MicroScope articles from November 2005

MicroScope archives from November 2005

Arrow could tackle UK after DNS buy.
November 7, 2005... paul kunert paul.kunert@rbi.co.uk Following its acquisition of European distributor DNSint.com, the president of Arrow Enterprise Computing Solutions has not ruled out the possibility of extending its reach to UK shores. Parent Arrow...

BT strengthens direct sales arm with TNS buy.
November 7, 2005... Christopher Walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk BT has acquired one of the oldest names in the UK networking channel, snapping up Oswestry-based Total Network Solutions (TNS) for an undisclosed sum in a move that strengthens its direct...

Cisco aims upgraded SAN product set at SME space.
November 7, 2005... With Cisco's increased focus on the growth of its advanced technologies division, comprising security, convergence and storage, the dominant vendor has upgraded its SAN switch portfolio for the SME market. The MDS 9020 fabric switch, part of...

Desktops decline while mobile soars.
November 7, 2005... The UK PC market was one of the slowest growing sectors in Europe during the third quarter, with the only bright spot coming from the retail space where consumers continued to spend on mobile technology. Overall, 2.3 million units were shipped...

Extended life expectancy.
November 7, 2005... The market for desktop PC hardware has been maturing for a long time. We take a look at how it is faring and how PC usage models and designs are changing to buoy up the market When Granville Technology died in July, it took the popular UK...

HP reviews approach to Mentor objectives.
November 7, 2005... Paul kunert paul.kunert@rbi.co.uk Execution of Hewlett-Packard's Mentor scheme has proved difficult, so the vendor has scrapped the label and overhauled certain elements as it works on a new plan with distributors to recruit small...

Intel to use third-party chipsets to compensate for shortages in low end.
November 7, 2005... Following the revelation that Intel will use third-party chipsets for the first time in its history, there are reports that the chip giant will speed the production of a board which incorporates ATI Technologies components. As revealed last...

Linksys touts Cisco migration path.
November 7, 2005... Christopher Walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk Linksys has defended proposed channel programme changes after resellers bemoaned plans for a Linksys to Cisco Trade Up Programme, which they claimed would push them to sell a cost-prohibitive...

Matrix holds discussions with mystery buyer for Fujin division.(Matrix Communications)(Fujin Technology)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... Matrix Communications is in discussions with a mystery suitor for its mobile phone services division Fujin Technology. Fujin has been one of the more lucrative divisions of Matrix, responsible for its largest deal since its formulation, an...

Mixed tidings for channel finances.
November 7, 2005... The three months to 30 September proved positive for Lenovo and Sun Microsystems, but SurfControl took a hit as it restructured its operations, while UK-based Morse revealed its transition was going well. In its first full quarter results to...

Oracle aims to draw SME users with free database.
November 7, 2005... KARL FLINDERS karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk Oracle is thrusting further into the SME segment, using a free database to stimulate demand for its software and services in the sector, and resellers are in a prime position to win business on the...

Sage to train sales recruits.(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... Vendor moves to support resellers with [pounds sterling]2m annual funding to skill up new partner employees KArl flinders karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk Sage is using [pounds sterling]2m of its own money annually to support its channel in...

Server prices stabilise.
November 7, 2005... Paul kunert paul.kunert@rbi.co.uk The substantial price declines that have typified the server market in recent times are showing signs of slowing, on the back of currency fluctuations and the emergence of next- generation technologies,...

Skills needed urgently as channels converge.
November 7, 2005... christopher walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk A skills gap for network designers could be looming in the channel, according to cabling specialist reseller MiTech, which believes the market will be polarised between resellers that have...

Storm clouds gather over Dell as revenue shortfall leads to ; UK redundancies.
November 7, 2005... Aggressive pricing tactics appear to have caught up with Dell after the US manufacturer warned third quarter results would fall short of Wall Street expectations, leading to redundancies at its UK operation. The company said revenues for the...

Westcon sets security challenge.
November 7, 2005... Resellers are encouraged to adopt a sales strategy to address the entire network, encompassing voice, data and security Christopher Walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk Westcon has pushed security to the forefront of its voice and data...

3Com fires up security focus.
November 14, 2005... Switching vendor takes on Cisco in the security space with the launch of a product set developed with TippingPoint Christopher Walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk 3Com has outlined ambitious plans for slow-burning growth in the...

AT Communications acquires Sterry.(Sterry Group)(Brief Article)
November 14, 2005... christopher walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk Barely a week goes by without acquisition activity taking place in the networking channel, and this week, voice specialist AT Communications splashed out [pounds sterling]6.27m on voice and...

Business software provider needs the channel.
November 14, 2005... karl Flinders karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk Business software provider NetSuite wants to increase the proportion of sales it puts through resellers as hosted business software becomes a desirable channel sale. The vendor offers an all-in-one...

Companies admit they fail to monitor supplier SLAs.(service level agreements)
November 14, 2005... Christopher Walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk Only two in five chief information officers regularly monitor their service level agreements (SLAs), according to research released by systems integration giant Dimension Data last week. Also,...

Contracts without complications.(property costs reduced due to mobile technology)
November 14, 2005... Paul kunert paul.kunert@rbi.co.uk Businesses face mounting pressure to make workforces more productive and cut fixed property costs, which can be substantial -- an area where mobile technology comes into its own. From a channel...

Credit card fraudsters turning to CNP.
November 14, 2005... Paul kunert paul.kunert@rbi.co.uk Chip and PIN technology has forced criminals to seek easier ways to exploit credit cards, resulting in a significant rise in the level of cardholder not present (CNP) scams, but further measures to help...

Dell gets in on the act as AMD boosts channel market share.
November 14, 2005... Paul kunert paul.kunert@rbi.co.uk In the week Dell started selling AMD Athlon 64 processors on-line, research has shown the chip giant grew its third-quarter share of PCs sold by resellers in Europe's top seven economies by 50 per cent,...

Dell reprimanded by Chamber of Commerce.
November 14, 2005... Paul kunert paul.kunert@rbi.co.uk The Chamber of Commerce has complained to Dell about its "hiring and firing lifestyle". The direct-selling PC giant fired 230 employees from its Bracknell-based UK operation, but may recruit more next...

Deverill contract reveals potential of NHS training.
November 14, 2005... KARL FLINDERS karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk Amid channel scepticism about the NHS National Programme for IT (NPfIT), software training services are an area where local niche skills play an essential role, as Deverill demonstrated with a recent...

Firms face growing pressure to support remote working.
November 14, 2005... Tony Glover microscope@rbi.co.uk Few new benefits of modern technology have received the management cold shoulder as consistently as remote working, the practice of using technology to work effectively without having to maintain a physical...

Go gadget go.(demand for consumer electronics goods during Christmas)
November 14, 2005... As Christmas approaches, retailers are stocking their shelves so the punters can fill their stockings. We preview a few devices that could make the wish-list At Christmas, a lot of attention seems to be focused around working out what...

Government releases extra cash for software.
November 14, 2005... Karl Flinders karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk Resellers selling into the education sector can take heart as the Government gives schools an extra [pounds sterling]125m for software, while specialist education software distributor Douglas Stewart...

HP addresses Smart issues.
November 14, 2005... Hewlett-Packard is ironing out teething problems faced by resellers trying to log onto the Smart Portal and Smart Sales Web sites it launched to provide partners with up-to-date product information and availability. Unveiled last week, Smart...

Hugh Symons checks out of PC space.
November 14, 2005... paul kunert paul .kunert@rbi.co.uk Hugh Symons has bowed out of the system builder market after selling its Centrex brand of PCs to logistics and technical support company Techsmart, leading some to question the future for local...

Linksys One alters channel model.
November 14, 2005... There are challenges ahead as Linksys makes it easier for its resellers to access parent company Cisco's brands christopher walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk Linksys has prepared its channel for an SME onslaught, drawn the battle...

Managing mobility, making margins.
November 14, 2005... Davey Winder Is mobility still high on the activity and revenue agenda for resellers in the UK, especially with the Christmas season approaching? That's the big question we've been asking industry players Just how fragile is the mobile...

Networking contract success for BT as SME revenues fall.
November 14, 2005... BT Global Services signed [pounds sterling]800m worth of networking services contracts in the three months ended 30 September, at the same time as its SME and channel-focused business revenues slipped by seven per cent. The telecoms giant's...

Specialist units integrated.
November 14, 2005... karl Flinders karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk One point of contact for SCC customers as the reseller combines its enterprise teams with the mainstream business Corporate reseller SCC has bucked the industry norm of having specialised units by...

Under new management.
November 14, 2005... IT departments spend a lot of their time and money firefighting problems, so how can they slash management costs to free up money for funding more positive initiatives? Putting out fires isn't just something firefighters do. IT...

Acquisitive reseller looks set to buy fellow Sage partner.
November 21, 2005... Reseller BDE International is said to be close to taking over fellow Sage partner Apex Business Systems, creating what some believe would be the software vendor's biggest partner. A source in the accountancy software sector said the two firms...

Bell confirms acquisition plans for German MCE.(Brief Article)
November 21, 2005... christopher walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk While speaking at the IT Supply Chain Conference in New York, Bell Microproducts CEO Don Bell confirmed long-standing indications that the distribution giant was set to buy German competitor...

Channel welcomes latest Microsoft competencies.
November 21, 2005... karl Flinders karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk Microsoft has introduced four new competencies with the aim of offering further reseller differentiation and preparing partners to take advantage of technology changes. The four competencies -- custom...

Consolidation doubts.
November 21, 2005... The flood of mergers and acquisitions in the networking channel is leading to uncertainty about business futures Christopher Walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk The corporate future and ownership of resellers and systems integrators in...

Disclic to offer second-hand licences to business sector.
November 21, 2005... KARL FLINDERS karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk Hardly a week goes by without a Microsoft licensing nightmare for the SME sector, but reseller Disclic has spotted a dream opportunity for customers through second-hand licences. The reseller is using...

Dividing line between telecoms and IT is increasingly blurred.(Company Profile)
November 21, 2005... Tony Glover microscope@rbi.co.uk The enterprise IT market is being targeted by a growing number of telecoms operators which see more revenue growth from fat corporate contracts and from providing IT services to small and growing business...

Linksys revamps channel model.
November 21, 2005... Christopher Walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk Cisco division Linksys has made a significant change to both its technology platform and its channel partners' route to market with the introduction of LinksysOne, an SME-focused, hosted...

Netsuite aims e-commerce at SMEs.
November 21, 2005... The true integration of business applications into one software suite for the SME market is the major challenge of the vendor community, and is where NetSuite sees its advantage as it adds e-commerce capabilities to its bundle. Last week,...

UK channel.
November 21, 2005... Server virtualisation software maker Marathon Technologies has entered the broad UK channel with Computacenter as the recently relaunched company sets about supporting the Hewlett-Packard and IBM installed bases. The vendor, which manufactures...

Reseller suffers [pounds sterling]15k losses after break-in.
November 21, 2005... Christopher Walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk Trowbridge-based reseller Problem Solving Solutions (PSS) Enterprise lost over [pounds sterling]15,000 worth of mainly Sun Microsystems and Cisco equipment after a break-in on 6 November. A...

Strong growth for UK PC market.(Industry Overview)
November 21, 2005... Elsa opitz microscope@rbi.co.uk Buoyant activity in the back-to-school season and aggressive promotion campaigns from all major players livened up the UK PC market in the third quarter, with shipments growing at 12.5 per cent year on year....

SurfControl puts channel first.
November 21, 2005... Winds of change are blowing through SurfControl as its new CEO takes up the challenge to push the company forward karl Flinders karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk SurfControl has entered a new phase in its evolution with the channel set to play a...

Two-tier decision is close for SurfControl.(Brief Article)
November 21, 2005... Karl Flinders karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk After years of speculation, SurfControl could soon introduce a full distribution tier for its products. Following changes to the vendor's senior management team and a new product focus, the firm has...

Vendors join Microsoft in piracy fight.
November 21, 2005... Software vendors Ability Software and Panda Software have targeted channels that are illegally selling versions of their OEM products. The firms have written to those offering standalone OEM versions of software to customers, setting a deadline...