MicroScope articles from March 2007

MicroScope archives from March 2007

09 Tech Traders.(Webroot Software Inc.)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... The price is right When it come to antivirus protection, the products capable of making a home PC safe are not exactly going to stretch most people's budget. It is hard, therefore, to understand why more computer users don't bother with...

12 Soap.(fiddling expenses survey)(top ten books reveiled on World Book Day)(pay for food from mobile phones)
March 5, 2007... www.weirdworld this week learns that fiddling expenses can be a creative business, that receptionists are important judges of brand and wonders when we can start phoning up a burger or two Fiddle me a suit It's a temptation that...

Analyst warns of green hype.(08 Storage)
March 5, 2007... Vendors will talk up their green credentials in 2007 according to IDC but the analyst has warned resellers to view some of the claims cynically or risk embarrassment in front of customers. One of the European Storage Predictions for 2007,...

Network Appliance doubles sales staff.(08 Storage)
March 5, 2007... Network Appliance is looking to double staff numbers in the UK channel sales teams to "hit the ground running" when its new financial year starts in May. The vendor recently posted revenues of $729.3m for the third fiscal quarter 2007, a...

Rise and fall.(10 Features)
March 5, 2007... An ever-increasing number of business failures in the IT industry is leading to the emergence of a greater number of phoenix companies - some can be trusted, while others cannot Jane Dudman reports Most resellers are entrepreneurial...

01 News.(Information technology services industry financial results)
March 5, 2007... Margin pressure continues for systems integrators and distributors The channel spewed out results last week with only Compel providing any joy while systems integrators and distributors continued to see margin and revenue pressure. ...

Resellers urged to negotiate WEEE duties.(01 News)(Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive )(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... Resellers need to negotiate with distributors to ascertain whether they will assume responsibility for recycling under the forthcoming WEEE Directive due to come into effect by July. The Government last week released directive guidelines...

Agenda.(13 Back Pages)
March 5, 2007... March 6 March Oracle Technology Day City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester Web: www.oracle-events.co.uk/tech/ Email: tech@oracle-events.co.uk Tel: 020 7349 1173 6 March Crane Telecommunications roadshow ...

12 Soap.(interview)(Interview)
March 5, 2007... What is your most elusive goal? To go on holiday and not surrender to the urge to check voicemail for urgent messages. If anything needs my attention, I'd rather know about it straightaway than return to the office and find that a quick...

01 News.
March 5, 2007... News in brief Samsung cranks up graphics data transfer Samsung Electronics claims to have increased the data transfer rate of its GDDR4 (series four of graphic double-data-rate memory) by two thirds. The unit processes video images in...

03 Networking.
March 5, 2007... News in brief D-Link offers web defence for SMEs D-Link has launched a VPN firewall, targeted at users of 50 seats or less, under the NetDefend brand. The product will incorporate content filtering, user authentication and denial of...

04 Hardware.
March 5, 2007... AMD's charm offensive AMD is banking on a range of initiatives around inventory management, rebates and marketing to reinstate confidence among channel customers following a torrid fourth quarter dogged by product shortages. As...

Distributor delivers low-cost marketing.(07 Security)
March 5, 2007... Security distributor e92plus has launched a service to support its resellers' business development activities. The online system, known as GEOplus, has been in development since September and is initially being rolled out to a small group of...

A growing world of opportunity.(09 Tech Traders)
March 5, 2007... Component market trends According to IDC, the worldwide PC market has grown overall, with 2006 third quarter results showing a 9.1 per cent increase. Once you take the poor performing US market out of the equation, this makes for promising...

02 Software.
March 5, 2007... Trustmarque makes Deloitte list due to fast profit growth Microsoft LAR Trustmarque Solutions has been recognised by Deloitte as having one of the fastest growing profits of all private equity-backed companies in the UK. Technology...

SaaS demand to multiply.(02 Software)
March 5, 2007... Software as a service (SaaS) has been steadily gaining momentum as involvement in the sector offers channel players numerous benefits, as well as presenting many challenges. Delivering software as a hosted service is becoming the preferred...

Software AG sees value of partners.(02 Software)
March 5, 2007... Just weeks after freshening up its brand and revealing plans to double its revenues from service-oriented architecture (SOA), Software AG has revealed intentions to work more closely with partners. Historically, Software AG has been known...

Expand recruits to grow.(03 Networking)
March 5, 2007... WAN optimisation vendor Expand Networks has appointed a sales director exclusively for the UK and Ireland with a remit to educate the market, recruit more resellers and invigorate the internal sales mechanisms. Robert Drew, a channel...

ConSentry seeks to take NAC mainstream with Alcatel-Lucent.(03 Networking)
March 5, 2007... LAN security switch vendor ConSentry has signed an OEM agreement with Alcatel-Lucent under which the communications giant will sell products under its OmniAccess SafeGuard brand. The deal marks a significant coup for ConSentry, which took...

Billing management has commercial appeal.(01 News)
March 5, 2007... Cisco-only IP applications developer Arc Solutions is encouraging its partner base of gold-level resellers to add call reporting and billing to their sales mix. Despite admitting the prospect of reselling billing services could appear "a...

Match making.(18 Interview)(Interview)
March 5, 2007... Big Blue has identified the SME arena as an area that presents a big opportunity for the vendor. Simon Pendlebury, vice-president of its Business Partner Organisation in the UK, Ireland and South Africa, tells Roanna Avison its partners,...

Successful bid for NOXS boosts Westcon's security footprint.(01 News)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... Westcon has managed to win the race for NOXS, acquiring the business for more than E50m. As exclusively revealed by this magazine, Westcon put in a bid for NOXS after a period of exclusivity ran out in the discussions between the...

Graphics raise a gasp.(09 Tech Traders)
March 5, 2007... One of the most annoying things about the adverts for a certain well-known computer retailer is that they focus on price, HDD capacity and brand but skip over the question of graphics. As a result, a number of people must have bought one...

MP calls for end to asset stripping.(01 News)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... A senior government minister has called for private equity organisations to be prevented from asset stripping, something that frequently occurs in the UK IT channel. In an interview with the BBC, Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain...

01 News.
March 5, 2007... Big spender Oracle has splashed out $3.3bn on its purchase of Hyperion Solutions to put itself in a strong position in the enterprise management performance market. Energy put into IBM Computer 2000 is to "re-energise" its sales...

New look for Morse in switch to consultancy.(01 News)
March 5, 2007... Morse's transformation from reseller to consultancy moved ahead with a rebranding exercise that masked drops in revenues as the search for more profitable business became more discernible. The rebranding ditches the red logo in favour of a...

Stock is stacking up.(01 News)
March 5, 2007... Vendors are encouraging distributors to hold excessively high levels of inventory Distributors are being put under pressure by vendors keen to find outlets for PCs and there are early indications that a price war is about to break out...

Dumped distributors disgusted by IronPort's actions.(01 News)
March 5, 2007... IronPort's decision to dump distributors Sphinx and DNS has been identified as a knee-jerk reaction resulting from its imminent integration with Cisco, which signed an agreement to acquire the security vendor last year. Distributors were...

Novell's channel chief vows to make changes.(01 News)
March 5, 2007... Partners increasingly confused with the vendor's channel strategy Novell's latest channel head has his work cut out and must act swiftly to stem an increasing tide of uncertainties about its indirect strategy, but he promises change. ...

Fighting off infections.(09 Tech Traders)(Webroot Software Inc.'s Spy Sweeper )(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... Getting a dose of spyware or a virus can cripple productivity as well as exposing the business network to potential threats. One contact was recently detailing his experience after being hit by a double whammy of spyware and a virus (in...

Big names increase pressure on resellers.(01 News)
March 5, 2007... Microsoft's dominance in the office productivity space is being attacked from all angles but the channel could be the big loser if companies such as Google and Tesco take big chunks of the market. Google launched its Apps Premier Edition...

01 News.
March 5, 2007... Marmonti assumes European post at Dell Dell has appointed David Marmonti as its European president, replacing Paul Bell, who has been recalled to the US to help stabilise the direct-selling giant's business. Lenovo recalls batteries...

Juniper to simplify joint channels.(01 News)
March 5, 2007... Juniper Networks has indicated that its UK supply chain will have greater cross-over with its strategic alliance partners, including Avaya and Symantec, as it looks to engage with a broader channel base. The routing and security vendor has...

08 Storage.
March 5, 2007... Adaptec has signed Bell Micro as a distributor to help it address the data protection needs of the UK's closed circuit television (CCTV) market. Bell Micro will use Adaptec's family of Serial ATA (SATA) II RAID controllers for many of the...

Tenders.(13 Back Pages)
March 5, 2007... 28708, Tender Invitation UK-Newport: computer equipment Supply of PCs and laptops for corporate use. 28717, Tender Invitation UK-Liverpool: personal computers Supply of up to 300 Pentium 4 PCs and 100 monitors. 28723,...

A strong beginning but now momentum is vital.(01 News)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... The advent of spring-like temperatures and lighter evenings certainly make life a bit more enjoyable. But it appears that the channel does not have to rely on the weather to put a smile back on their faces. According to figures for UK...

12 Soap.(www.weirdworld)
March 12, 2007... www.weirdworld this week finds itself on the non-receiving end of a conference call, pokes fun at a cloaked character, and hears of cats and dogs halting hackers, while looking forward to missing CeBIT Cheerio One of 'Scope's finest...

Five Minute Interview.(12 Soap)(Samantha Gurr)(Interview)
March 12, 2007... Samantha Gurr, technical support director for Trend Micro, takes the hot seat this week as MicroScope directs some probing questions at her What is the best/worst advice you have received and from whom? The best advice was from my Dad,...

Agenda.(13 Back Pages)
March 12, 2007... March 12-13 March UK Technology Innovation & Growth Conference 2007 Park Lane Hilton London Web: www.euro-techforum.com Email: sarah@euro-techforum.com 19-21 March Healthcare Computing 2007 Harrogate,...

Security requirements set to step up a gear.(07 Security)
March 12, 2007... This year will be a busy one for security resellers as a result of legislative pressures on businesses and the focus on Microsoft Vista vulnerabilities by malicious code writers. This combination will put new security technologies at the...

Are you vertically challenged?(10 Features)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... Darren Lewitt, divisional director at Midwich Limited, emphasises the value of distribution Establishing your business in a vertical market can be a challenge. Each vertical demands specialist skills and experience this is why they are...

Tenders.(13 Back Pages)
March 12, 2007... 32553, Tender Invitation UK-Liverpool: personal computers Supply of desktop and laptop PC equipment. 41478, Tender Invitation UK-Nottingham: computer hardware Provision of desktop publishing workstations. 48946,...

10 Features.(MicroScope Awards for Channel Excellence)
March 12, 2007... With the MicroScope Awards for Channel Excellence looming, the penultimate stage in the process to decide the winners has been completed and the shortlist announced. Hardware reseller of the year Equanet Starting with...

Inside OutMore than keeping up with the Joneses.(15 Columns)
March 12, 2007... Declan Grogan In the past, we talked of the paperless office and how IT would reduce paperwork and smooth the business flow, yet judging from the strength of the print and consumables business this was clearly a myth. It all seemed so...

Seeking sturdy access for the third billion.(improved handheld mobile search capability needed)(Column)
March 12, 2007... Outside In I've just returned from 3GSM in Barcelona, this year managing not to get my pocket picked. As a regular at the conference, each year it is interesting to see dominant themes emerging for the year. The past couple of years it...

Protection is just an illusion.(15 Columns)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Chris Bidmead Opinion Faced with having to defend a massive flaw in RFID security, a leading US manufacturer is dodging the issue by hiding behind its patents I have a piece of software on one of my machines that purports to...

01 News.(notbook distribution trends)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... Higher ASPs benefit distribution revenues The start of the year was not as bad as some distributors had feared, with revenues benefiting from higher average selling prices across notebooks, servers and desktops. The impact of...

01 News.
March 12, 2007... Ready, steady, comply IT consultancy RussellJack Technology has confirmed that compliance is now having an impact on most IT departments, according to a survey of 1,000 companies. The 80 per cent of companies not yet facing compliance...

Sun probes web trader.(01 News)
March 12, 2007... 'Suspicious' links with Amtec Computer Corporation prompt vendor to investigate Sun Microsystems has launched an investigation into the activities of an online trader in refurbished equipment after MicroScope unearthed suspected links to...

01 News.(Computacenter PLC acquires Cable & Wireless Co.)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... BREAKING NEWS Computacenter has emerged as the favourite to buy Cable & Wireless' systems integration division Allnet as the service provider continues to divest its none-core interests. A source close to the deal said a link between...

01 News.(Canon Inc. revamps partner programme )(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... Canon appeals to users as partner programme gets revamp Canon will market the benefits of buying from resellers to user organisations this year when a revamped partner programme being piloted with a small band of UK dealers goes live in the...

07 Security.
March 12, 2007... A combination of legislative pressure and a focus on Microsoft Vista vulnerabilities by malicious code writers is set to put security technologies at the top of corporate shopping lists. The experience of US companies with legislation is...

08 Storage.(protecting against stolen data from disposed computer equipment)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... The Government published WEEE guidance notes last month but no reference was made to data protection as the legislation focuses narrowly on recycling. The Department for Trade and Industry (DTI) said businesses could use professionals to...

09 Tech Traders.(data management policies forecasted)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... 'Information overload' is a much-quoted phrase beloved of storage resellers hoping to inspire a sale but the outlook for data growth looks set to dwarf current problems. According to EMC-sponsored IDC research, looking into the size of the...

Tech Data exceeds expectations.(01 News)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... A week after rival broadliners accused Computer 2000 of "giving away kit" - a charge it has rigorously denied - parent company Tech Data has pointed to productivity improvements in its European organisation as a reason for increased sales in...

HP prepares partners for WEEE rules.(01 News)
March 12, 2007... With the introduction of the WEEE directive just a few months away, Hewlett-Packard is stepping in to ensure its channel partners are ready for the impact of the legislation. From 1 July the law will change, shifting responsibility for...

Peak PC performance.(09 Tech Traders)(Diskeeper 2007)
March 12, 2007... There are several things that happen with a PC that rarely get noticed by users because they go on in the background. When it does finally have an impact is when things have slowed down so much that using a desktop becomes frustrating. One...

Laptop bags celebrate functionality.(09 Tech Traders)
March 12, 2007... There has been a movement in the design studios that dream up what laptop bags will look like to mimic courier bags and move away from the traditional design. That might be a good idea for the student and young professional market but for...

2e2 makes [pounds sterling]53m bid to purchase Compel.(01 News)(Compel Group PLC)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... Deal will make systems integrator the UK's largest Oracle consultancy Systems integrator 2e2 has made an offer of [pounds sterling]52.9m for Compel which, if successful, would create a [pounds sterling]200m a year powerhouse with skills in...

MessageLabs exploits unrest.(01 News)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... Managed security vendor MessageLabs is hoping to almost double its SME channel as demand grows and its competitor's resellers become uncertain about the future. With doubts over the future of rival BlackSpider following its acquisition by...

Cisco widens SME communications portfolio.(01 News)
March 12, 2007... Following on from Cisco's "most important launch since 2000" (see MicroScope, 13 March 2006) when its IP and communications divisions were rebranded under the unified communications banner, the vendor has introduced a wider SME product set...

Exiting PlusNet chiefs may sue.(01 News)(Lee Strafford and Neil Comer leave PlusNet)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... The directors of PlusNet have left the company acquired by BT for [pounds sterling]67m in October last year under a cloud after reports claimed their CEO and CFO were mounting legal action against the dismissal. In a statement, BT would...

Image library cracks down on copyright infringement.(01 News)
March 12, 2007... Image library Corbis is taking infringements of its copyright on the web more seriously and many small businesses and web developers, unaware of any wrongdoing, are being invoiced and even threatened with legal action. Corbis' collection...

Alcatel-Lucent defends distributor.(03 Networking)
March 12, 2007... Watching your existing distribution partners walk away as you appoint a distributor untested in your market is a unique way to begin life as an [euro]18bn ([pounds sterling]12.2bn) a year vendor which has had its market share challenges in the...

Saga of exploding laptop batteries continues.(01 News)
March 12, 2007... Lenovo is voluntarily recalling 205,000 nine-cell lithium-ion batteries manufactured by Sanyo for ThinkPad notebooks which it said could overheat if damaged, "posing a potential safety hazard". The battery packs were sold with mobile PCs or...

Reforms put heat on Dell.(01 News)
March 12, 2007... Growth and margins will be under significant pressure at Dell 2.0 as the CEO oversees the transformation of the business to reduce bureaucracy and speed its time to market. The extent of Dell's problems became apparent when it posted...

Second-hand market shows mixed fortunes.(network hardware)
March 12, 2007... Despite market pressure, business is strong for one used kit broker The second-hand market has come under a lot of pressure over the past few months, with many resellers questioning the value of being involved in the sale of used equipment....

Vinyl-to-digital conversion made easy.(09 Tech Traders)(Xitel Inport Deluxe)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... After a while working in the IT market you start to identify the signs of a market opportunity with the arrival of various products a key sign something is going on. A couple of issues ago, Tech Trader included a review of a piece of...

Channel lacks licensing skills.(02 Software)
March 12, 2007... Resellers and vendors face challenges as software is becoming an increasingly complex sell due to different methods of licensing, while tight IT budgets can make copying applications for use within a company common practice. This picture...

Nortel to revive enterprise fortunes and build on Microsoft alliance.(03 Networking)
March 12, 2007... Nortel held its PartnerForum in Lisbon last month with promises to partners that it would re-invigorate its channel enterprise business and capitalise on its Microsoft alliance. After spending the past 18 months building up its SMB...

Unified communications targeted by Damovo.(03 Networking)(Apax AG)
March 12, 2007... This Christmas was a less than festive period for systems integrator Damovo, as it entered the New Year with fresh financial backers after a debt-for-equity swap severed ties with long term backer Apax. Bondholders effectively bought out...

A informed sale.(10 Features)(marketing information technology appropriately)
March 12, 2007... Simon Quicke provides an overview of the various vertical market sectors and looks at the approach required to build fulfilling relationships with these businesses Vertical markets have always been viewed by the channel as areas that offer...

Chip and PIN's win at the till is no victory.(05 Editorial)
March 19, 2007... What we all expected to happen ever since those Chip and PIN readers started popping up in shops last year has been supported by the latest fraud figures and sure enough, chip and pin has pushed the problem away from retailers but only online....

12 Soap.(funeral online)(Mayflex Premiership Fantasy Football)
March 19, 2007... www.weirdworld this week discovers that CeBIT is all about mobile, that a loved one's funeral can be enjoyed online, and gets excited about the final run-in of Merlin Mayflex and Dadas in the 'real' league Virtual alternative It is...

Channel to the rescue.(01 News)
March 19, 2007... The NPfIT seeks the help of smaller suppliers to fulfil the IT needs of NHS trusts Delays being experienced by the NHS National Programme for IT (NPfIT) have forced its management body to take the action many in the channel predicted...

Agenda.(13 Back Pages)
March 19, 2007... March 19-21 March Healthcare Computing 2007 Harrogate, Yorkshire Web: www.healthcare-computing.co.uk 20-23 March Data Centres Europe 2007 Millennium Hotel, Mayfair, London Web: www.datacentres.com 21-22...

Five Minute Interview.(12 Soap)(Chris Gomersall)(Interview)(Brief article)
March 19, 2007... Chris Gomersall, general manager at PolyServe EMEA, takes the hot seat this week as MicroScope directs some probing questions at him What is the best advice you have received and from whom? From Dermot Bradley, sales training, Sage:...

01 News.(O2)(Affiniti)(BCS Global)(Brief article)
March 19, 2007... Briefs TeleWare/Nuance form text-to-speech tie-up Hosted communications specialist TeleWare has completed commercial negotiations with Nuance to allow its text-to-speech and advanced speech recognition to be provided by Nuance for the...

Inside OutMaking power go further.(15 Columns)(management of vendors)(Column)
March 19, 2007... Richard Garsthagen In the past, when an IT manager approached you and asked, "What is the true cost of running this data centre?", the answer would be pretty straightforward: add up whatever support contracts had been taken out and the...

11 Letters.(second-user market)(Letter to the editor)
March 19, 2007... Time to embrace a second-user strategy The second-user market has been in place ever since the inception of the IT industry. But traditionally it has been used primarily by organisations either looking to extend the life of critical legacy...

Internet selling takes a hit in the EU.(15 Columns)
March 19, 2007... Outside In If you have a web site and are one of the growing number of entrepreneurs trading on-line with consumers across the EU, you should take note of a new proposal from the European Commission which could make your business...

Keeping on top of business data.(10 Features)
March 19, 2007... Outsourcing is becoming more popular among smaller players as they struggle to manage the soaring costs of retaining information and face increasing pressure to comply with stringent data regulations. Roanna Avison reports Outsourcing has...

Jumping triple play hurdles.(03 Networking)(voice, video and data networks)
March 19, 2007... Type 'define: converged network' into Google and one entry appears: "A single network capable of carrying a mixture of voice, video and application data." This lonely definition stands in stark contrast to the level of industry chatter about...

Picture a fruitful future.(04 Hardware)
March 19, 2007... The hardware sector has been told repeatedly over the past few years that there is money to be made by selling digital imaging products. Even if a reseller does not have a track record in selling cameras, it can take the printers, storage or...