MicroScope articles from March 2004

MicroScope archives from March 2004

SME target practice.(small and medium sized companies)
March 1, 2004... We look at how dedicated vendors are to the SME market and whether their aim is accurate or completely off course Questioning the viability of those vendors which have made a big play (or the semblance of one) for the SMB/SME market over...

Dell revels in services and enterprise success.
March 1, 2004... With typical bravado, Dell has triumphed its enterprise and services strategy while taking a swipe at the utility computing initiatives of rival vendors Hewett-Packard and IBM. Coming off the back of an 18.2 per cent rise in fourth quarter...

Genesis teams up with Vodafone for wireless data push.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Dixons-owned mobile phone service provider Genesis Communications has placed itself at the centre of the growing wireless data market through a tie-up with Vodafone. The company will use its nationwide backbone of 128 PC World and PC World...

SPOT for information at your fingertips.(smart personal object technology)(SPOT watches)
March 1, 2004... Microsoft has targeted the consumer market with a new breed of one-way, radio-based watches, which also have serious potential for business use One of the more interesting products to come out of Microsoft these days is its new SPOT watch....

Sun hands channel services fillip.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Sun Microsystems has vowed to hike services revenue through the channel by 40 per cent and "eliminate" the perception there is competition between resellers and its direct salesforce for services business. The claims came in the week the...

Coming up trumps.
March 1, 2004... y All you Top Trumps lifers out there get your cards out, because the latest rating game -- The Most Hated list -- is a winner. SCO is in top place, but which company is close on its heels? Answers on a postcard please In a moment of...

A look at business costs.(Sun Microsystems-Cost Cutting )
March 1, 2004... Martin Brown, head of financial services at Sun Microsystems, looks at how much cost-cutting is actually costing Financial organisations are looking to technology to give them an edge. They want to add channels and launch new services....

Cometh the hour cometh the changes.(Ian French removed from Bell Microproducts Inc. )(Brief article)
March 1, 2004... Things rarely stay the same, and there has certainly been a fair amount of change in the leadership positions in distribution already this year, what with Ian French following Julian Klein out of top positions at Bell Microproducts and Computer...

Strategic shift for Intel to curtail interest in AMD's server chip.
March 1, 2004... Intel has bowed to industry pressure and will add 64-bit technology to its Xeon server range later this year, as the vendor attempts to curtail the growing interest in AMD's Opteron server chip. The move to introduce 64-bit addressing...

Getronics to shift focus away from product sales.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... With Dell triumphing its services growth, service partner Getronics has moved back into the black. But the Dutch-owned company has also warned that a decline in product revenues was anticipated as it continued to "de-emphasise non-strategic...

Financial sector fortunes help lift Morse half-year revenues.
March 1, 2004... A revival at Morse continues cautiously after the group posted a mild increase in interim turnover but warned that high-volume, product-based deals were returning low margins. Revenues were up slightly at [pounds sterling]187.1m from [pounds...

Concern over NHS plans.
March 1, 2004... Channel fears Microsoft's intention to offer a stripped down version of Office for the health service could set a precedent Resellers have expressed fears that proposed plans by Microsoft to offer the NHS a slimmed down version of its...

Gap in the law aids spammers.
March 1, 2004... UK legislation designed to combat spam is failing to meet the target because most spam originates from outside the EU. The law was introduced in December to combat the growing tide of spam, but research by MessageLabs reveals that 76.4 per cent...

Users in state of confusion about what ILM involves.(Information LifeCycle Management)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Recent warnings from players in the storage industry that the focus on information rather than data management could cause confusion have been backed up by worrying user research. According to the results of a survey carried out by the...

Back-up windows need to be reduced.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Corporate reseller IT Partnerships (ITP), in tandem with its enterprise storage specialist arm Data Partnerships, is to warn its customers they need to either reduce or eliminate their back-up windows. Working in partnership with Computer...

Resellers offered mobility solution.
March 1, 2004... Hugh Symons pulls together seven wireless mobile bundles for SMEs Vendors have tried in the past with limited success, but Hugh Symons believes it has commoditised the wireless mobility market and developed boxed solutions resellers will...

Interface takes advantage of HP special bid problems.
March 1, 2004... Teething problems with Hewlett-Packard's OPG special bid rebate procedures have led to rival vendors and channel partners cashing in on the dissatisfaction among its partner community. Birmingham-based, IBM-focused, distributor Interface...

Time called on reseller chance to have say on WEEE Directive.(Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment)
March 1, 2004... The closure of the consultation period on recycling legislation raises concerns that the channel has not had its say The door has closed on dealers looking to air their views on the forthcoming European recycling legislation, sparking fears...

Cost-cutting and profit enhancement effort pays dividends for Ingram Micro.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Ingram Micro's global cost reduction and profit enhancement programme appears to have paid off after the distributor reported full-year results showing fourth quarter net income of $46.4m ([pounds sterling]24.9m), compared with net losses of...

OFT to examine public sector buying practice.(Office of Fair Trading)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Resellers welcome study into procurement methods and hope findings will lead to action The Office of Fair Trading has promised to look into the effect that current procurement practice in the public sector has on competition and small...

Prices slashed for government year-end.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Activity in the run-up to government year-end is not as frenzied as it used to be, but vendors are still sharpening their pricing strategies and product promotions as the last of the 2003 IT budgets run dry. March used to be an exciting time...

Ingram Micro to help resellers close deals with Authority.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Ingram Micro is looking to help resellers tap into the public sector space through a vendor- sponsored marketing push offering price support and back-up services. The distributor is hoping its Authority programme -- which also offers a...

IBM's 'evolutionary' process will turn resellers towards verticals.
March 1, 2004... IBM has outlined plans to transform its software business strategy to focus on vertical markets, offer a more holistic approach to SME business needs and segment its channel. Big Blue has just begun what it calls its 'evolutionary' process to...

Ingram Micro partnership will open up new CRM market.
March 1, 2004... Ingram Micro has revealed plans to broaden its partner base and revenues through its distribution of Microsoft's CRM product. Microsoft's Business Solutions channel will be united with Ingram's existing channel to sell and offer services...

Specialist-within-broadline model set for thriving future.
March 1, 2004... When Tech Data tabled its $140m ([pounds sterling]74.9m) takeover bid for Azlan last February, things in the European distribution channel changed for good, with the deal essentially calling time on the long-term future of specialised players...

BT to subcontract work for N3 contract.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... BT has promised to subcontract some fulfilment work secured under its [pounds sterling]530m contract to provide and manage a broadband network linking all NHS organisations in the UK. The seven-year N3 contract, which was awarded to BT over...

Calling all VARs.(value added resellers)
March 1, 2004... Consultancy is a challenge that resellers could find rewarding in areas of technology growth where users need advice IT channel companies have been compelled to seek new revenue streams as the market has contracted. The heady days in the...

Fish in my pockets if you like, Ms Pike, but they're empty.
March 8, 2004... David Small, Emea channel manager, Neoteris What have you got in your pockets? A set of keys and my wallet. Who would you most like to have a date with? My wife, and possibly Rosamund Pike if she asked. But only if she asked me nicely....

HCI scheme applicable to SMEs.(Small and Medium-sized Enterprise)(home computing initiative)
March 8, 2004... On the surface, the complexities of the home computing initiative (HCI) appear to make it unworkable for SMEs and commercially unviable for dealers selling into that space, but most vendors believe the scheme has relevance to all. The HCI has...

Intel takes on three partners to cut into growing blade arena.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2004... The demand for denser, higher-powered servers is not being fulfilled by the top-tier brands, according to Intel, so the chip giant has handed three UK OEMs blade server building blocks. The deal will see Hammer, Microtronica and Compusys...

Range refresh aims to raise Lexmark position in colour laser printer market.(Lexmark International Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 8, 2004... With real volumes being generated in the colour laser market at the entry level, Lexmark is looking to shore up its low-end range with products that will be introduced next quarter. Gartner Dataquest results for 2003 showed 85 per cent...

Industry emphasis is now on price savings.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2004... The days of heady enterprise spending appear to have vanished, with growth expec-tations predicted by a leading figure in the industry hovering around zero to five per cent for this year. Mike Norris, CEO of Computacenter, told IT investors at...

Unix growth the target for Big Blue.
March 8, 2004... Christopher Walton reports from IBM's PartnerWorld conference in Las Vegas on its strategy to grow its Unix platforms IBM will look to grow its Unix platforms throughout Europe during 2004 as it pushes for $7.9bn ([pounds sterling]4.3bn) in...

The ultimate triumph.
March 8, 2004... y Inspiring passion for the company line is one thing, but so-called vendor evangelists turning the spin on their bosses is quite another, as two particularly discomfited vendors are finding out Technology arouses passions that are almost...

Changes the channel is able to bank on.(Brief article)
March 8, 2004... One of the roles of a magazine devoted to covering one specific market is to speak up for the industry it watches, week in and week out, when it is targeted by criminals and unfair practices. Over the last year, MicroScope has been determined...

In brief.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2004... SME-focused products released by Trend Micro Trend Micro has launched a series of products aimed at the SME arena. The vendor is launching a reseller incentive scheme around InterScan Virus Wall for SMB, Client Server Messaging Security Suite...

In brief.
March 8, 2004... Citrix completes acquisition of Expercity Citrix has completed the acquisition of privately held Expercity, the Web-based access services provider. The combined business will help accelerate the vendor's growth in the access infrastructure...

Storage future.(information storage and retrieval systems )
March 8, 2004... That data will continue to grow is irrefutable and the pressure is on to come up with a management solution Predicting the future for any type of technology is hazardous, but in the world of storage it is made slightly easier because any...

Giving it away.(advertisements through computers)
March 8, 2004... Anxious to win new customers at any price, IT and telecoms companies are giving away personal computers and laptops Over the last couple of years many things have been tried to get people to buy IT equipment, ranging from leasing...

In brief.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2004... Bintec appoints Spot to handle X-Generation routers IP Network access solution group Bintec has expanded its channel through the appointment of Spot Distribution to handle its range of X-Generation multi-protocol routers. Spot has 800 active...

Monitor growth hit by panel shortages in 2003.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2004... European shipments of CRT and LCD monitors grew marginally in 2003, weighed down by the supply constraints that hit the vast majority of vendors. The European sector grew by one per cent last year, according to Meko analyst Pete Gamby, with...

Azlan shows voice commitment with services partnership.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2004... Azlan is looking to build on its entry into the Alcatel market through a services partnership with telecoms-focused services group Redbridge. The company, which recently signed a deal to distribute Alcatel's range of voice products, is to use...

Tender pilot rewards dealer.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2004... Resellers targeting public sector IT supply deals worth under [pounds sterling]100,000 are to be given a fillip after the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) said it was running two pilot schemes designed to simplify complicated bidding...

Trend Micro provokes broad vs niche debate.(Trend Micro Inc. (Tokyo, Japan))(Brief Article)
March 8, 2004... Trend Micro has warned small niche vendors they will not have a future in the security channel because broadliners will consume them. The antivirus vendor has sparked a discussion over broad versus niche in the security sector by claiming...

ACAL to deliver SAN for Adaptec.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2004... Adaptec is trying to make iSCSI SAN available to the SME market through a distribution agreement with ACAL. The vendor has signed ACAL to distribute its range of TCP/IP Offload Engines and iSCSI host bus adaptor products in Emea. Russ Johnson,...

Education still a big issue for wireless security.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2004... Resellers have been urged to continue user education around wireless security, despite the relaxation in customer fears about using Wi-Fi hot spots. Vendors selling wireless cards and routers have pointed to the robustness of the WPA encryption...

Customers wake up to the need for compliance.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2004... The increase in the legislative pressure on businesses to store their information is causing a rise in the demand for 'write once read many' (WORM) storage products. Following the introduction of European-wide legislation and high-profile...

Reports over the death of the desktop appear exaggerated.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2004... Reports of the victory of the laptop at the expense of the desktop have been exaggerated, according to research and anecdotal evidence from the channel. The widespread view that mobile computers are far outselling desktop units has been...

FH Computer Systems buy gives Hewlett-Packard asset service stake.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2004... Hewlett-Packard has acquired UK services company FH Computer Services for an undisclosed sum in a deal that gives the vendor access to a software licence management service. The vendor plans to sell the asset management tool direct to...

Channel crisis behind IBM moves to embrace resellers and users.
March 8, 2004... Christopher Walton glimpses the future as IBM sees it at the vendor's PartnerWorld conference in Las Vegas IBM CEO and chairman Sam Palmisano outlined his vision for the future of Big Blue's channel, claiming it had taken a "crisis" in the...

ISVs to benefit as Big Blue funds $1bn development.(Independent Software Vendor)(Brief Article)
March 8, 2004... IBM announces plans to invest globally in software applications for vertical industries The independent software vendor (ISV) community was the biggest winner at IBM's PartnerWorld 2004 conference in Las Vegas last week, as Big Blue...

In-house IT teams push out independents.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2004... In-house IT departments have become public enemy number one for the independent software vendor (ISV) community as many businesses turn to their own software engineers to develop systems to accommodate tight budgets. Some ISVs have reported an...

Westcon confirms plans for US flotation.(Westcon Group Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 8, 2004... Westcon has formalised its plans for a US flotation after filing registration documents with the Securities Exchange Commission. Last month, MicroScope exclusively revealed the networking and telecoms distribution group had released a...

NetScreen severs ties with e92plus after five-year run.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2004... Firewall vendor NetScreen has terminated its distribution agreement with distributor e92plus after five years. e92plus managing director Mukesh Gupta said parting with NetScreen left it free to pursue agreements with other suppliers in the...

Partners welcome changes to Microsoft programme.
March 8, 2004... Microsoft has revealed that it expects to lose some partners over its revamped partner programme, which raises the bar on certification. Despite the changes, many partners have welcomed the move, which they believe will finally reward those who...

3Com scrambles grey cops.
March 8, 2004... 3Com has pledged to maintain focus on the SME market and channel as it looks to drive more business from the enterprise market following its tie-up with Chinese manufacturer Huawei. At the same time, the vendor has also laid down the law to...

In brief.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2004... TDK launches 72GB cartridge TDK has launched the DAT 72 cartridge which is capable of backing up 72GB. It is designed to deal with the increased volume of data that businesses need to back up. Maxxan launches virtual tape library...

In brief.
March 8, 2004... Virus attacks and denial of services affect 50% of UK firms Around half of UK businesses suffered from virus infection or denial of services attacks over the past year, according to a DTI survey. This has risen from 41 per cent in 2002....

Life in the.
March 15, 2004... old dog yet The CRM and ERP markets have been through the wars since 2000, but analysts are predicting a market turnaround. We chart this fragile market Few markets have suffered as much bad press in recent years as customer...

Storage with a touch of spice.(Book Review)
March 15, 2004... Chris Bidmead reviews Brian Arnott's first novel Hard Drive, which while based in the world of storage in no way reflects the industry's run-of-the-mill nature, what with its trail of murder and a few sexual encounters thrown in for good...

An unfortunate tale of much beer and ripped trousers.(Interview)
March 15, 2004... Piers Carey, vice-president of sales, Teneo What have you got in your pockets? A stopwatch to tell me when your five minutes are up! Apart from that -- nothing. Having stuff in your pockets ruins the cut of your trousers. Who would...

The channel lives to fight another day.(Brief Article)
March 15, 2004... After a slow start to the year, the temptation is to throw the baby out with the bath water and raise questions about the value of the channel. But before anyone gets too carried away, it would be a good idea to hear what the vendors think...

Value proposition.(reseller market forecasted)
March 15, 2004... As the curtain begins to close on the first quarter of 2004, MicroScope takes the pulse of UK country managers at all the leading vendors to find out what they see as the main challenges resellers will face over the rest of a year that should...

Your vendor needs you.
March 15, 2004... In an exclusive survey of UK vendor country managers carried out by MicroScope, the channel has received overwhelming backing from manufacturers. But resellers have been warned they face a number of challenges and need to adapt if they are to...

Desperate measures.(Microsoft's marketing and ethics)(Church of England setting up i-church, an Internet parish)
March 15, 2004... The phrase 'If you can't beat 'em join 'em' is perfect for describing the public relations exercises of two of the leading influences today -- Microsoft and The Church of England. The devil, as they say, is in the detail It's not often we...

news In brief.(Zulty's ships MXgroup software)(Azzurri to sell entire Mitel line)(Samsung introduces Wi<2011>Fi )(Brief Article)
March 15, 2004... Zultys links sites with IP Zultys Technologies has shipped MXgroup software which allows multiple site capabilities over IP. The technology enables separate sites to be treated as a seamless entity, enabling telephony, video, fax, voice, mail,...

Enterasys loses Northern European sales director.
March 15, 2004... Enterasys' move to a more channel-focused sales model has led to the resignation of another European director -- Northern European sales director Kevin Roberts. The latest departure comes just months after the company made 116 staff...

Phoenix snaps up Trend Network Services arm.(Phoenix IT Services)(Trend Network Services)(Brief Article)
March 15, 2004... UK listed semiconductor specialist Telemetrix has sold its networking services-focused Trend Network Services business to Phoenix IT in a deal worth [pounds sterling]22m. The acquisition, conditional on shareholder approval, will give support...

Resellers are cautious about plans for Apple flagship store.(Apple Computer Inc.)
March 15, 2004... The Apple retail store concept, which has proliferated in the US, will be applied to the UK for the first time later this year, with a massive flagship outlet earmarked for Regent Street in time for Christmas. There are 75 Apple stores across...

Deal between NPfIT and EDS ends.(National Programme for IT)(Brief Article)
March 15, 2004... EDS is to seek compensation after the National Programme for IT (NPfIT) terminated its e-mail and directory services contract with effect from 1 March. The contract had originally been signed in September 2002 for [pounds sterling]90m, but...

Managed services for desktops still a growth area for resellers.(Brief Article)
March 15, 2004... Managed services of desktops has been highlighted as a growth area for enterprise-facing resellers, with the prediction that it will continue to deliver healthy expansion against a backdrop of low general increases in hardware spending....

Pre-tax profits up for ICM.(ICM Computer Group)
March 15, 2004... Leeds-based business continuity specialist ICM saw a 25 per cent drop in project-based infrastructure sales in the first six months of its financial year, after turnover dipped to [pounds sterling]36.3m. Despite a six per cent drop in revenues,...

Voice margins not so rosy for data dealers.(Brief article)
March 15, 2004... Resellers hoping to gain easy margins by selling voice services have been warned that there could be some qualifications against the promised high margins that produced much lower profit levels for data specialists. Over the past year, the...

Revenue growth for Unipalm and Harrier.(Unipalm Group PLC)(Harrier Inc.)
March 15, 2004... Two large security channel players -- distributor Unipalm and reseller Harrier -- have turned in positive year end results underlining ongoing growth in the sector. Unipalm's German-listed parent Computerlinks, in which UK-listed Fayrewood...

BTIC incentive scheme attracts data resellers.(BT Indirect Channels)(Brief Article)
March 15, 2004... BT Indirect Channels' push into the traditional reseller heartlands appears to have picked up pace after the group's managing director revealed it now had 550 data-focused resellers on board. Chris Jagusz, general manager at BTIC, said a...

Trend incentive scheme will aid resellers in SME sector.(Brief Article)
March 15, 2004... Trend Micro has launched a reseller incentive scheme following the release of its SME products. Phil Watts, channel director at Trend Micro, said the 'going for gold' scheme would encourage resellers to sell the vendor's SME security...

IBM advocates cross-brand selling.
March 15, 2004... IBM will push its server and storage sales, after rival EMC bounced back with fourth quarter channel growth in Europe, as it places its storage platforms at the forefront of its on-demand strategy. Speaking exclusively to MicroScope, Steve...

Maxtor gets off to a slow start with grey campaign.(Brief Article)
March 15, 2004... Maxtor's efforts to stop distributors from exploiting price protection or the rebate structure and to cut down on grey appears to have got off to a slow start. The hard disk drive manufacturer began its campaign, which includes warehouse spot...

BTIC seeks additional partners.(BT Indirect Channels)(Brief Article)
March 15, 2004... BT's Indirect Channels division is to expand the number of third-party vendors it works with and will act as a sales and marketing engine in driving product through to its base of resellers. Under a complex existing agreement, BT currently...

Level of CNP crime expected to grow.(Cardholder not present)
March 15, 2004... Cardholder not present (CNP) scams have become the most prevalent type of fraud in the UK and will only worsen after the implementation of chip and PIN technology later this year, according to business experts. In the same week MicroScope...

In brief.(Brief Article)
March 15, 2004... Sheridan to head up HP Services UK and Ireland Gerry Sheridan has been appointed as head of Hewlett-Packard Services UK and Ireland. He replaces Jim Kent, who left the company in December 2003. Previously director of international client...

$1bn ISV investment met with enthusiasm.(Independent software vendors )(Brief Article)
March 15, 2004... Independent software vendors (ISVs) have responded favourably to IBM's $1bn ([pounds sterling]553m) investment in its channel, claiming that an alliance with Big Blue to develop applications would not mean placing all their eggs in one basket....

Wylie expands empire with Orlando buy.( Orlando IT )(Brief Article)
March 15, 2004... Graham Wylie has added Orlando IT to his rapidly growing North-East reseller empire and has hinted at further acquisitions this year. Technology Services Group (TSG), the latest business venture of the Sage founder, has acquired...

Government urged to extend tax breaks.(Brief Article)
March 15, 2004... Industry association Intellect is calling on the government to extend tax breaks on R&D to prevent the function being moved offshore. While there is currently a tax incentive of 7.5 per cent, Tom Wills-Sanford, director of campaigns at...