MicroScope articles from March 2003

MicroScope archives from March 2003

Avnet order change penalises SMEs: competitors claim small dealers will suffer from ACC's [pounds sterling]1,500 minimum purchase level.(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... Rival distributors have claimed that small dealers will feel the pinch of a significant price rise brought into effect by Avnet Applied Computing Components' (ACC) minimum purchase order. The components giant wants dealers to spend at least...

Dell deal with BBC relights fire over channel policy.(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... Dell's direct model has come under fire again after it emerged the BBC was planning to move to the vendor's desktop environment and use the channel to fulfil and service the kit. Industry sources tipped SCC as favourite to pickup the deal...

Police success as chip gang is sent down for 50 years.(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... Police have made a major I breakthrough in the war against robberies in the IT industry, after a gang of nine criminals was sent to prison to serve a combined sentence of more than 50 years. The verdict of the four-month case, which was...

BECTA survey names RM as leading education supplier. (News).
March 4, 2003... Direct sales companies are thriving in the education market; according to a survey of schools and colleges by BECTA, the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency. In a survey of approximately 11,000 schools under 150 local...

VoIP confusion dampens convergence market. (News).(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... The market for voice and data convergence is being held back because of user confusion about voice over IP products. A survey by Inter-Tel revealed that 89 per cent of resellers believed users were unaware of the benefits of convergence....

IBM sets sights on building number of dealers. (News).(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... IBM is set to target Hewlett-Packard channel market share throughout Europe by positioning itself as a viable alternative to HP for resellers. Speaking to MicroScope, Giuseppe Giuliani, vice president for Emea business partners at IBM,...

Does Allasso future lay with or without parent Articon? (News).(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... Allasso's parent company Articon Integralis has dismissed suggestions that it is close to selling off the distributor, but has seemingly left the door open for offers should the right deal materialise. At the same time, the German Neuer...

Sun aims to simplify licensing and admin with Project Orion. (News).(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... Sun Microsystems is to bring all its applications under the Solaris brand and sell them through an annual subscription licence. The vendor hoped the move, codenamed Project Orion, would simplify its product upgrade system through quarterly...

Getronics' board of management steps down over operational disagreement. (News).(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... Pan-European reseller and services specialist Getronics saw its board of management step down after a 'difference of opinion' on how to manage the firm. Getronics is in the process of off-loading [euro]615m ([pounds sterling]410m) of debt...

HP announces best results since merger. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... Hewlett-Packard has reported a 57 per cent increase in revenues to $17.9bn ([pounds sterling]11.9bn) for its first quarter to 31 January 2002. Net earnings rose from $484m to $721m. Chairman and CEO Carly Fiorina said the first quarter was the...

Ideal move for industry veteran Loay Lawrence. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... After spending nearly 15 years at Northamber, industry veteran Loay Lawrence has left his position as marketing director to move to Ideal Hardware. Ian French, president of Bell Microproducts Europe, confirmed Lawrence would head up its HP...

Big Blue reduces headcount. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... IBM has cut as many as 1,000 jobs in its software and services divisions in the US. The cuts are believed to be linked to Big Blue's acquisition of PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting last year and of Rational Software earlier this month.

WTL expansion push sees two new appointments. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... WTL has appointed two senior sales consultants to drive further expansion: Michael Agnew, who has previously worked at KTP, Westland and Swisslog; and Christine Walters, who spent ten years working at Sun Microsystems.

Visma challenges dealers to choose it over rivals. (In Brief).(Visma Software recruiting dealers)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... Visma Software UK has challenged the accountancy reseller community to use its alternative products, in a campaign to recruit dealers. Managing director George Rourke said: "Each reseller invests just one hour of its time, an hour in which it...

Silvon signs tbc. (In Brief).(Silvon Software names tbc as reseller)
March 4, 2003... Silvon Software has appointed tbc Ltd as a reseller. Silvon European managing director Mark Mahara said: "[We] embrace organisations, such as tbc, which have proven experience in working with business users and decision-makers, as well as IT...

Sun ploughs [pounds sterling]38m into Scottish outlet. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... Sun Microsystems has invested $57m ([pounds]38m) in the expansion of its Linlithgow manufacturing facility. The expansion will allow Sun Scotland to produce Sun Fire 15000 servers for Emea markets, and invest in a Remote Monitoring System for...

University web competition for student programmers. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... The computer science department at Queen Mary, University of London, is to launch a Web competition for the UK's aspiring programmers. The winner will have fees and maintenance grants paid for their degree in computer science, plus a fast-track...

Microsoft partners Oranz for Enterprise Reporting. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... Microsoft Business Solutions has appointed services specialist Oranz as a partner to sell its Enterprise Reporting products. Oranz is a UK-based provider of complex financial and business intelligence applications.

Novell announces losses. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... Novell saw net revenues fall six per cent to $260m in the first quarter to 31 January. Net losses were $12m, including an impaired investment charge of $11m, compared with net income of $8m for the same period last year.

Resilience makes UK debut with Harrier Zeuros deal. (In Brief).
March 4, 2003... Integrated high-availability security specialist Resilience Corporation has launched in the UK and will sell through partners such as Harrier Zeuros, Point to Point and Security Partnerships.

Transtec says security is paramount. (News).
March 4, 2003... The threat of war coupled with heightened uncertainty about security is leading to increased levels of user interest in products that protect data. Speaking in London last week, Transtec CEO Dieter Weisshaar said users perceived the...

Glory days not coming back despite IT growth. (News).(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... The European IT market is -- showing signs of recovery following last year's historical low, according to research from the European Information Technology Observatory. The forecaster published its predictions last week, claiming the...

Reseller-centric programme pays off for Oracle. (Software).
March 4, 2003... Oracle has boosted its partner base and channel business through its reseller-centric strategy. The programme has paid off for the giant vendor and its resellers over the past year, according to Oracle president of multi-channel sales,...

Firms warned not to overlook value of anti-virus protection. (Software).
March 4, 2003... Almost half of UK SMEs are leaving themselves open to virus attacks, according to a survey by Sophos. The poll of 4,500 system administrators around the world revealed that 42 per cent of SMEs updated their anti-virus software just once a...

Exchequer Enterprise awarded ICA accreditation. (In Brief).(accreditation comes from the Institute of Chartered Accountants)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... Exchequer Software's Exchequer Enterprise has been accredited by The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) as part of its IT Products Accreditation Scheme. The scheme attempts to minimise the risk of investing in IT...

Key changes at Verity. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... Software vendor Verity has promoted Three of its key. executives. Hugo Sluimer becomes senior vice president, Paul Cook takes the role of vice president and corporate controller, and Grant McCormick becomes the new vice president and chief...

Adobe software to improve data capture processes. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... Adobe Systems has introduced its Form Server and Form Designer software for improving data capture processes across the extended enterprise. The updated software enables businesses and governments to improve data capture processes beyond the...

Star forms Alliance programme. (In Brief).(Star Internet launches new partner program)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... Internet software provider Star Internet has initiated a new partner programme to expand its partnership opportunities. The Alliance programme offers businesses The chance to work alongside Star to develop applications that complement its own...

IBM partners Alcatel for Emea IP product collaboration. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... IBM and Alcatel have signed an agreement to deliver IP-based products and services to enterprise customers across Europe. IBM will build integration capabilities around Alcatel's voice, data and application systems.

Cisco unveils free licensing programme for Aironet. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... Cisco has launched a free licensing agreement to enable interoperability of third-party client adaptors and mobile devices with its Aironet wireless local area network (LAN) infrastructure. The programme, referred to as Cisco Compatible...

Vignette launches Dialog for touch point automation. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... Vignette has released Dialog, an application for building systems that automate and personalise relationships across multiple touch points through selected communications. Interactions are delivered through a variety of touch points in unison,...

Mitel releases IP and PDA docking station. (In Brief).(Mitel Networks introduced combined IP telephone, PDA docking station)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... Mitel Networks has launched a combined IP telephone and PDA docking station in the form of the 5230 IP Appliance, designed to blend the wired and wireless world for the user.

Data service revenues to grow. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... Business data service revenues will continue to enjoy double-digit growth rates this year on the back of demand for broadband access services, according to a report by Analysys. "Demand for these services is driven by a need to provide...

Firms renege on Web software. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... Sixty-one per cent of companies that deployed software for creating and managing Web content have reverted to manual processes for updating their sites, according to Jupiter Research.

Axis releases Ethernet kit. (In Brief).(Axis Communications unveils video accessories array)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... Axis Communications has launched a range of video accessories which enable Axis network video products to receive power and data over a single Ethernet connection. The Power over LAN Midspan and Active Splitter enable network cameras and video...

Procurve reaches for number two spot: Dominic Hall reports on the significant developments at HP's Procurve event in Barcelona. (Networking).
March 4, 2003... Hewlett-Packard's Procurve division has reaffirmed its too per cent commitment to the channel, and claimed a gradual market share expansion push has started to pay off through growth in channel partner numbers. The networking unit; which...

HP must sway Cisco faithful to give Procurve the EDGE. (Comment).(Column)
March 4, 2003... When a global IT vendor is WV prepared to fly journalists from every corner of Europe to an event, in order to hammer home a message about a particular brand or product, you can bet the promotional activities are going to be far from subtle....

Printers to follow copier lead on cost per page. (Hardware).(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... IT dealers need to adopt a copier style approach to selling printers as customers increasingly look to purchase more products based on the cost per page. Resellers selling printers enjoy hardware margins and additional revenues from...

Morse predicts hardware sales will remain static. (Hardware).(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... There is little hope of a pick-up in hardware spending in the foreseeable future, according to Morse UK country manager, David Beresford, as the corporate reseller posted its six-month interim results. Group turnover for the six months to...

Desktops to hold their own against notebooks for quite some time yet. (Hardware).(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... The queue of desktop detractors has been growing since the advent of notebooks years ago, but the point when laptops will become the dominant PC variant is still some time away. According to IDC research for the fourth quarter 2002 Emea,...

Unipalm creates inhouse training division. (Services).
March 4, 2003... Specialist online business and e-security distributor Unipalm has made a "substantial investment in personnel and infrastructure" to sell Check Point software and Nokia training courses to resellers. Head of training Martin Hall told...

Clarity signs Tectonic for DC scheme. (Services).(Clarity Technology to provide bespoke disaster recovery on Sun Microsystems platforms)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... Leicester-based reseller Tectonic is set to partner with value-added distributor Clarity Technology to supply bespoke disaster recovery on Sun Microsystems platforms. The tie-up helps Clarity as it steps up its data continuance (DC)...

Monitor warranties to fall. (Services).(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... The reduced cost and increased reliability of monitors is creating uncertainty in the warranty market, according to specialist consultant Meko. The Surrey-based monitor vendor claimed improved reliability was having a "significant positive...

ICER to test whether dealers are ready for WEEE. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... The Industry Council for Electronic Equipment Recycling (ICER) is to profile how ready UK recyclers are for the implementation of the WEEE directive in 2004. ICER director Claire Snow said all recyclers, including resellers, "need to know what...

EDS paints humble portrait. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... Troubled services giant EDS has told analysts it faces "more risks than opportunities" this year. Chief executive Dick Brown said the company "would need added productivity" to make up for lost revenues and the collapse of potential contracts....

Big Blue adds Alcatel to managed services mix. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... IBM has signed a deal with French telephony giant Alcatel to provide managed services around voice, data and applications products. IBM Global Services Emea manager Frank Kern said Alcatel's technology added to the mix of Big Blue's managed...

Investors trust in Pearson for RM turnaround. (Finance).
March 4, 2003... Direct education specialist RM survived a [pounds sterling]40m drop in turnover and a strategic review during 2002 to maintain its position as the number one supplier of services, software and hardware to schools and universities. A...

One gang, some chips and an Eastern connection? (Analysis).
March 4, 2003... Guns, ram-raids and millions of pounds worth of goods stolen. It sounds like the ingredients for a script of The Bill, or the highlights of a report into the latest drug crime committed by the increasing number of armed gangs. Sadly, all...

Following the stories from start to finish. (Editorial).(Brief Article)(Editorial)
March 4, 2003... THE LAST FEW WEEKS HAVE seen a couple of large stories dominating the front pages of MicroScope and provoking debate in the industry. This week, the latest developments in the Dell selling via the channel saga and the ongoing battle against...

An eye for a lie: Caroline Bassett wonders how we should react to emotive photos we know are likely to have been digitally altered, and asks if blogging is the new news. (Editorial).(Editorial)
March 4, 2003... How do you know that what you see is real? What does objective reporting mean? When we have our truths, they have theirs -- all bodies are counted, but some count more than others. None of the questions about reporting the truth are new, but...

Suffering from congestion? It's the talk of the town. (Comment).(Column)
March 4, 2003... Barry's Beat While things are looking up in some areas, with buoyant sales figures being announced by computer resellers, Barry Young points out that times are hard for electrical retailers, particularly those within the congestion...

The critical moment when choosing a LCD is 16 milliseconds: All you need to know when buying a high performance LCD. Advertising: (Ben Q).
March 4, 2003... What's the current trend in LCD's? In addition, to a more streamlined appearance, greater brightness and contrast, and a broader viewing angle, an LCD's shorter "response time" is increasingly becoming one of the most crucial points to...

Zultys plans major UK assault on Cisco dominance. (Margin Makers - Convergence).(Zultys Technologies launched in UK market recently)
March 4, 2003... Zultys Technologies has set itself an ambitious target, following its launch into the UK last week. The US-based vendor, which was founded in 2001 and launched its MXI 2001 product earlier this year, said it wanted to appoint 25 resellers...

Polycom strengthens push into post-novelty videoconferencing arena. (Margin Makers - Convergence).(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... Conferencing manufacturer Polycom is renewing its UK channel push following the launch of a raft of products. The US and Slough-based vendor is aiming to raise its channel profile through sales of new video systems supporting H.264 quality,...

Wick Hill bolsters specialist stronghold. (Margin Makers - Security).(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... Wick Hill has insisted it will stand firm against broadline distributors entering the security market, as it goes about creating demand for two additions to its product portfolio. Managing director Ian Kilpatrick told MicroScope the...

Sun server one step closer to open standard for data. (Margin Makers - Security).(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... A single log-on server which incorporates a consortium of 150 technology and consumer organisations working towards the establishment of an open standard for a federated network identity has been launched by Sun Microsystems. Deborah Lees,...

SonicWALL wins BT firewall deal for Web hosters. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... SonicWALL has signed a deal to supply BT with products from its range of firewall appliances. The portfolio will form the telecoms giant's entry-level firewall offering to Web hosting customers.

iWay to help government improve IT security. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... iWay Software has launched a series of technology products intended to help government and public sector organisations leverage their disparate systems. The vendor said its 'accelerator solutions' would address fourcommon security issues faced...

Poncy lands top CCC role. (In Brief).(John Poncy is new chief operating officer of CCC Network Systems)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... Secure enterprise-class remote access and network device management specialist CCC Network Systems has appointed former EDS, Nortel and Unisys executive John Poncy as chief operating officer.

Secure updates Smartfilter. (In Brief).(Secure Computing launches SmartFilter 3.2)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... Secure Computing Corporation has unveiled SmartFilter 3.2, the latest release of its Internet access management application. SmartFilter includes expanded Internet coverage through its database of 4m sites. A feature has been added to enable...

Sony adds new tape drive to StorStation range. (In Brief).(Sony Business Europe. Storage Solutions Div.)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... Sony Business Europe's storage solutions division has added the StorStation AITe90-UL tape drive to its portfolio. The drive is a standalone device that is easily connected to Windows and Mac-based notebooks, desktop PCs and workstations.

BakBone survives IBM test. (In Brief).(BakBone Software completes testing, NetVault)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... BakBone Software's NetVault back-up and recovery software has completed interoperability testing, utilising the IBM TotalStorage Proven programme with Big Blue's NAS, Tape, FAStT and Enterprise Storage Server (codename Shark). Under the...

Counting the cost of avoiding data hell. (Margin Makes - Storage).(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... A survey of 570 IT directors across Europe has highlighted business continuity and data availability as the two main concerns driving storage investments, reflecting how costly lost data can be. The study -- part of Hitachi Data Systems'...

X-ray vision and government spending open NHS door to PACSnet. (Margin Makes - Storage).(picture archiving and communications systems national evaluation team)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... The NHS is to recommend a shared, vendor-neutral storage model for picture archiving, following a trial with the Storage Network Industry Association (SNIA). The picture archiving and communications systems national evaluation team...

Notebooks: the new desktops?(Industry Overview)
March 4, 2003... Despite the ongoing struggle the economic climate presents to the IT industry, there is one area which is likely to have a boom time ahead (The Notebook Market) Rob Furber During a time in which the IT industry as a whole has...

Worlds apart: Tech Data and Azlan have turned up the heat on the Broadliner and specialist war. 'This town's too small for the both of us' is the battle-cry. But is it?. (Specialist Versus Broadliner).
March 4, 2003... The twinned 'c' words, consolidation and commoditisation, are combining to bring a fair bit of pressure to bear on the specialist distributors They are finding that thanks to the Tech Data and Azlan deal and the current activities in the...

Sage and time: CPIO believes its specialisation around a single vendor's products and focus on stability will ensure its survival beyond the next decade. (Meet the Reseller).(Company Profile)
March 4, 2003... Although basing its future on a single vendor, CPiO insists it can maintain the level of expertise it requires to survive in the tough economic climate. A goal of "still being around in ten years' time" means the reseller has a lot of faith in...

An independent woman who loves a bit of Art: Amanda Jones, sales director, Interchange Distribution. (5 Minute Interview).(Interview)
March 4, 2003... What have you got in your handbag? It's easier to say what I haven't got in my bag to be honest Today's contents are: car keys, cigarettes, make-up bag, Psion, tissues, purse, phone, perfume -- and I'm sure there are a few fluffy sweets...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
March 4, 2003... Take audit initiative After reading your recent article reporting the positive reaction of large account resellers (LARs) towards Microsoft's plans to audit their businesses (see LARs say Microsoft audit reform is good news, MicroScope, 11...

Agenda.(Calendar)
March 4, 2003... To list events on this page, send an e-mail to lindsey.macdonald-bull@rbi.co.uk MARCH 3-7 March Design Automation and Test in Europe 2003 Messe Munich, Germany www.dateconference.com 5-6 March Softwould...

Soap.
March 4, 2003... Lights can be annoying things. They tend to go out when you Least expect it and now and again can start to flicker and ping on a regular basis, driving everyone near them mad. Those of you facing this problem have a couple of options. ...

Problem Postbag.(the business case for employee training)
March 4, 2003... This week, training expert Julia Jones sets out why training is an important issue for resellers. Why bother with training? You know it really does makes sense. Train and certify your staff to deliver timely, state-of-the-art...

From MicroScope march 1987. (HindSights).(anecdotes)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2003... "I'm not exactly denying that price, but if we do discount in the future, I'd prefer not to say by how much" Osiris managing director Hugh Gwynne-Jones gets all gnomic about pricing. "We have about 15 people here who talk about nothing...

Credit concerns grow over debenture rules: implications of Brumark rulings impacting channel finances.
March 11, 2003... Hard pressed resellers already struggling with the channel credit squeeze are likely to face fresh problems as distributors weigh up the impact of rulings affecting the way they approach customer debentures. Legal rulings originating from...

Third time unlucky for Heathrow chip thieves.
March 11, 2003... Police have "forensic and witness" leads in the latest chip theft attempt at Heathrow airport, in which the criminals failed to escape with approximately [pounds sterling]7m worth of product. The unsuccessful robbery took place on the...

Compel and SCH resume battle stations.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2003... SCH has brought to life a two-year wrangling over payment for Compel services subsidiary Compelsource that was thought to be over, with a final hour demand for claims totalling [pounds sterling]3.1m. SCH wrote to Compel on the final day of...

Dealers challenged to counter user IT fears. (News).(Brief Article)
March 11, 2003... Both sides of the IT buyer and seller relationship need to take a look at how they operate and be more sensitive to each other's needs and requirements, Specialist Computer Holdings chairman and founder Sir Peter Rigby told a gathering of IT...

Shock over robbers working in the channel. (News).(Brief Article)
March 11, 2003... Shocking revelations have come to light that two members of the gang imprisoned for conspiring to sell stolen goods last week were directors of liquidated distributor Silverplus. In Reading Crown Court several weeks ago, Anil Sandal,...

Cartridge stock woes hit Minolta QMS. (News).(Brief Article)
March 11, 2003... A black toner cartridge promotion launched by Minolta QMS appears to have backfired after distributors voiced frustration at having received no stock for the past six weeks. The sales incentive, which started last week and runs to the end...

Acer winds down with Ideal. (News).(Brief Article)
March 11, 2003... Acer is on the verge of parting company with Ideal Hardware after the distributor admitted it was winding down its relationship with the vendor. Mark Walker, enterprise solutions director at Ideal Enterprise Solutions, confirmed the...

Fujitsu dangles finance carrot. (News).(Brief Article)
March 11, 2003... Fujitsu Siemens claims to have addressed the problem of restricted end of year SME budgets by offering its Elite dealers zero per cent finance on sales worth between [pounds sterling]20,000 and [pounds sterling]250,000 before the end of March....

HP and Microsoft throw down gauntlet in SME battle. (News).(Brief Article)
March 11, 2003... The battle between vendors to win the hearts and minds of SMEs escalated last week after Hewlett-Packard welcomed increased competition and Microsoft stated small firms were its "biggest opportunity". David Smith, SMB director at HP UK,...

Flexible Action Pack backed by dealers. (News).(Microsoft)(Brief Article)
March 11, 2003... Microsoft claims to have received the thumbs up from its channel partners for its revamped subscriptions pack. The Action Pack gives partners access to [pounds sterling]16,000 worth of Microsoft products for [pounds sterling]199 and works...

SCO takes IBM to court over Unix damages. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
March 11, 2003... SCO has filed a lawsuit against IBM for misappropriation of trade. secrets, tortuous interference, unfair competition and breach of contract The complaint alleges IBM made concentrated efforts to improperly destroy the economic value of Unix,...