MicroScope articles from July 2005

MicroScope archives from July 2005

Channel urged to consider green business approach.(Access Distribution)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Access Distribution is looking to encourage resellers to consider using green issues as a selling tool, as the distributor adopts the 'eco-magination' theme of its parent GE. Martin Vessey, UK country manager at Access Distribution, revealed...

Compel acquires Hire IT.(Compel Group PLC)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... UK short-term rental market experiences further consolidation following [pounds sterling]3m takeover The market for short-term rentals consolidated dramatically last week, after Compel purchased close rival Hire IT for [pounds sterling]3m...

Computacenter suffers.(share price decrease)
July 4, 2005... Reseller sees share price collapse after warning of a revenue shortfall in the second quarter Computacenter has insisted there is still profit to be made in the product reselling business, despite losing 22 per cent of its share value in...

Direct switch to channel.(Keltec's managing accounts)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Keltec is the latest reseller to benefit from BT's MATP programme, gaining control of 1,600 previously direct accounts Keltec has gained 1,600 SME customers through BT Indirect Channels (BTIC) after the vendor transferred direct accounts to...

European consolidation warning.
July 4, 2005... As tough conditions in the channel continue across Europe, there are signs of an impending shake-up in distribution The challenging prospects for home-grown distributors across Europe looks set to continue because of the muscle of global...

HP Procurve adds extra levels to differentiate reseller types.
July 4, 2005... HP Procurve has added two levels to its channel programme as it looks to recruit resellers and ensure existing partners have the certifications to match the competition. The vendor already had elite partners, which were its top providers that...

Matrix signs eight-figure contract with Vodafone.
July 4, 2005... Six months after teasing the industry with the promise of a global contract with a wireless operator, Matrix Communications has signed the biggest deal of its two-and-a-half-year existence. The agreement, believed to be in the region of eight...

Micro-P to pilot credit line for small resellers.(Micro Peripherals Inc.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Micro-P is piloting a financial services scheme offering smaller resellers that are often perceived as higher risk accounts with a credit line, an area of the channel that tends to fall below the radar of most major distributors. There has...

Microsoft to raise the stakes for LARs.(large account reseller)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Microsoft's channel is expecting the bar to be raised once more for any reseller wanting large account reseller (LAR) status, with up to seven in Germany expected to lose their status. The UK will not see such a dramatic cull, but a change to...

Mystery of HCI is beginning to unravel.(Home Computing Initiative)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Resellers cautious about getting involved with the Home Computing Initiative (HCI) are finding that the hurdles of frightening paperwork and vendor lethargy are being reduced via the Internet. The HCI Alliance is forecasting sales of up to...

Partners urged to adapt MBS products to add vertical value.
July 4, 2005... Microsoft Business Solutions (MBS) has launched a channel drive to make its products vertically focused in a bid to harness the adaptability of its software platforms. CRM is one area of focus for this push. MBS partners will be supported in...

Research reveals mounting interest in accountancy software packages.
July 4, 2005... Over half a million small UK businesses will buy accountancy software packages in the next 12 months, according to research from Vanson Bourne. A survey sponsored by Australian vendor MYOB, in which 400 small businesses with fewer than 20...

Standard available.(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Channel-led software asset management (SAM) pressure group Investors in Software (IiS) has made the standard available for purchase after its first meeting following the ISO's acceptance of its draft standard. The standard is available with a...

Toshiba gets results.(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... The rebate and promotional schemes Toshiba has introduced in recent months to make its products more attractive to resellers are paying dividends, according to the vendor's head of UK channels, with sales and dealer partnerships up compared to...

Acer UK MD claims service woes are a thing of the past.(Acer International Ltd.'s Paul Cook)
July 11, 2005... The poor service and support resellers experienced as Acer consolidated its repair and call centres were part of "growing pains" according to the UK managing director, but a new facility based in Plymouth is up and running smoothly. The...

Asset management tops agenda.
July 11, 2005... Networking is the latest sector of the IT industry to turn its attentions to the management of technology across a business Networking vendors have been urged to clarify their position on asset management as concerns have grown among...

Azlan aims to cross-sell emerging technologies.(Azlan Group PLC)
July 11, 2005... Azlan has called for greater cross-selling on networking and network-related products after relaunching and rebranding its channel programme. The specialist distributor has looked for a way to bring sales support, training and marketing...

C&W recruits Damovo.(Cable and Wireless PLC)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2005... Cable & Wireless has signed a [pounds sterling]3m framework agreement with Damovo as the systems integrator claimed it was looking for "price leverage" in the commoditised market for voice services. Recruiting Damovo will be considered as...

Computacenter shakes up sales model to cut costs.(Brief Article)
July 11, 2005... Computacenter has finally confirmed a new organisational model for the UK in the wake of its fourth profit warning in seven months, with the intent to reduce its sales costs. The revised structure will see the reseller giant drift away from...

Expand appoints VCOMM in QoS push.(Expand Networks' quality of service)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2005... As application traffic management vendor Expand Networks gears up for a major product update later this month, the company has signed voice specialist distributor VCOMM to widen its channel reach. Expand remains committed to the argument that...

Getronics drops UK LAR status.(Microsoft Corp.'s licensing)
July 11, 2005... Microsoft's UK LAR channel is reducing in size after IT services giant Getronics decided to exit the exclusive volume licensing club to focus on its core activity. The firm will continue as a global Microsoft partner but is encouraging its...

Home Office trials Web site.(Brief Article)
July 11, 2005... Government department tests portal that aims to provide a single point of contact for IT suppliers Channel concerns on public sector IT procurement are having an impact as the Home Office trials a Web site which attempts to make it cheaper...

Home working trend presents IT opportunity.
July 11, 2005... Technology requirements are changing as people opt to work at home Resellers have been urged to cash in on the growing home user market and learn the skills required to add value around single machine sales or risk missing out on a huge...

IBM actions two-tier model for EMEA.(Brief Article)
July 11, 2005... IBM has implemented its new two-tier operating model for EMEA, which sees the geography split into two with a north-eastern Europe region head-quartered in Zurich, and a south-west Europe region based in Madrid. The previous three-tier model of...

Integralis adapts to the market.
July 11, 2005... The security market has changed and is no longer niche, which means increased competition for security experts Security integration giant Integralis has been quietly reshaping in the background, but is ready to come out fighting after...

Microgen strengthens SAP space with R/Base.
July 11, 2005... After losing out to Morse in its bid to acquire Diagonal, software and services reseller Microgen has taken over R/Base for [pounds sterling]1.2m in its drive to build its SAP consultancy business. Microgen would not match Morse's [pounds...

Sun challenges in entry-level workstation space.(Sun Microsystems Inc.'s Sun Ultra 20)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2005... Sun Microsystems will launch an entry-level workstation for the first time in August -- which is 40 per cent cheaper than existing products in the portfolio -- throwing down the gauntlet to rivals Hewlett-Packard and Dell. The AMD Opteron-based...

Vendors recall notebook batteries after reports of problems of overheating.(Apple American Group L.L.C., Fujitsu Siemens Computers)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2005... Apple and Fujitsu Siemens Computers have recalled notebook batteries after incidents of the units overheating. Both manufacturers had statements on their Web sites warning of the issues. Apple received six reports of overheating, while...

Directors advised to qualify forward-looking statements.(London Stock Exchange introduces new statutory requirements)(Brief Article)
July 18, 2005... Quoted channel companies, and those intending to float on the London Stock Exchange (LSE), face new statutory requirements when advising on the future performance of their business. Directors have been advised they need to minimise the risk of...

FSC replaces CCD with Ingram Micro.(Fujitsu Siemens Computers, Computa-center Distribution)(Brief Article)
July 18, 2005... A shake-up of Fujitsu Siemens Computers' (FSC) distribution channel has seen Computa-center Distribution (CCD) replaced with broadline giant Ingram Micro as the vendor tries to bolster sales into the SME market. Ian Snadden, director of SME...

Irregularities hit reseller.(Garingdell)(Brief Article)
July 18, 2005... Administrator's report says 'financial irregularities up to [pounds sterling]200,000' caused difficulties at Garingdell Financial irregularities have emerged as the cause of the downfall of reseller Garingdell, with up to a [pounds...

LAR fees under scrutiny as Microsoft plans restructure.(large account resellers)(Brief Article)
July 18, 2005... Microsoft will restructure the way large account resellers (LARs) are paid from January 2006, and although the overall pot of money remains unchanged, partners will have to provide specific licensing services to maintain current fees. The LAR...

Microsoft emphasises solutions.
July 18, 2005... Search for higher margins outlined at Microsoft's world partner conference in Minneapolis, reports Paul Kunert The issues facing IT users have changed in the 21st century and the channel should think about translating the benefits of...

Morse bullish as results beat forecast.(financial reports)(Brief Article)
July 18, 2005... Following Computacenter's recent revenue and profits woes, listed rival Morse posted higher than expected year-end results and disposed of its business in France for E1m ([pounds sterling]686,260). The results mark a turn-around for Morse,...

MFD revolution.(multifunctional devices)
July 18, 2005... There are many occasions when a market described as booming actually lives up to the hyperbole. This is certainly the case for the multifunctional printer aimed at the SME consumer Since their arrival in recent years, multifunctional...

Software giant courts alternative OS dealers.(operating systems)(Brief Article)
July 18, 2005... Microsoft used its partner conference in Minneapolis last week as a platform to woo resellers of competitive products, which it claimed have expressed an interest in selling its product range. Over 300 non-Microsoft resellers were invited to...

Steljes responds to criticism.
July 18, 2005... Following criticism from dealers, Steljes has defended its latest SMART Board accreditation programme as a means of rewarding proactive resellers The accreditation scheme introduced by the distributor has been criticised by resellers that...

Answerphone message riles creditors of Infiniti Computers.(Brief Article)
July 25, 2005... Distributors and vendors are increasingly facing losses as resellers of all types find life tough in the current economic climate. Last week, Infiniti Computers Ltd, a system builder based in Glasgow, ceased trading and creditors were left a...

Avnet boxes clever for system builders.(Brief Article)
July 25, 2005... Paul kunert paul.kunert@rbi.co.uk Avnet has combined its component and OEM businesses across Europe to assemble whitebox mid-range and high-end servers for system builders, an area the channel has lost interest in, according to the...

Dell opens channel dialogue.
July 25, 2005... Paul kunert paul.kunert@rbi.co.uk After former dismissals of reseller value, direct giant e-mails invites to prospective partners to discuss its strategy Dell is stepping up its engagement with resellers by putting more resources into...

European vendor advantage.(Brief Article)
July 25, 2005... Fast-moving European and Asian vendors can cash in as Sarbanes-Oxley legislation damages the US economy Simon Quicke simon.quicke@rbi.co.uk The ever-tightening noose of regulation imposed on US vendors is handing the advantage to Asian...

Gartner issues price warning.(personal computer market)(Brief Article)
July 25, 2005... Paul kunert paul.kunert@rbi.co.uk Aggressive pricing and promotions helped to fuel growth in the PC market across EMEA in the second quarter, but Gartner has warned that those vendor strategies are not sustainable and could create problems...

IBM profits with focus on software and services.(IBM United Kingdom Ltd.)
July 25, 2005... IBM's move to increase its software and services business is taking shape as the IT giant revealed increased profits despite falling sales. The industry bell-wether sold its PC business to Lenovo for $1.75bn ([pounds sterling]913m) late last...

Integralis undecided.(distribution agreement with Nokia Corp., CheckPOINT)
July 25, 2005... karl Flinders karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk Choice of distributor for security integrator's Check Point and Nokia business "goes to the wire" The distribution destination of Integralis' security business has become clearer, but a major part...

Integrators call for action on intelligent networking.(intelligent infrastructure management)
July 25, 2005... While the networking industry has been keen to push so-called emerging technologies, including voice, security and wireless, key market drivers in the channel have been asset management and network optimisation. And while improving bandwidth...

KMPS aims to bridge gap with enterprise offerings.(Konica Minolta Printing Solutions plans to sell enterprise products)
July 25, 2005... Konica Minolta Printing Solutions (KMPS) is seeking to establish a corporate channel to sell enterprise products which are currently under development, and will also source its sister copier company's document management solutions. Over the...

Logicalis growth on track.(Ian Cook plans for the acquisition activities)
July 25, 2005... Christopher Walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk Systems integrator Logicalis will complete its acquisition activity by the second week in August at the very latest, with its target in the computing space believed to be a Hewlett-Packard...

A class act.(security measures of equipments with new technologies on educational institutions)
July 25, 2005... Report by Jane Dudman As educational establishments spend vast sums of money to equip their classrooms with the latest technologies, so the need for physical security measures and Internet protection increases As the impact of the...

Microgen acquisition strategy continues with consolidation.(Microgen Holdings PLC acquires Lynx Wealth Management Systems)
July 25, 2005... karl flinders karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk Software reseller Microgen has made its ninth acquisition in seven years as the firm recognises the opportunities emanating from a market exiting the doldrums. The latest acquisition sees it extend its...