MicroScope articles from October 2003

MicroScope archives from October 2003

Consolidation frenzy tipped to sideline choice in Europe: vendors warned distribution trend across Continent will create whittled down market with fewer players.
October 6, 2003... Fears are mounting that consolidation across Europe, with acquisitions in the distribution tier of the channel accompanied by Continental operations going out of business, could reduce choice and dramatically cut the size of the market. ...

Hemani vision impresses Actebis leaders.(Actebis Group chairman Joe Hemani)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... At a meeting in Frankfurt last week, the country heads and direct line managers at Actebis Group gave a positive response to new chairman Joe Hemani, writes Paul Kunert. Hemani, who remains the chairman of Westcoast, was outlining his...

Fujitsu Siemens distribution expansion causes concern: distributors voice concern over manufacturer's decision to appoint a broadliner, fearing it could spark a price war.(News)
October 6, 2003... Fujitsu Siemens has moved to broaden its distribution network with the appointment of Computer 2000 to sell its range of PC products and Computacenter Distribution (CCD) to focus on rack-mounted servers. The deal with CCD, which is to be...

Direct vendor marches boldly into UK printer market. (Dell).(News)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Dell's long-awaited entrance into the UK printer market has finally arrived, with the direct-selling vendor confidently claiming it can match indirect rivals for service and support and win their customers. The channel has been warned of...

SMEs ordered to clean up their licensing act. (small to medium sized enterprises).(News)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Small businesses are the most common offenders of software copyright breach, leading the Business Software Alliance (BSA) to issue a harsh warning to SMEs to audit software assets or face legal proceedings. The action was prompted by...

Ideal pledges growth in Europe: Bell Microproducts reaffirms commitment to UK and 'Baby Bell' operations, making $25m equity funds available. (Ideal Hardware).(News)
October 6, 2003... Ideal Hardware has outlined plans to grow organically or via acquisition after receiving a $25m cash injection from a recent share offer. Speaking to MicroScope after the end of its third-quarter trading period, Bell Microproducts European...

Money matters. (to volume distributors).(News)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Brian Pearce, senior analyst at IDC, said the challenge for all volume distributors was to monitor cashflow and have funds to cover delayed dealer payments. "Cash is needed not just to the keep the business afloat--if a distributor wants...

Some rise, some fall: keep an eye on what's been happening each week with our at-a-glance guide to channel ups and downs.(News)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... GOOD WEEK Security vendors--The number of virus and hacker attacks has risen by 20 per cent in the first half of the year, according to a survey by Symantec Huawei--The networking vendor reaches an out-of-court settlement in an...

Big Blue offers monthly rate PC service to SMEs: vendor to charge around 40 [pounds sterling] per machine per month in bid to tighten grip on managed services. (personal computer, small to medium sized enterprises).(News)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... IBM has increased the pressure in the SME managed services market by hunching a package that offers competitive monthly rates on desktop services. The launch of Desktop Management Services has been met with a mixed reaction from dealers,...

SAP accuses Oracle of market share panic.(News)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... SAP has slammed Oracle's aggressive pricing strategy as a panicked bid to regain market share after PeopleSoft and JD Edwards ousted it from the number two spot. Reports suggested SAP was losing deals to the database giant after increased...

SCH adopts single brand in Europe to push 'slick' image.(News)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... SCH has adopted the SCC brand across its European reseller business as the group aims to become one of the top 20 global service providers by 2008. With the SCC brand already well established in the UK and Spain following the purchase of...

Meadows walks away from IT. (Compaq's Jude Meadows, information technology).(News)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Having headed Hewlett-Packard's personal systems group (PSG) since the merger with Compaq, Jude Meadows (pictured top left) has decided to leave the manufacturer to pursue a career outside the IT industry. She undertook a number of senior...

IT managers fear newly trained staff will walk out.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... A survey of IT managers by training specialist The Training Camp has revealed that over half fear their staff will use new qualifications to change jobs. "Managers need to put more trust in staff and recognise that a qualified workforce is an...

Sun lands SchlumbergerSema deal but warns of losses.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Sun Microsystems has signed a global deal with SchlumbergerSema to supply the vendor's utility computing offerings to enterprise customers. Sun is also set to revise its year-end results to include a $1.05bn (628m [pounds sterling]) charge in...

Lexmark dangles bigger carrot.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... One year has passed since Lexmark launched its 100 per cent Partner Programme in the UK, signing 1,000 resellers in the process. As part of the scheme, the vendor will extend rebates from two per cent to three per cent in the fourth quarter,...

Avaya claims UK firms support flexible workers.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Convergence vendor Avaya has warned that many European businesses do not have an adequate infrastructure to support flexible working practices. British businesses top the list with 72 per cent providing the technology for employees to work...

IT departments put network performance top of agenda.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Over 70 per cent of IT departments state that network performance is the major issue facing them today, ahead of key concerns such as security and budget, according to research by Luton-based networking reseller Chevin. Thirty per cent of...

Progress hires 7 Global for software service.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Progress Software has appointed 7 Global as a managed hosting partner under its Application Service Provider Enablement programme, in response to demand for delivering software as a service. 7 Global delivers software as a service to a number...

EDS wins Sun Microsystems Java Desktop System contract.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... EDS is to take Sun Microsystems' Java Desktop System to market. Its support services will be an integral part of the Java Desktop Systems Strategy, enabling customers to gain increased reliability. The partnership is aimed at developing...

Microsoft nibbled by yet another cunning worm.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... The SWENA worm is the latest in a long line of viruses targeting software giant Microsoft. The worm faked a patch notification e-mail from the vendor which terminates any anti-virus and firewall software running on an infected system. The worm...

Symantec says Web attacks are speeding up.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Cyber attacks are released quicker than ever according to the latest Symantec Internet Security Threat Report. The research showed that 64 per cent of all new cyber attacks target vulnerabilities less than a year old. Blended threats have also...

Microsoft warned the CRM market far from untapped.(Software)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Microsoft has come under more fire from CRM vendors over its recently revealed intention to target the market. Vendor ACCPAC has joined ranks with the likes of Oracle to question the future success of the move and raise doubts that the...

Macromedia insists Web won't hurt channel.(Software)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Macromedia has assured resellers that its on-line sales pose no threat to its channel despite the vendor's attempts to increase Web activity. The software giant insisted its reseller channel was as critical as ever, particularly as the...

3Com announces launch of two new router products.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... 3Com has expanded its enterprise communications solutions portfolio with a range of WAN (wide area network) router products designed to support enterprise voice and data applications. The Router 5000 products will complement the vendor's...

Tiscali wins multi-million pound IP VPN contract with Adecco.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Tiscali Business Services has landed a deal to supply a national broadband-enabled IP VPN solution to Adecco, the recruitment company. The multi-million pound contract was awarded following a competitive tender involving over 20 telco...

Wireless hot spots catch on.(Networking)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... The demand for wireless broadband access is spreading as hot spots spring up in pubs and hotels, creating an opportunity for dealers to take products to the independent business operators that have not adopted the technology. Most of the...

Lack of career opportunities sees Microtronica sales and marketing director out.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... The sales and marketing director of Microtronica will leave the company at the end of October after the distributor's Nordic operations were sold to SMG, leaving less room for promotion. Steve Dubber joined the Reading-based distributor from...

Konica and Minolta merger sees creation of Konica Minolta Printing Solutions.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Minolta-QMS has changed its name to Konica Minolta Printing Solutions following the merger of Konica and Minolta (see MicroScope, 12 August 2003). The newly named division will continue the printer business and operation with the current...

SIA reports sales growth.(Hardware)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) has offered further evidence that economic conditions are improving, with results showing that worldwide sales in August grew sequentially by four per cent. It was the sixth consecutive monthly...

HP extends Clearway offers with phase two.(Hardware)
October 6, 2003... Hewlett-Packard will extend its Clearway initiative to include printers and servers at the end of October in an attempt to drive user refreshments cycles. The financing programme was launched by HP, in conjunction with Microsoft and Intel...

Fujitsu Siemens keeps its finger on the Pulse to tap into 'heart of SME community'.(Hardware)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Fujitsu Siemens has devised a rebate scheme aimed at small dealers which typically buy no more than 5,000 [pounds sterling] worth of kit from the vendor a year--a tier of the channel it claims is overlooked by rivals. The pan-European...

Synstar confirms 200m [pounds sterling] Fujitsu Services deal.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Synstar has confirmed the signing of a 200m [pounds sterling] contract with Fujitsu Services, five months after telling investors of the potential deal. It will provide logistic services to support maintenance contracts across Europe. CEO Steve...

2escape2 buys Tradecom.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Emerging service provider 2escape2 has continued its acquisition trail with the purchase of Netherlands-based Tradecom International. The undisclosed deal follows the purchase of Telenor in July, which 2escape2 claimed was now trading...

Spring wins Orange contract through hy-phen.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Recruitment group Spring has become master vendor to mobile phone giant Orange and will provide technical recruitment and staffing through its hy-phen managed services subsidiary. CEO Richard Barfield said: "The commitment from Orange to...

Deloitte reveals revenue increase to $15bn.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, parent company of Deloitte Consulting, has announced a 21 per cent increase in revenues to $15.1 bn (9bn [pounds sterling]) for its last financial year. The company is to rebrand as Deloitte, incorporating the IT...

CSC joins acquisition hunt with eye on the Continent.(Enterprise)
October 6, 2003... With sweeping consolidation threatening the stability of the tier-one enterprise market, outsourcing and systems integration giant CSC has hinted that it is looking to the Continent to expand its business. CSC has enjoyed a sterling run of...

The Beeching effect and a loss of choice.(Editorial)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... In discussions with an analyst about the impact of current and probable future consolidation in the European channel, the example of Dr Richard Beeching and the railways in the 1960s came up. Charged with the task of reducing costs as head...

Whatever gets your goat: legal battles between SCO and IBM over Linux, the attitude of the US record industry and Microsoft's closure of its free chat rooms, are all reminiscent of pointless but bloody border skirmishes.(Opinion)(Editorial)(Industry Overview)
October 6, 2003... Have you ever tried getting a goat into a helicopter? Watching a brace of Pakistani soldiers trying to load a live (and kicking) billy goat into a Mil Mi-8 is an entertainment on par with all-in rabbi wrestling. Goats and rotary-winged flight,...

Convergence critics 'blind to business benefits' of IP kit.(Margin Makers--Convergence)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Industry critics are becoming bogged down in definitions around convergence and losing sight of the advances made in the voice and data market, according to Mitel CEO Don Smith. Criticism that dealers with convergence skills have failed to...

Samsung Telecoms jumps aboard data bandwagon with bid to broaden channel.(Margin Makers--Convergence)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... The attraction of gaining revenues by operating across the voice and data markets continues to tempt voice vendors looking for data partners. The latest manufacturer to launch a campaign is Samsung Telecoms, which is aiming to broaden its...

VanguardMS seeks CCTV dealers in surveillance push.(Margin Makers--Convergence)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... VanguardsMS, traditionally a networking component manufacturer, is looking for 15 specialist CCTV resellers to push its IP surveillance product after a year of disappointing direct sales in the UK. The vendor's history lies in producing...

Face of Allasso' pushed out after InTechnology reshuffle.(Margin Makers--Security)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... In Technology has reorganised its sales and marketing operations at Allasso to minimise overlaps, producing a handful of redundancies and an end to the high-profile career of Bernie Dodwell at the security distributor. Dodwell's departure...

Security players hail broadband adoption wave.(Margin Makers--Security)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... The expansion of broadband, with increasing numbers of risers and businesses taking ADSL and DSL services, is providing a platform for dealers pushing an increasing number of security products. Last week, BinTec signed Wick Hill to sell its...

Fujitsu Softek seeks resellers with strong software focus.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Fujitsu Softek wants to hand the remainder of its direct sales to resellers within the next two years, but has struggled to find the "right" partners for its Synergy Partner Programme, claiming dealers are too focused on hardware. Jonathan...

Ideal Enterprise Solutions warns dealers against partnering with storage specialist resellers.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... There are inherent dangers for dealers in partnering with storage specialist resellers, warns Ian Lockhart, practice manager at Ideal Enterprise Solutions. Instead, he urges resellers to commit to partnering with a storage specialist...

X marks the spot: Microsoft's Xbox may be lagging behind Sony's PlayStation 2 in terms of sales, but the IT giant has learnt from the mistakes it made with its first foray into the games industry and has set its sights on hitting the jackpot with Xbox2.
October 6, 2003... When Microsoft threw its hat into the console ring some 18 months ago with the launch of Xbox, there were many who scoffed at its sheer audacity. It's one thing being top dog in the PC market, but the head of this particular table was reserved...

Back to basics: while paper records were easy to store, access and dispose of, the management of computer records requires a lot more organisation, which has, until recently, been overlooked.
October 6, 2003... Things appeared so much simpler in the days of paper. Files wore stored in folders and put away in filing cabinets or dusty old storerooms to be accessed when required--assuming anyone could remember where they wore. But computers and...

Rising SAN: SAN and NAS are no longer the new kids on the block when it comes to the storage world, but while it has been widely believed that NAS has taken off, there has been a question mark over the rate of SAN adoption--until recently.(storage area network, network attached storage)
October 6, 2003... There is no question that the industry is experiencing a shift away from direct attached towards networked storage, driven by the overriding strategic need to consolidate systems and manage data more efficiently. A report by IDC into worldwide...

Branching out: EMC is usually associated with direct sales, but in recent years the storage vendor has moved beyond OEMs and is now courting the channel.
October 6, 2003... Adrian MacDonald, UK and Ireland country manager at EMC (pictured), says that like many other IT companies, the issues EMC faced in 2001 and 2002 were that it sold primarily to global 2000 accounts--exactly where the recession hit. "Our...

Don't burn the midnight PC oil.(Letter to the Editor)
October 6, 2003... The government-funded UK Environment Agency released a report claiming that some of Britain's biggest and most trusted companies have bean, and continue to cause, environmental damage by allowing chemicals to pollute rivers and the countryside....

Spreadsheet wrongs.(Letter to the Editor)
October 6, 2003... Businesses have been using spreadsheets for years to develop their annual budgets, but according to research from organizations such as PricewaterhouseCoopers and KPMG, spreadsheets today stand a one in ten chance of being wrong. ...

Counting the cost.(Letter to the Editor)
October 6, 2003... Most contact centres base operational performance on quantities and statistics, yet this masks the real issue. For when it comes to measurement and assessing the costs of poor performance, most centres have no means of quantifying the...

Invitations at a glance: tenders.(Tenders & Agenda)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Tenders 158729, Tender Invitation UK-London: incident reporting system Confidential incident reporting and analysis system 158738, Tender Invitation UK-Dudley: mental health system Replacement mental health...

Invitations at a glance: agenda.(Calendar)
October 6, 2003... Agenda OCTOBER 7-8 October KM Forum--The Knowledge Management Exhibition Palais des Congres, Paris, France web: www.groupemm.com Tel: +33 (0)1 41 18 86 18 E-mail: beatrice_lebouc@groupemm.com 7-9 October ...

Hindsights in association with Hammer: from MicroScope October 1986.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... "My move is a natural step in my personal growth" Mitch Kapor gets all new-agey on his reasons for leaving Lotus Development, the company he founded. "Dealers should look at the non-cash benefits of dealing with distributors, such as...

Growing up slowly.(female employees dress as schoolgirls)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Sadly throwing away all the years of hard work in turning the channel away from its sexist, misogynistic approach, female employees at one leading storage distributor went all 'Britney Spears' last Friday and dressed up as schoolgirls for a...

Lights, camera, caption.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Everyone agreed the advert in MicroScope was sure to get the phones ringing off their hooks [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Offside location.(wireless broadband)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... A recent discussion with a wireless broadband specialist included the usual boasts that access was now being offered at a large number of locations. One of the popular choices appears to be football grounds. But as our man from Soap...

Rubber fetish.(new information technology acronym)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... IT continues to be an industry awash with acronyms, from CRM to TCO, all flaunted as a major benefit to customers and a hook to reel business in. Just say the magic phrase and people will sign on the dotted line. Last week, Soap was privy...

Lunch anyone?(Bernie Dodwell's departure from Allasso)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Shock not only rippled through the channel last week at the announcement of Bernie Dodwell's departure from Allasso, but presumably there was also despair in the heart of London's restaurant community. Will Sir Lunchalot, as Dodwell became...

Problem postbag.(managed service contracts)
October 6, 2003... Last week, a dealer asked what needed to go into a managed services contract. This week, we publish further responses to that question. Managed services can involve multiple components and would normally be led by a partnership of the...

Watt a shock for Tech Data: surprise as European president departs amid speculation that energised rival is intended destination.
October 13, 2003... Computer 2000's parent company Tech Data has been rocked by the departure of long-serving European president Graeme Watt amid speculation that he is set to take up a position at the newly energised Actebis. Although Tech Data officially...

SCH CEO gives thumbs up to consolidation trend.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... Channel consolidation is a process that benefits customers and will continue to happen over the course of the next year. That view was put forward by Sir Peter Rigby, chairman and CEO of Specialist Computer Holdings, in an exclusive...

Hewlett-Packard faces fight to maintain reseller loyalty: survey shows European dealers more likely to sell rival vendors' kit, expressing less enthusiasm for merged HPQ.(News)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... Two years down the line from the bombshell Hewlett-Packard/ Compaq merger, European dealers are less sure about the strength of the new company and more open to selling other vendors' kit, research has found. Compiled of feedback from 500...

Handheld market problems take A2000 out of action.(News)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... Guildford-based handheld and mobile computing specialist A2000 and reseller arm 1-2-1 Euro Technology have ceased trading and are expected to go into company voluntary liquidation this week. The companies, which had close relationships with...

CMS peripherals looks to crack cash puzzle.(News)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... Specialist storage distributor CMS Peripherals has started legal proceedings against a former financial director in an attempt to solve the mystery of missing funds. Managing director Frank Salmon said: "Towards the end of August we...

Microsoft thinks outside the box: channel welcomes move to add training and voucher incentives to assurance package after negative customer feedback.(News)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... Microsoft has adopted a value-add approach to boost sales of its software assurance after disappointing customer feedback. The software giant has created additional benefits around the software assurance package, such as training and...

Risks in recycling market are a load of rubbish warns SML.(News)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... IT recycling has been tipped as a potential margin booster by some within the industry, but resellers could be missing out because of misjudged perceptions of the market. Recycling specialist SML, part of Selway Moore, has described IT...

Bell European business achieves Q3 turnaround: after disappointing results in the second quarter, Bell Microproducts Europe is back on track.(News)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... The European operations of Bell Microproducts returned to profitability during the third quarter of its financial year following a tough period which saw the territory drag the US group into losses during the second quarter. In a...

McDowell gets time for lunch.(News)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... After 23 years in IT, industry veteran Gordon McDowell has revealed his intention to leave Micro-P at the end of March and enjoy a well-earned retirement "There is nothing sinister behind my decision, it's a demographic time bomb." he...

Fortinet channel under scrutiny.(News)
October 13, 2003... ASIC firewall manufacturer Fortinet is to shake up its distribution channel in a move which could see both Ideal Hardware and Wick Hill part company with the vendor. The move, which follows the appointment of Westcon as a new UK...

Siebel CRM on demand comes under fire.(News)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... Rival vendors have attacked IBM and Siebel's joint tactic to provide CRM on demand, claiming the strategy would fail to meet the needs of the mid-market. The two vendors are to jointly develop market sell and service Siebel CRM OnDemand,...

Logcom steams ahead on reseller acquisition trail.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... Prior to the company's proposed IPO next April, Logcom Group has revealed offers have been accepted on the acquisition of three independent IT resellers. A fourth offer is in negotiation, These acquisitions form part of Logcom's strategy to...

CA gives senior financial executives the heave-ho.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... Three senior financial executives have been asked to resign from Computer Associates following the preliminary results of an accounting investigation into the vendor. Chief financial officer Ira Zar, senior vice-president for finance Lloyd...

HP five-tool offering aims to simplify IT management.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... Hewlett-Packard has launched a set of tools designed to help enterprises simplify IT management and reduce risk. HP PC Migration comprises of five tools, including HP TCO Snapshot. HP Inventory Management. HP Buy Back Programme, HP PC Migration...

Web management lacking.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... UK corporates are running their Web sites blind, with 81 per cent relying on complaints to reveal problems with services and performance degradation, according to research by Web site testing specialist SciVisum. It found a third of UK firms...

Clarification.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... In last week's story SAP accuses Oracle of market share panic, we quoted Susie Davison, who is SAP consultancy director at Absoft, not at SAP as we reported.

Unipalm and F-Secure part ways in search for different strategies.(Software)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... Unipalm has dropped F-Secure five months after the antivirus vendor decided to adopt a one-tier strategy. Both parties described the separation as amicable despite the fact that security distributor Unipalm delivered the final blow by...

'Sophistication, security and mobility drive the market'.(Software)(Industry Overview)
October 13, 2003... As customers wise up to the fact that they do not need to deal with hundreds of suppliers, the challenge for the software industry is to address all the requirements of an increasingly sophisticated user base. Steve Brown, UK, Ireland,...

Zeus technology launches Web Server plug-in.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... Internet infrastructure software specialist Zeus Technology has released Zeus Client Bandwidth Management, a plug-in to its main product the Zeus Web Server. The new module allows bandwidth to be controlled on a per-user or per-Web site basis...

Cisco takes to the skies.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... Cisco has signed a deal with airline Lufthansa in-flight entertainment division Technik to develop and produce networked integrated cabin equipment. The system will displace conglomerate in-flight entertainment systems with numerous separate...

Joint venture on target.(Networking)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... 3Com's joint venture enterprise operation with Chinese networking manufacturer Huawei is progressing "full steam ahead" with channel partners being put in place by both vendors. While 3Com has settled on Computer 2000's Azlan operation and...

HP Procurve undercuts rivals.(Networking)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... Hewlett-Packard's Procurve networking unit has launched a fresh campaign to win the hearts and minds of resellers through a raft of new products which it claims undercut competitors' prices and offer resellers a better deal The company has...

Pressure increases for Datatec following issue of profit warning.(Networking)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... Datatec, the under-pressure South African parent of distributors Comstor and Westcon and reseller Logical, has issued a profit warning for its forthcoming interim results. The company, which observers believe is looking to delist from the...