MicroScope articles from January 2006

MicroScope archives from January 2006

acquisition activity continues.
January 9, 2006... The new year has begun as 2005 ended -- with a flurry of acquisition activity. z As 2005 drew to a close, Seagate signed a definitive agreement to acquire Maxtor in a stock transaction valued at $1.9bn ([pounds sterling]1bn). "With...

Building partnerships is the key to success in 2006.
January 9, 2006... christopher walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk The networking industry is much more than simply pushing packets around the network -- and 2006 will see a move towards triple and quadruple-play services where the voice, video, data and...

Soaring energy prices fuel demand for efficient chips.
January 9, 2006... Paul kunert paul.kunert@rbi.co.uk The cost of hardware procur-ement has collapsed, prompting IT directors to place closer scrutiny on rising energy prices, and with more efficient desktop components due to hit the market later this...

Lenovo reviews channel for PC launch.(Lenovo Group Ltd)(personal computer)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... In preparation for the European launch of its own-branded PCs, Lenovo is reviewing its distribution strategy to work with partners that can help it grow in the SME and very small business (VSB) sectors. As exclusively revealed last month,...

Resellers 'will not be hit' by Lexmark's new rebates.
January 9, 2006... Lexmark has insisted resellers' rebates will be unaffected after the vendor made changes to the way that it financially rewards distributors for sales activities. Starting this month, the printer vendor will reintroduce financial...

SurfControl signs full distributor.
January 9, 2006... Deal with e92plus sees the vendor switching to a two-tier model in a bid to increase its volumes through the channel KARL FLINDERS karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk SurfControl's widely mooted move to a two-tier channel model is set to...

Reading the future.
January 9, 2006... Simon Quicke Predicting which technologies to back can be about as reliable as a tarot reading, so we asked some key channel players to give their tips for 2006 Working out which technologies to back is vital for resellers trying to...

Will VoIP be the next big thing?(Company Profile)
January 9, 2006... Migration strategies could lead to asset management concerns for the channel during the coming year CHRISTOPHER WALTON christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk While resellers are a little more cautious over the possibility of VoIP becoming...

Tesco increases the pressure.
January 9, 2006... Retail giant's buying power could make it difficult for resellers to compete on price in the SoHo and small business market christopher walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk Resellers hungry for margin on product sales face...

Threat of losing BT security tender downplayed.
January 9, 2006... karl Flinders karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk InTechnology is threatening to reconsider where it buys its networking connectivity if its supplier relationship with BT ends, as is widely predicted. The distributor supplies security...

3Com sales up after management reshuffle.(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... Christopher Walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk Networking vendor 3Com followed the departure of UK country manager Richard Chilver and a major EMEA management reshuffle (see MicroScope, 5 December 2005) by reducing its pre-tax losses...

The hopes and fears for 2006.(computer industry forecasts)
January 9, 2006... Once again, the channel is expecting a tough year ahead but, despite concerns, there are some reasons to be cheerful roanna avison roanna.avison@rbi.co.uk This time last year the channel's biggest concern was that vendors would...

Crime wave hits channel.(computer industry)
January 9, 2006... As a surge of criminal activity sweeps through the industry, resellers are urged to be vigilant christopher walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk The channel has been urged to be vigilant as the spate of criminal activity that swept...

InTechnology breaks with Packeteer.
January 9, 2006... Networking vendor Packeteer and distributor InTechnology have parted company through what both parties have referred to as a "mutual decision", leaving the Yorkshire distributor seeking alternatives in the WAN optimisation space. The...

UTM bandwagon gathers pace.(unified threat management)
January 9, 2006... KARL FLINDERS karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk For any business readying itself for 2006, security is bound to be a major consideration, as it is every year, but this year three things stand out, with unified threat management (UTM) maturing,...

SAM set to take centre stage.
January 9, 2006... KARL FLINDERS karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk As always in the software sector acronyms are set to rule, but some more than others, with SAM and CRM definite hot spots, while changes to the way software is delivered could increase take-up by...

Conquering the data mountain.(need to address a shortage of storage skills in the channel and an increased push of storage into the SME space)(Information technology services industry)
January 9, 2006... ROANNA AVISON roanna.avison@rbi.co.uk The storage market last year was a hive of activity with a number of areas vying for the channel's attention and at first glance it appears that 2006 will be no different. Some trends look set...

Channel moves towards solutions-based selling.
January 16, 2006... "My crystal ball tells me that 2006 will be the year of solutions-based selling for the channel " In 2005 the channel started to see a definitive shift towards a solutions-based approach to selling and I foresee this gaining momentum in...

Is the channel ready for Linux?
January 16, 2006... As a growing number of IT professionals consider making the switch to desktop Linux, how can resellers exploit this trend? Since the late 1990s, people have been continually forecasting that we are entering the year of desktop Linux, but to...

Fraud is main motive for virus attacks.
January 16, 2006... CHRISTOPHER WALTON christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk The sheer volume of new Trojans, worms and viruses rocketed in 2005, culminating in the Sober-Z virus explosion in December. These attacks are becoming more focused with clear financial...

Nebulas looks to secure credit card data to meet PCI standard.
January 16, 2006... Reseller utilises resources to help customers meet the 12 requirements of the PCI's Data Security Standard KARL FLINDERS karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk Reseller Nebulas Security is focusing on providing security for credit card data to...

Toshiba BCD eyes dealers.(toshiba business comm-unications division)(Brief Article)
January 16, 2006... Toshiba's Business Comm-unications Division (BCD) is set to continue its reseller recruitment drive into 2006, targeting a further 20 to 30 dealers to work with the vendor in the next 12 months. This is not the first time that BCD has...

Dell delays SME services push.
January 16, 2006... Vendor plans to wait until it has increased its enterprise and mid-market coverage before targeting small businesses KARL FLINDERS karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk Dell will scale back its activity regarding small business services in the...

Microsoft wins praise for partner programme.
January 16, 2006... Microsoft has the best partner programme in the software channel, according to the findings of IDC's annual study on vendor partnering strategies in the sector, Worldwide Software Channel Programme 2005 Vendor Profiles report. But Eric Gales,...

Becta to review educational licensing.
January 16, 2006... The government agency responsible for advising the education sector on IT is to review Microsoft's licensing programmes aimed at educational establishments. At last week's BETT show, education secretary Ruth Kelly revealed that Becta would...

HP's great expectations.
January 16, 2006... Dave Poskett worked hard in 2005 to improve things for the channel, and hopes he will reap the benefits this year SIMON QUICKE simon.quicke@rbi.co.uk If there has been one vendor that has dominated the headlines in the last couple...

Users fail to capitalise on ERP system functionality.
January 16, 2006... KARL FLINDERS karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk Businesses are struggling with their ERP systems, with only five per cent of users making full use of them despite heavy investments, according to a survey by PMP Research. With ERP vendors...

NetSuite claims e-commerce addition gives users quick returns.
January 16, 2006... NetSuite is hailing its decision to add e-commerce software to its hosted business software bundle, insisting users had seen quick returns and the channel had received a strong sales pitch. In November the vendor added e-commerce...

Samsung to increase Power Partner funding.
January 16, 2006... ROANNA AVISON roanna.avison@rbi.co.uk Four months after launching its Power Partner Programme, Samsung has revealed plans to extend the additional funding available when the scheme started to all resellers. The vendor jump-started...

No sign of recovery as UK laser printer sales plummet.
January 16, 2006... UK printer sales continued their downward spiral and dropped by 30.1 per cent in November last year, with mono taking the brunt of the fall. Mono laser printer sales declined by 37.1 per cent compared with November 2004, while colour laser...

Channel fails to exploit refurbishment market.
January 16, 2006... Resellers are missing out on the chance to make extra margin by failing to address opportunities in IT refurbishment and asset disposal. Will Richardson, European sales manager at World Data Products, said forward-looking VARs were...

Catch the IP telephony wave.
January 16, 2006... SIMON QUICKE simon.quicke@rbi.co.uk With the channel scrambling around to try to discover what will be a sure fire margin earner this year, the world of converged telecoms stands out as an area that the vendors believe will produce...

Doubts cast over value of partner programmes.(Hardware.com resigned from its registered partner agreement with Cisco Inc)
January 16, 2006... The value of vendor accreditations has been plunged into doubt after dealers in the Cisco channel claimed there was more money to be made outside legitimate partner programmes. It emerged last week that on-line reseller Hardware.com had...

Right sizing designed to end HP over distribution.
January 16, 2006... SIMON QUICKE simon.quicke@rbi.co.uk Hewlett-Packard is making moves to increase revenues in its channel by eradicating over-distribution as part of its ongoing attempt to improve profitability in its indirect business. The vendor's...

Mid-market tape sales expected to strengthen.(forecasts of tape storage systems industry)(Brief Article)
January 16, 2006... SIMON QUICKE simon.quicke@rbi.co.uk There have been many times in recent years when the death knell has been sounded for the tape industry, with predictions of a move to disk or other formats, but demand for the archiving platform...

BDA begins licensing Blu-ray formats.
January 16, 2006... One of the things to emerge at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas was an update on the progress of Blu-ray, with signs that the technology is getting closer to hitting the mass market. The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA)...

Qospel to provide application performance managed service.
January 16, 2006... christopher walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk While a refresh cycle kicked in last year in the routing and switching markets, the undoubted sub-sector for growth was WAN optimisation and the sector will look for further growth in...

Consolidation continues into new year.
January 16, 2006... Last year's wave of consolidation at the reselling and integrating end of the networking industry has continued into the new year at both the top and bottom end of the channel. 2e2 Group, parent company of Cisco gold partner Prime Business...

Get involved with CRM.
January 23, 2006... Karl Flinders Customer relationship management is without doubt one of the major growth opportunities in IT and this year could mark a turning point in the technology's take-up, as Microsoft adds its weight to the SME argument and...

Vendors seek security experts.
January 23, 2006... KARL FLINDERS karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk Security resellers are flavour of the month for two vendors looking for partners outside their usual stomping grounds. Internet and e-mail service provider intY is looking to sign up...

Resellers urged to sell security as business enabler.(security of business)
January 23, 2006... Resellers should be selling security as a business enabler rather than simply an unavoidable cost, with a good business case for ongoing assessment and updating. Continuous and thorough risk assessment of networks is essential if...

Larger vendors favour back-up over archiving.
January 23, 2006... KARL FLINDERS karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk Major storage vendors are neglecting the archiving arena in favour of focus on storage area networks (SANs) and network attached storage (NAS) products, according to BridgeHead Software, after a...

Firms risk profit warnings.
January 23, 2006... KARL FLINDERS karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk Resellers reporting deals before they are complete are taking unnecessary risks claims Ernst & Young Software and computer services firms risk missing targets by the premature reporting of...

Calls for Becta to sign other deals.
January 23, 2006... Following the announcement of Becta's review of its Microsoft licensing agreements, the channel is calling for the Government agency to negotiate deals with other vendors to allow them to compete on price. Becta is responsible for advising...

Vendors increase sales through indirect channel.
January 23, 2006... KARL FLINDERS karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk Although Microsoft's partner programme was identified as the best of the bunch in the software market by IDC, there are changes afoot in a sector where the mid-market is being targeted for growth....

Marathon increases pace with Repton.
January 23, 2006... Software vendor Marathon Technologies has added reseller Repton to its channel as the relaunched business gains momentum, driven by customers wanting to consolidate server farms and seeking fault-tolerant (FT) Windows environments. The...

The building blocks of business goals.
January 23, 2006... Cath Everett Service-oriented architectures have so far been the preserve of large firms, but it's only a matter of time before they filter down to SMEs There's been a tremendous amount of talk lately about service-oriented...

Pocket devices pack a punch.(flash drives)
January 23, 2006... Every now and then, a particular device comes along that looks destined to change how we do things. The mobile phone was one, of course, as was the handheld computer. Much smaller, but with no less impact, has been the flash drive, the USB...

Getting technical.
January 23, 2006... The market for components and the expertise to build systems using the latest technology is stronger than ever, so in recognition of that part of the channel MicroScope is launching a weekly section that will provide news, profiles and reviews...

Viewing portability.
January 23, 2006... The most important box to tick when it comes to the latest range of projectors is to make them portable without sacrificing any quality. As the price of the technology reduces, with some manufacturers trying to outdo each other to get below the...

Painless switching.(Asus RX 3141)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
January 23, 2006... The word commoditisation gets bandied around the channel all the time and one example of where it has taken place is in the wireless connection world. There used to be a time, not that long ago, when shelling out for a switch would have needed...

Fingers and thumbs.
January 23, 2006... Dynmark might have stumbled on an application that is going to be a grower with its e-txt msg manager software, because texting is exploding and becoming a communication method of choice for many people. Those people who struggle to text do so...

Power for printing.(Lexmark P450)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
January 23, 2006... Stockings over the Christmas period will have sagged from the weight of the digital cameras they contained as the technology remained as popular as ever. But following on from the camera sale, the next stage is to buy some extra memory, a pouch...

Corporates start to grasp benefits of AV products.
January 23, 2006... SIMON QUICKE simon.quicke@rbi.co.uk Interactive audio-visual prod-ucts have sold in large numbers into the classroom, but have failed to make much of a dent in the corporate market despite attempts to push them into an office...

HP offers configuration tool to resellers.(Brief article)
January 23, 2006... Hewlett-Packard is extending its on-line configuration tool to resellers after an initial programme for e-tailers demonstrated a demand for the Web-based service. On-line configuration is part of a broader set of services that the vendor...

Here's to the next 20 years.
January 23, 2006... Tim Bajarin US News Over the past two decades or so the PC has revolutionised the way businesses and consumers work and play, and the industry is set for equally dramatic changes by 2026 as digital technology comes to the masses ...

2e2 plans acquisitions to fill gaps in portfolio.
January 23, 2006... CHRISTOPHER WALTON christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk 2e2 will look for acquisition targets in the converged communications, security and Microsoft services market in the coming year as it looks to add to the 13 separate businesses in its...

Lucent expects reduced growth in 2006 revenues.(Lucent Technologies)(Brief article)
January 23, 2006... In a worrying pointer at the turn of the new year for the IP industry, communications manufacturer Lucent Tech-nologies warned Wall Street last week that revenues would remain essentially flat during the coming year. Despite positive...

Cisco cracks down on fake kit.
January 23, 2006... christopher walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk Vendor underlines its commitment to end counterfeit dealing as Trading Standards considers cases against four resellers Cisco has warned its partner base that it is cracking down on...

Channel braced for newegg.com to break into UK.(Brief article)
January 23, 2006... SIMON QUICKE simon.quicke@rbi.co.uk Expectations are rising that US e-tailing giant newegg.com is planning to make a move into the UK market that could have a potentially significant impact on prices. The e-tailer, which has a...

Westcon tipped to buy EquIP.
January 23, 2006... karl Flinders karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk Aggressive security player expected to raise its game with the acquisition of Matrix's security distribution business Matrix Communications' security distribution business EquIP Technology is...

Private future a non-starter for Computacenter.(Brief article)
January 23, 2006... Christopher Walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk The future of Computacenter looks to be a public one after talks over the management buyout at the company were terminated last week, leaving the corporate reseller's share price...

Buyer sought for failed monitor manufacturer.(selling of Relisys Inc)(Brief article)
January 23, 2006... Roanna Avison roanna.avison@rbi.co.uk Administrators for Manchester-based monitor manufacturer Relisys Ltd are hoping to sell the company after it collapsed into administration on 12 January. Relisys Ltd's parent company,...

Repayment process begins.(fraud management)
January 23, 2006... The ECJ ruling against HMRC means companies may be able to claim back the millions of pounds of withheld taxes The announcement last week that the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has come down on the side against HM Revenues & Customs...

a mixed bag of results.
January 23, 2006... There were mixed fortunes in the industry last week as some reported improved financial figures and others admitted sales were lower than expected. Intel blamed poor PC sales and falling prices for lower than expected revenues of $10.2bn...

Salesforce.com CEO to detail opportunities for UK channel.
January 23, 2006... Salesforce.com will this week outline the opportunities for the channel when its chief executive and channel head visit the UK to launch a medium for ISVs and other software vendors to sell hosted versions of their software. The vendor's...

SMEs concerned by lack of support for ICT purchases.
January 23, 2006... christopher walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk Cisco has issued a warning to its small business channel that two out of five UK SMEs feel they are not receiving a sufficient level of post-sales support and training after purchasing...

XOU Solutions offers pricing model for resellers.
January 23, 2006... With Cisco's April 2007 deadline for its shared support serial number and asset management registry looming large in the channel, network auditing software supplier XOU Solutions has introduced a pricing model for resellers and systems...

Going flat out.(price and rates of Cathode Ray Tube monitors)(Brief Article)
January 30, 2006... The death knell has been sounded for the large CRT TV aimed at the home following Dixons' decision to stop selling those products to concentrate on flat screens. Pressure on CRT TVs and monitors has been growing as a result of price drops...

Flying high.
January 30, 2006... This year MicroScope will be publishing a series of special reports looking at markets and products that are set to have a strong impact on the channel in terms of revenue. In our first report, we look at a technology we will all want to own...

Are you HD ready?
January 30, 2006... BSkyB is to launch a number of high-definition channels, viewable in conjunction with a new Sky HD Digibox, later this year. Although you cannot view them as such in the UK, some BBC productions have already been shot in HD format. There are...

Cash bonus for mid-market win.(production)
January 30, 2006... karl flinders karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk Security appliance maker Fortinet is offering resellers cash bonuses for mid-market customer wins as it targets the Nokia and Check Point alliance in an attempt to triple reseller numbers. ...

RSA plans to make partner programme enhancements.(RSA Security Inc forecasts)
January 30, 2006... RSA Security has promised to enhance its revamped partner programme this year, despite getting positive feedback and increasing partner numbers (see MicroScope, 14 March 2005). The firm is not resting on its laurels and will increase...

Microsoft and ITAC to battle it out in court.
January 30, 2006... karl Flinders karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk Court case dates illustrate the dangers of naming and shaming resellers despite channel pressure to continue the policy Vendor attempts to use a weapon of publicly naming and shaming partners...

SAP staff learn channel strategy at 'boot camp'.
January 30, 2006... karl Flinders karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk SAP has started the process of re-educating its staff about how to work with the channel as its indirect strategy gathers pace. The firm spent three days last week in Barcelona with 360 of its...

Channel backs sale.(services)(Brief Article)
January 30, 2006... KARL FLINDERS karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk Matrix hopes the sale of distribution arm EquIP will end reseller doubts over its loyalty The blood-stirring debate about whether distributor and reseller businesses can mix was on the tip of...

CLA programme dropped by Novell.
January 30, 2006... Novell resellers are set to have one less licensing programme to contend with as the vendor overhauls its scheme, making changes it claims were inspired by the channel. The changes mean the vendor's Corporate Licensing Agreement (CLA) will...

Updated and improved.
January 30, 2006... One of the benefits of technology is that things are always updated and improved. And nowhere is this more evident than in the world of software where either a number or year will denote the age of the product. Those networking resellers that...

Painless DIY Web sites.
January 30, 2006... It is easy to say that everyone wants a Web site, but getting one is often seen as too daunting a task, so it is often left to expensive designers and marketers. The alternative route gives the customer 100 per cent control of the design and...

Sleek storage.
January 30, 2006... The phrase 'trickle down' is overused in some parts of the channel, but when it comes to explaining just what has happened with networking storage it couldn't be more apt. The idea a few years ago that a Network Attached Storage device would be...

Wireless projection.
January 30, 2006... Projectors continue to dominate the hearts and minds of resellers working or thinking about getting involved with the audio visual market. With HDTV around the corner the stakes just got that little bit higher, because a projector might be the...

EMEA sales pick up speed.
January 30, 2006... Although the EMEA market enjoyed overtaking the US for the first time last year in terms of combined notebook and desktop sales, the pressure on vendors in the traditional hardware market remained as strong as ever. According to the latest...

What part will hardware play in the future role of services?
January 30, 2006... simon quicke simon.quicke@rbi.co.uk Hardware resellers could be forgiven for believing that their days are numbered if they fail to jettison their traditional activities and move into services. But moving away from tin has the drawback...

Motive behind the move.
January 30, 2006... christopher walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk Former Extreme UK country manager Nick Roullier was tempted to Avaya with the promise of a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18 per cent in the IP telephony market, the vendor's new...