunities for resellers through its business broadband advance upgrade. BT welcomed...

Apple to plug the gap for low priced model.(Apple Computer Inc. to release new product)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... At nearly half the price of its existing entry-level eMac, Apple is expected to unveil a low-end desktop code-named Q88 -- minus a monitor -- for around [pounds sterling]265 at this week's MacExpo in San Francisco. The product, which could be...

BT expands SME reach.(small and medium sized companies)(contracts)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... karl Flinders karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk DMSL deal with Integra adds a further 400 SME-focused dealers to BT's growing channel BT has made another huge step into the SME space after distributor DMSL signed a deal with buying group...

Better communication called for.
January 10, 2005... Businesses need to improve the management of their security infrastructures as the plethora of standalone software products causes flaws in protection. In a recent white paper, software vendor Computer Associates (CA) claimed "corporate IT...

CSG to boost market share through Systems Team buy.(Computer Software Group)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Christopher Walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk In its seventh acquisition in two years IBM-focused Computer Software Group (CSG) has snapped up Bristol-based CRM specialist Systems Team after bidding [pounds sterling]4.8m for holding...

Cisco share in Juniper's sights.(Juniper Networks)
January 10, 2005... christopher walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk As if poaching Cisco global channel head Paul Mountford's predecessor Tushar Kothari last summer to lead its own channel was not a strong enough statement of intent, Juniper Networks continues...

Cisco's 'demand generation' focus fails partners.
January 10, 2005... christopher walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk The promise of lead generation from Cisco's SMB Select partner programme has failed to materialise, according to some of the vendor's partners. The SMB Select programme launched last year (see...

Falling dollar could lead to further PC price cuts.(personal computers)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... The price of PCs could fall by as much as ten per cent this quarter as manufacturers take advantage of the continued strength of the pound against the dollar and offset the material gains. The US dollar has been weakening for the past 12...

Fingers crossed for growth.
January 10, 2005... Paul kunert paul.kunert@rbi.co.uk As we enter a new year the question on everyone's lips is whether it will be better for the industry than the last Despite there being no technological revolutions round the corner, fears of a general...

Getronics stalls PinkRoccade buy.(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... christopher walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk Getronics has decided to hold off its proposed e350m ([pounds sterling]244.9m) bid for PinkRoccade after the fellow Dutch service provider bowed to heavy pressure from major shareholders and...

HP resolves to prove its commitment to channel.(Hewlett-Packard Co.)
January 10, 2005... paul kunert paul.kunert@rbi.co.uk The problem with new year's resolutions is that people often forget them by the end of January. But after a troubled 2004 in the channel it is imperative that Hewlett-Packard is more communicative and...

LinuxIT achieves Novell solution partner status.(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Specialist open source software reseller LinuxIT has achieved Solution Partner status in Novell's channel to support the vendor's Linux sales. The company moves from being a business partner and will now offer support to other resellers....

Matrix sets out to form storage business.(Matrix Communications)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Matrix Communications has kicked off its plan to build a storage business organically with the recruitment of a division head. Following the acquisition of Network Partners in November, Matrix chief executive Ian Smith claimed the firm would...

More time for OS migration.(operating system)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... karl flinders karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk Support for larger companies still using Microsoft's NT4 operating system has been extended to December 2006 Microsoft will continue to provide customised support for large enterprises still using...

Oracle and PeopleSoft saga ends in purchase.
January 10, 2005... karl Flinders karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk Database giant Oracle has finally won the day in its lengthy bid to acquire rival software vendor PeopleSoft. The boards of both companies have approved the deal, which is expected to close this month....

Re-marked AMD chips seized.(AMD Europe)
January 10, 2005... paul kunert paul.kunert@rbi.co.uk Over a million stolen, defunct processors are expected to filter through to the European and Asian channels Distributors have come across re-marked AMD processors and are working with the manufacturer...

Research to shed light on channel thinking.(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... simon quicke simon.quicke@rbi.co.uk Research into the channel usually throws up plenty of food for thought, with vendors often finding their views of resellers challenged by the results from the chalk face. A chance to get the latest...

Security rockets up the agenda of AV resellers.(audio visual)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Paul kunert paul.kunert@rbi.co.uk The government's high-profile efforts to introduce more technology into the educational environment have made schools a target for thieves, forcing all forms of security onto resellers' radars. There...

The time looks right for ILM to move from concept to big seller.(information lifecycle management)
January 10, 2005... As the volumes of data have grown and the need for compliance has become apparent, the requirement to manage data from birth to death has become more imperative -- hence the increasing demand for information lifecycle management (ILM). The...

e92plus picks up where Arc leaves off.(Borderware selects Arc Technology Group as distributor)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Security distributor e92plus has replaced Arc Technology Group as a UK distributor for security appliance maker BorderWare. e92plus joins OpenPSL in the vendor's distribution tier and will take its MXtreme Mail Firewall into the mid to high end...

more than a new year for some in the industry.(appointments, resignations and dismissals)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... The new year has started with a number of management casualties throughout the IT community. Specialist antivirus vendor Trend Micro has parted company with UK managing director Roger Levenhagen, while Gareth Green, formerly European...

Acer separates commercial and consumer desktop businesses.(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... As part of plans to promote infrastructure sales and aggressively grow its UK reseller base through recruitment programmes, Acer has split its commercial and consumer desktop business units. The professional desktop range will sit in the same...

Change in Toshiba channel.(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... A shake-up in Toshiba's channel has seen Micro-P appointed to bolster the vendor's notebook range in the SME market, filling the boots of Hugh Symons, which has decided to walk away from branded notebook, PC and peripherals distribution. "Over...

Concern at revised contracts.(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... paul kunert paul.kunert@rbi.co.uk Resellers are unhappy about the information Hewlett-Packard is asking them to hand over in its revised partner contract A section of Hewlett-Packard's revised Business Partner contract that requests...

Expansive Matrix redefines structure.(Matrix Communications)(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... IT supplies group Matrix Communications is bringing together its recent acquisitions into a clearly defined reselling and distribution structure. The company announced its plan to formalise two separate divisions during its 2004 results...

Extreme launches lower-cost Aspen switch range.(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... Extreme Networks has boosted its switch portfolio for IP telephony and converged networks with the launch of its Aspen range with the promise of "significantly cheaper" pricing compared with rival vendors. The message behind the Aspen family...

Focus shift on the cards.(information technology)
January 17, 2005... Christopher Walton reports on the big announcement from the BETT Educational Technology Show at Olympia last week Years of incentives for shifting hardware into schools and universities may come to a close after the Government revealed...

Gartner has great expectations for managed printing services.(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... paul kunert paul.kunert@rbi.co.uk Predictions for the year are thick on the ground at the moment, but Gartner's claim that managed print services will finally take off in 2005 is one that should resonate with resellers. Printer vendors...

HCI Alliance to oust cowboys.
January 17, 2005... Paul kunert paul.kunert@rbi.co.uk Home Computing Initiative accreditation scheme due for launch The HCI Alliance has bowed to pressure from providers to launch an accreditation scheme to eliminate unscrupulous outfits mis-selling the...

Hugh Symons to close mobile computing division.(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... The spiralling decline in desktop and notebook pricing has claimed another victim after Hugh Symons revealed plans to close its mobile computing distribution division as soon as the stock is cleared. The business unit, which sells notebooks,...

InTechnology launches managed voice/data service.(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... Christopher Walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk After promising it would begin to promote voice and data services at the beginning of the year, InTechnology has officially launched a managed service under the IP Voice Connect banner....

Microsoft claims sales upturn.
January 17, 2005... KArl flinders karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk The IT training market experienced a recovery last year, with the channel well-positioned to take advantage in this value-added services arena, according to Microsoft UK. The software giant claimed that...

Microsoft plays on fear.(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... Karl flinders karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk PeopleSoft customers that may be reluctant to become Oracle users are courted by rival offers Microsoft is targeting PeopleSoft users in a bid to win business amid the uncertainty surrounding its...

More industry Movers and shakers.(appointments)(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... The management merry-go-round took another turn with changes across the industry. Buddie Ceronie was appointed as the new Avaya vice-president for UK, Ireland and Southern Africa last week, relinquishing his role as EMEA vice-president of...

NV3 joins Alcatel's UK distributor line-up.(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... christopher walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk French telecoms giant Alcatel has signed Northamber's specialist telephony division NV3 as a distributor for its voice products in the UK as the vendor looks to boost its reseller base. NV3...

Risc takes aim at the corporate sector.(Risc Technology )(Cyber-Ark Software)(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... Security distributor Risc Technology has agreed a pan-European deal with Cyber-Ark Software, which will see it take the vendor's technology to the high end. Cyber-Ark's multi-function software uses what is known as vaulting technology, which...

Sx3 dedicated to growing UK managed services.(software industry)(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... Sx3 is using its large installed software customer base in the local government sector to grow its UK business, with managed services being aimed at existing customers. The firm has about 160 local government clients using its revenues and...

Tussle for market position.
January 17, 2005... christopher walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk 3Com has slipped by the skin of its teeth to fourth spot in the LAN switch market in Western Europe -- losing out to Nortel by 0.06 per cent -- as combined shipments for all the major vendors...

Wick Hill targets SME space.(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... Karl flinders karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk Security distributor Wick Hill has signed a 12-month distribution deal with Finjan Software as the corporate-focused vendor gets its SME business going. The vendor recently launched its 1Box...

Winds of change blow after IBM transformation.(International Business Machines Corp.)(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... karl Flinders karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk IBM is expected to make changes to its software channel as it starts life without a PC business, and current talk among partners surrounds which distributors will support its software business going...

Zultys hits partner target.(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... Roanna Avison roanna.avison@rbi.co.uk Six months after vowing to double its UK reseller base to 40, Zultys has revealed it has hit the target and plans to help those partners sell its products. Justine Cross, EMEA director of business...

"Affordable" Apple Mac Mini could boost peripheral sales.(Apple Computer Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... After weeks of speculation, Apple finally unveiled the Mac Mini, its low-end, entry-level desktop, previously known only by its code name Q88, at last week's MacExpo in San Francisco. Despite retailing at [pounds sterling]339 in the UK, much...

Ability Software seeks dealers for Office alternative.(Ability Software International )(Brief Article)
January 24, 2005... Office software package vendor Ability Software International is offering dealers high margins as it attempts to build a reseller base and increase its indirect sales into the SME market. The firm, which sells a software package positioned as...

Adding knowledge and skills.(reseller-distributor relation)
January 24, 2005... Distributors have been looked upon as box-shifters and a necessary evil by some resellers, but Maverick VPH director Jon Sidwick says those holding this view should think again Ask a bunch of resellers what they think about distribution...

Bell extends McAfee ties after acquisition.
January 24, 2005... Karl flinders karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk Bell Microproducts is moving up the security value chain through the acquisition of OpenPSL as the vendor expands its distribution agreement with McAfee to include the latter's intrusion detection and...

Bridgeworks aims for SME sector in European market.(Brief Article)
January 24, 2005... karl flinders karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk UK-based storage networking vendor Bridgeworks is looking to expand in Europe as well as the UK through a distribution agreement with ACAL, which gives it access to more than 400 resellers across the...

Brother outlines ten-year strategy.(Brother Industries Ltd.)
January 24, 2005... simon quicke simon.quicke@rbi.co.uk Brother has outlined ambitious plans to take the top spot in the mono laser arena, setting its sights on Hewlett-Packard, the incumbent leader in the market. Yoshihiro Yasui, representative director and...

C2000 makes improvements to LOL as its popularity grows.( Licensing OnLine )
January 24, 2005... Distributor Computer 2000 has enhanced its Licensing OnLine (LOL) reseller licensing tool to ensure that dealers get the right product and special offer information quickly, as its latest audit shows a significant increase in the tool's use....

CA attracts system builders with OEM expansion.(Original Equipment Manufacturer)(Computer Associates International Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 24, 2005... Roanna avison roanna.avison@rbi.co.uk Four months after revealing plans to expand its OEM offerings to include storage, Computer Associates (CA) has revealed that the uptake from system builders has been substantial. When it launched the...

CA clears up confusion.(Computer Associates International Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 24, 2005... Karl flinders karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk The many products offered by Computer Associates has meant a lack of clarity for the channel Computer Associates is clearing up its certification programmes worldwide and offering UK resellers...

Chilver's plans shuffle Westcon pack.(Brief Article)
January 24, 2005... christopher walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk Richard Chilver has resigned from his role as UK managing director for Westcon, ending a decade-long spell at the distributor. Sales director Simon Thompson will take the role of acting...

Consultancy push by Avaya.(Brief Article)
January 24, 2005... Christopher Walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk Convergence giant Avaya has boosted its software portfolio with the upgrade to Avaya modular messaging 2, the latest version of its voice message management application which it claims will...

Foundry to undercut Ethernet switch rivals.
January 24, 2005... christopher walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk Foundry Networks has defended accusations of sparking a price war with bitter rival Extreme and with dominant layer 2 and layer 3 switch manufacturer Cisco, after it claimed it could offer...

HP insists dealers commit to growth.(Hewlett-Packard)(Brief Article)
January 24, 2005... Paul kunert in amsterdam paul.kunert@rbi.co.uk At its 25th anniversary of working with the channel, Hewlett-Packard warned that resellers not hunting new SME business or investing more heavily in technical accreditations faced a bleak...

HP unit merger will cut costs.(Hewlett-Packard Co.)(Brief Article)
January 24, 2005... paul kunert in Amsterdam paul.kunert@rbi.co.uk The decision to combine the imaging and printing divisions emphasises continuing commitment to the PC market The merger of Hewlett-Packard's imaging, printing and PC divisions should help...

IBM admits Lenovo deal disrupted fourth quarter sales.(Brief Article)
January 24, 2005... christopher walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk IBM has admitted that the sale of its PC business to Lenovo impacted sales during the fourth quarter. At the same time, dealers told MicroScope their customers were clamouring for more...

Microsoft targets retailers with RMS.(Brief Article)
January 24, 2005... karl Flinders karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk Microsoft has outlined its plan to address the small retail sector with the latest version of its Retail Management System (RMS). The vendor has unveiled a three-tiered channel with large and small...

Morse continues shift to service sales using Diagonal integration to generate profits.(Brief Article)
January 24, 2005... The integration of Diagonal into Morse has resulted in the loss of just one pre-acquisition client from the former SAP consultancy as the company continued a run of boosting sales and profits after two years of decline. The reselling giant has...

NTT targets European market through Verio.(Nippon Telephone and Telegraph Corp.)
January 24, 2005... Japanese communications giant NTT is targeting the UK data channel for European market growth through a mixture of Web hosting and managed services on corporate customers' traditional and IP-based networks. The comms giant will embark on an...

Palmer leaves Foundry.(Andy Palmer)(Brief Article)
January 24, 2005... Andy Palmer, formerly vice-president and managing director for Foundry EMEA, has left the networking vendor following a reorganisation of its internal management structure. The role had become redundant after Foundry admitted it was to ask...

Phoenix set to diversify its customer base.(Brief Article)
January 24, 2005... Former Magirus sales director Paul Salliss has joined Phoenix IT Services as channel sales director for the Northampton-based services provider, as the company looks to diversify its customer base into the wider reseller market. Phoenix, which...

Research to shed light on channel thinking.
January 24, 2005... Time has almost run out for those channel players desperate to find out the latest views of resellers about vendors and the state of the market. A chance to get the latest information about what dealers want from vendors and their feelings...

Resellers find more business outside of Becta than inside.(British Educational Communications and Technology Agency)(Brief Article)
January 24, 2005... roanna Avison roanna.avison@rbi.co.uk Despite a lack of high-profile Government funds to get AV into schools there is still plenty of business available in the market, according to research firm Decision Tree Consulting. Colin Messenger,...

Rivalry increases over PeopleSoft customers.(Brief Article)
January 24, 2005... karl flinders karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk Oracle has a fight on its hands as SAP becomes the latest competitor to show an interest in uncertain PeopleSoft users. Following Microsoft's move to attract PeopleSoft users through a migration path...

Software vendor faces legal battle.
January 24, 2005... karl Flinders karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk Alleged grey trader to fight back against Microsoft's accusations Microsoft could face a fight as it initiates a landmark civil action against an alleged grey importer in its effort to recover...

Technology vendors target home workers.
January 24, 2005... simon quicke simon.quicke@rbi.co.uk With the number of teleworkers set to double, this market sector is ripe for new developments The growth in the number of teleworkers is encouraging the development of technology that would appeal to...

alwaysON to deliver managed VoIP service with whiteboxed Sonus products.(Brief Article)
January 24, 2005... Voice and data managed services provider alwaysON has signed a deal with Sonus Networks to whitebox the US VoIP vendor's software applications and switches as a managed service for resellers throughout the UK. The deal will see alwaysON...

Attitudes must change for growth to be realised.
January 31, 2005... Roanna Avison roanna.avison@rbi.co.uk Fujitsu Services director insists the IT industry needs to grow up and deliver on its promises The IT industry has been told to grow up and act its age if it wants to gain the respect of...

BTIC launches hosted MS Exchange service.(British Telecommunications Indirect Channels, Microsoft Corp.)
January 31, 2005... Broad-based resellers serving the SME market are being offered a low-risk opportunity to sell Microsoft Exchange as BT Indirect Channels (BTIC) readies the delivery of the software through a broadband pipe. BTIC distributor DMSL is already...

Biggest desktop change for a decade coming ahead of time.
January 31, 2005... Intel is racing ahead to deploy virtualisation on the desktop a year earlier than planned, but analysts have claimed the technology is the most disruptive development PCs will face in the next decade. The chip giant had previously claimed...

Computer Associates gets channel push moving.(Computer Associates International Inc. deals with Intechnology Corp.)
January 31, 2005... Software giant Computer Associates (CA) is switching on its wider product range through distributor InTechnology following the revamp of its global partner programme last week (see MicroScope, 24 January). InTechnology will be the first to...

Dealers should warn of whiteboard health risks.(Brief Article)
January 31, 2005... Resellers have been advised to implement best practice when selling projectors used with interactive whiteboards (IWBs) to schools and warn teachers of the potential dangers to eyesight the products could cause. Tests undertaken by the National...

Education a priority as Wyse Technology recruits resellers for thin clients.(Brief Article)
January 31, 2005... Thin clients do not appear suited to media-rich computing environments such as schools, but Wyse Technology has made education a number one market priority in 2005 and is recruiting resellers focused on the space. Simon Richards, director of...

Equant back in the fold.(France Telecom S.A. acquires Equant Network Services Div.)
January 31, 2005... Symbolising the current blurring of the lines between data network providers and voice network providers, France Telecom has folded its data-focused spin-off Equant back into the corporate whole -- with the added bonus of hoisting the Cisco...

Fears of increased insolvencies unfounded as the number of failing companies drops.(Brief Article)
January 31, 2005... Christopher Walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk The IT industry leads UK plc in reducing the number of corporate insolvencies, according to the latest market data from credit giant Experian, amid growing signs that the sector is learning to...

HP to re-examine PFR model.(pay for results )
January 31, 2005... paul kunert paul.kunert@rbi.co.uk Distributors have welcomed Hewlett-Packard's plans to reassess its Ts&Cs and reinforce its channel relationships The soft landing distributors received from Hewlett-Packard after 1 November changes to...

IBM PC division sell-off hits stumbling block.(Brief Article)
January 31, 2005... Christopher Walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk IBM's planned sale of its PC unit to Chinese giant Lenovo hit a political bump last week after Republicans in the House of Representatives raised fears that it could pose a risk to national...

Intellect and the OGC work towards industry standard.(Office of Government Commerce)
January 31, 2005... Intellect and the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) have outlined common job titles within government IT projects as an area targeted for industry standards. Currently, project managers, programme managers and even programmers have different...

Louden takes SME sales reins at Avaya.(appointment of Paul Louden)(Brief Article)
January 31, 2005... After a month which has seen two -- albeit unrelated -- high-profile senior management departures from IP telephony giant Avaya in the UK, former Cable & Wireless and Orange man Paul Louden has taken Richard Pitt's former role as SME sales...

Microsoft will make identification of grey easier.
January 31, 2005... karl Flinders karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk Following its precedent-setting legal campaign against parallel importing, Microsoft has vowed to make it easier to identify products that have come through this illegitimate channel. The firm signalled...

Notebooks rolled into Top Config channel scheme.(Hewlett-Packard Europe)(Brief Article)
January 31, 2005... As part of plans to introduce more products to the Top Config scheme, Hewlett-Packard will roll notebooks into the supply chain mechanism in April. Today, 30 per cent of HP UK's desktop sales run through Top Config -- a programme allowing...

Security solution SME priority.(small and medium sized companies)(Brief Article)
January 31, 2005... Research has found that half of Europe's SMEs were exposed to a security threat in 2004, according to Hewlett-Packard, but the vendor does not feel resellers are best placed to capitalise on the findings. The survey of 300 SMEs in Europe,...

SonicWall launches managed services programme.(Brief Article)
January 31, 2005... Security vendor SonicWall has launched a programme to support its UK resellers that want to sell its products as a managed service with up to ten partners initially targeted. The company's Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) programme...

Systemax closes UK plant in favour of US pre-builds.(Systemax Europe Ltd.)(Brief Article)
January 31, 2005... Paul kunert paul.kunert@rbi.co.uk System builder ceases manufacture of custom machines claiming the model is unsustainable System builder Systemax is consolidating European operations and will close its UK manufacturing plant, sourcing...