MicroScope articles from October 2004

MicroScope archives from October 2004

3Com re-enters enterprise.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... Two new channel programmes launched by 3Com will help boost its services credibility 3Com has launched two new service-oriented channel programmes as part of a bid to reactivate its presence in the high-margin large enterprise space. The...

Avaya appoints Nimans to reach into voice channel.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... Avaya has moved to expand its reach into the voice channel with the appointment of telephony distributor Nimans. Nimans will sit alongside Crane, Westcon, MTV and NV3 in the vendor's SME-focused distribution line-up. The appointment comes just...

Businesses are still not aware of WEEE.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... Despite the publicity surrounding the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive, a survey has shown a staggering level of ignorance among UK businesses on the forthcoming legislation. Under the regulations, manufacturers or...

CA displacement strategy targets rival accounts.
October 4, 2004... Computer Associates is actively targeting competitors' customers as it tries to build market share in EMEA. The vendor launched its Customer Interaction Centre (CIC) in Barcelona earlier this year and Jim Darragh, director of CIC EMEA at CA,...

CNP campaign continues to drum up support.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... As the number of resellers signing our on-line petition continues to gather pace, vendors have thrown their weight behind MicroScope's cardholder not present (CNP) campaign. Last week, distributors Computer 2000, Ingram Micro and Bell...

Corporate market the next challenge for IWB resellers.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... The large numbers of sales of interactive whiteboards (IWBs) into schools has given the AV channel a taste for the technology which it now wants to take into the corporate market. All previous attempts to take IWBs into corporates have hit the...

HCI providers call for accreditation.
October 4, 2004... Customers are being confused by suppliers that do not understand HCI Home Computing Initiative (HCI) providers have called for an accreditation scheme to vet suppliers after coming across a growing number of confused customers that have...

HP defines 'grey'.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... Hewlett-Packard has attempted to clear up the confusion surrounding its definition of grey products, warning resellers they are taking a risk on warranties and product quality when buying from unauthorised distributors. The admonition comes in...

Hardware commoditisation may lead to shake-up in the channel.
October 4, 2004... Huge technology changes in the networking market are going to cause seismic shifts in the channel, leading to a radical shake-up over the next few years. According to analysts from the Burton Group, hardware such as routers and switches are...

Notebook pricing stabilises.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... The channel has witnessed sharp declines in notebook pricing over the past year, but according to IDC the market has now settled, and the analyst firm has predicted the trend will continue in 2005. In the four quarters since August 2003,...

Sun ups volume attack on HP.
October 4, 2004... Vendor appoints distributor Interface Solutions International to spearhead campaign to poach rival's x86 reseller base Sun Microsystems has opened up distribution of its x86 AMD Opteron-based products to Interface Solutions International...

SurfControl to extend content filtering offer.
October 4, 2004... SurfControl is aiming to capitalise on what it perceives as changing dynamics in the content filtering market by launching a family of hardware appliances and entering the managed services business. Chief executive Steve Purdham says content...

Tatung to face brand issues in UK market.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... Taiwanese original design manufacturer (ODM) Tatung will face a challenge in overcoming brand awareness issues when it launches blade products under its own badge in the UK this year. The ODM, which is also known as a consumer electronics...

The convergence learning curve.
October 4, 2004... When the subject of convergence arises, a mantra is commonly heard from technology vendors in both guarded and unguarded moments: education, education, education. It has been a constant refrain from vendors, at least to media outlets, that the...

Christopher Walton talks exclusively to IBM's Mary Garrett about the rise of the services sector; IBM intends to support small services resellers.
October 5, 2004... All vendors have their own services business, but few have made as much noise in the past two years about engaging with the channel in the SME space than IBM Global Services (IGS). While the channel has become accustomed to seeing the giants...

Channel boost likely result of post-EU expansion boom.
October 5, 2004... EU expansion creates a chance for resellers to help accession countries leapfrog older IT to latest technologies As of last week, IT vendors operating pan-European channels and the distributors they are working with have -- depending on how...

Chisholms offers low-cost route into public sector.(Brief Article)
October 5, 2004... VCAT supplier creates opportunities for resellers to compete in government supply chain Education and health-focused supplier Chisholms is offering resellers a way to compete in the public sector supply chain after securing a position as...

Compliance forces storage pace.
October 5, 2004... National and international legislation is driving growth in storage opportunities, according to Steven Rose, UK MD of Veritas Storage has been a hot topic so far this year, with compliance issues and growing data generation forcing...

Network skills meet security at Infosec.(Brief Article)
October 5, 2004... The growing convergence between the networking and security markets was in evidence at the recent Infosecurity show, where resellers with LAN skills were being actively courted by vendors. On the hardware side of the security industry, network...

Risc spreads deal to include Europe.(Identrica)(Brief Article)
October 5, 2004... Security distributor Risc has extended its exclusive contract to handle a managed security service produced by Identrica on a pan-European basis. The deal, originally signed by Identrica and Risc's UK operation two months ago, will be extended...

Sharp focuses on printer security as selling point.(Brief Article)
October 5, 2004... Plenty of heads were turning in the direction of the Sharp stand at the recent Infosecurity show because it is rare to see a printer vendor showing off its wares at a security event. The vendor is currently promoting a campaign to focus user...

The big broadband.
October 5, 2004... opportunity Resellers that do not pick up on broadband are missing an opportunity to sell add-on services to suppliers of the burgeoning consumer market There has been a lot of hype about broadband in recent years. Rarely can you turn...

Accentuate first to offer Asigra's back-up and recovery software in uk.(Accentuate Systems)(united kingdom)(Brief Article)
October 11, 2004... cath Everett microscope@rbi.co.uk Canadian vendor Asigra is launching its back-up and recovery software into the UK market, having signed up Accentuate as its first distributor. Accentuate's Assurance Reseller programme will provide...

Action taken to raise police awareness of CNP fraud.(cardholder not present)(Brief Article)
October 11, 2004... Police forces across the UK have been sent guidelines for basic reporting procedures when they encounter cardholder not present (CNP) fraud, helping raise their awareness of the crime. Riten Gohil, risk management executive and project...

Big Blue drops accreditation.
October 11, 2004... paul kunert paul.kunert@rbi.co.uk IBM's move to open up distribution of its high-end xSeries servers could leave partners feeling they have wasted resources IBM's decision to move from selective to open distribution in high-end xSeries...

Bring the ; message home.
October 11, 2004... Joe O'Halloran Despite offering opportunities for technology vendors and resellers, as well as benefits for businesses and their staff, the Flexible Working Initiative has not been getting the recognition it deserves since its introduction...

CA to invest e20m in EMEA and increase SME coverage.(Small and medium sized companies)(Computer Associates International Inc.)(Europe, Middle East and Africa )(Brief Article)
October 11, 2004... Computer Associates has vowed to invest e20m ([pounds sterling]13.8m) in its EMEA SME business as it attempts to boost its revenues from small businesses. At the same time the vendor has appointed former Cisco sales and marketing director...

Compliance, iSCSI centralisation and ILM still top channel agenda.(Information Lifecycle Management)(Small Computer System Interface protocol)
October 11, 2004... simon quicke simon.quicke@rbi.co.uk Resellers getting ready for the Storage Expo event at London's Olympia will not be surprised to notice on scanning the seminar programme that the big issues of the past 12 months remain the main topics...

Convergence expected to drive speech recognition.
October 11, 2004... Billy Macinnes microscope@rbi.co.uk The growth in the convergence market is expected to provide a big boost to the speech technology sector, according to the CEO of one of the biggest players in the market. Chuck Berger, CEO of speech...

European growth plans given serious thought.
October 11, 2004... cath everett microscope@rbi.co.uk Netegrity is currently evaluating how best to boost its European presence and increase sales from the region as a total proportion of revenues. The move follows the appointment of Erik Hansen as the...

Ex-3Com MD joins Xpert team.(managing director)
October 11, 2004... Roanna Avison roanna.avison@rbi.co.uk Five weeks after vacating his post as UK managing director at 3Com, Rob Coyne has resurfaced at voice and data systems integrator Xpert Communications. Coyne, who left 3Com last month (see MicroScope, 6...

HP hopes to boost wireless demand with trial offer.(Brief Article)
October 11, 2004... Hewlett-Packard is trying to whet users' appetite for wireless mobility by offering an iPaq bundled with a SIM card offering a month's free trial to a range of wireless applications. The package includes the HP iPaq 6340 model and a free 30-day...

HP to police partner skills.
October 11, 2004... Paul kunert paul.kunert@rbi.co.uk Resellers express anger as vendor unveils plans to cut accreditation rebates and lower the cost of certification Hewlett-Packard is to reduce accreditation costs and rewards for enterprise resellers...

ISVs gain access to tools as incentive to rewrite applications.(Brief Article)
October 11, 2004... Independent software vendors (ISVs) in IBM's Application Enablement Programme will gain access to tools to provide their application hosting services more cheaply. The scheme, which IBM hopes will extend the idea of "software as a service",...

Merger rethink for Harrier and Articon-Integralis.(Brief Article)
October 11, 2004... Roanna Avison roanna.avison@rbi.co.uk Harrier and Articon-Integralis have put plans to merge their security systems integration businesses on hold due to shareholder concerns. But the move is unlikely to mean the tie-up, which was unveiled...

Mitel and HP Procurve extend relationship to cash in on IPT.
October 11, 2004... cath everett microscope@rbi.co.uk Hewlett-Packard's Procurve networking unit has set up a joint channel programme with Mitel Networks in a bid to capitalise on what both companies see as a growing market for converged systems. The vendors...

Mobility raises stress levels.
October 11, 2004... Billy macinnes microscope@rbi.co.uk Citrix and HP survey findings reveal technology and its related problems are a major cause of anxiety among users Heavy vendor focus on mobility may have helped to drive its adoption in businesses...

Nortel secures partnership with UK security specialist.
October 11, 2004... billy Macinnes microscope@rbi.co.uk Nortel Networks sought to burnish its security credentials last week when it placed the topic at the centre of its PartnerFocus event and appointed Applinet as a specialist security partner in the UK....

Oracle sticks with initial channel strategy.(Interview)
October 11, 2004... After four years running the UK channels business at Oracle, Trudy Norris-Grey still has the same strategy as the day she took over the role -- to recruit new partners by demonstrating healthy business returns. Norris-Grey, vice-president of...

Paradise Holdings ordered to honour guarantee.(Brief Article)
October 11, 2004... Bell Microproducts Europe has given the parent company of beleaguered reseller Paradise Computers UK Ltd one week to settle a debt or the distributor may issue legal proceedings. A year and a half ago the reseller created a distribution arm...

Plumtree aims to boost indirect channel and grow partnerships.
October 11, 2004... roanna avison roanna.avison@rbi.co.uk Portal framework software specialist Plumtree has vowed to boost its indirect channel and launch a partner programme in the coming months. The vendor, which sells portal framework integration and...

RFID tags could be the saviour of supply chain management.
October 11, 2004... tony glover microscope@rbi.co.uk Despite spending almost $14bn ([pounds sterling]7.9bn) a year on supply chain management in Western Europe alone, 85 per cent of senior executives in Europe and the US have no accurate idea of the...

Retaining the value of vendor accreditation.(Brief Article)
October 11, 2004... The value of accreditation has always been something that is close to the channel's heart. But the problem is that every vendor has a different approach, with some setting the bar high and limiting numbers while others open the door to anybody...

Stealth tax.
October 11, 2004... CHRIS BIDMEAD Opinion y As the number of digital audio broadcast (DAB) receivers is set to exceed 13 million by 2007 the Government has its sights set on a ligital licensing windfall -- Hollywood is sticking to copy protection ...

Shift in focus to add Clarity.(Brief Article)
October 11, 2004... Roanna avison roanna.avison@rbi.co.uk Distributor seeks to add managed service providers and integrators to customer base Clarity Technology has added Veritas to its vendor line-up as part of a change in focus at the distributor to...

Spiralling costs drive server consolidation.
October 11, 2004... paul kunert paul.kunert@rbi.co.uk Many organisations are currently evaluating consolidation projects to help them contain the huge hike in costs associated with the unchecked proliferation of small Intel-based Windows servers running...

Synstar integration top of HP to-do list.(Brief Article)
October 11, 2004... cath everett microscope@rbi.co.uk Seven weeks after unveiling the acquisition of Synstar, Hewlett-Packard is about to start planning how to integrate the UK services company, but is currently undecided on whether to keep the organisation...

3Com aims to offer choice.
October 18, 2004... Christopher Walton reports on vendor initiative to give resellers more options in the market In an aggressive move, 3Com has come out with all guns blazing to both challenge for the number one spot and cement its number two spot in the UK...

A question of brand or brains.
October 18, 2004... The IWB market is currently driven by brand but, according to Maverick VPH director Jon Sidwick, that could be about to change as software becomes a stronger selling point for resellers Everyone seems to be talking about interactive...

ACPO to raise CNP awareness.
October 18, 2004... Paul kunert paul.kunert@rbi.co.uk Action is already underway to ensure that cardholder not present fraud will no longer be ignored by the police service The chair of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) will spend 2005...

Access targets SME market and expansion within EMEA.(Interview)
October 18, 2004... Roanna Avison talks to Access Distribution's recently appointed EMEA president about his plans for the company There have been a number of changes at Access Distribution in recent weeks, with the most notable being a switch from the GE...

Avaya aims to meet Disability Act.
October 18, 2004... christopher walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk With legislation such as Sarbanes-Oxley and Basel II a driving force behind both storage expansion among users and storage sales for resellers, the convergence market could tap into similar...

Breaching the ; Great Wall of China.(Industry Overview)
October 18, 2004... Tony Glover China is already shaping up to be the boom computing market of the 21st century, but Western manufacturers are finding it hard to make inroads With an estimated population of 1.5bn people and super-fast economic growth,...

Crane restructure to provide more focus on SME market.(Brief Article)
October 18, 2004... Specialist voice and data distributor Crane has restructured to create an SME solutions business unit in a move it believes acknowledges the growth in SME sales for VoIP. Crane, which is responsible for the distribution of over 50 per cent of...

Decru expands EMEA reach with ACAL contract.(Brief Article)
October 18, 2004... Storage security software and appliance maker Decru has signed a pan-EMEA distribution agreement with ACAL Storage Networking in a move that will bring it into contact with over 1,000 resellers across the region. Decru, which secures data as...

EMC buys into low-end market.(Brief Article)
October 18, 2004... Storage vendor EMC is building its low-end presence with the acquisition of back-up software maker Dantz for $50m ([pounds sterling]27.8m). The vendor said Dantz's low-end technology met the needs of the SME and complemented its earlier...

HP Software seeks to expand reach with broader offering.
October 18, 2004... karl flinders karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk Hewlett-Packard's Software division is targeting former Compaq resellers with its OpenView suite and plans to make further acquisitions as it identifies opportunities for growth. The vendor will...

HP addresses telecoms sector with AOTP programme.(Brief Article)
October 18, 2004... karl flinders karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk Hewlett-Packard is aiming to increase its reach in the telecoms sector with a framework to bundle hardware, software and services, with integration partners seen as vital. As well as server hardware,...

Harnessing demand.(Industry Overview)
October 18, 2004... Davey Winder Opportunities are opening up for resellers to sell to a much wider group of businesses as growing broadband coverage creates a greater requirement for networking products among smaller companies While the enterprise...

IBM incentives will simplify partnering for Premier ISVs.(Brief Article)
October 18, 2004... As vendors' recruitment of ISV allegiances continues apace, application developers aligned with IBM can now access financial support and partner programme enhancements as the vendor finalises the merger of their partner streams. Premier...

ITP goes back to basics with JCL acquisition.(Brief Article)
October 18, 2004... christopher walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk IT Partnerships (ITP) has acquired Just Consultancy Limited (JCL) for an undisclosed fee in a move that will see JCL founder Bobby Pathal join the board of the corporate reseller as majority...

Integra seeks indemnity through Gamma Global.(Brief Article)
October 18, 2004... Stationery and IT dealer group Integra Office Solutions has received indemnity from parallel importer Gamma Global, which it claims will protect members from prosecution by vendors should any potential problems occur. Sourcing kit from grey...

Loss of VC funds puts ISL ; Biometrics in dire straits.(Brief Article)
October 18, 2004... Karl flinders karl.flinders@rbi.co.uk Security software maker ISL Biometrics has entered administration after its venture capitalist backer removed its financial interest. The vendor, which develops software that authenticates through...

Phoenix set to float.(Brief Article)
October 18, 2004... christopher walton christopher.walton@rbi.co.uk After rumours that the company was to float at the beginning of the year, Northampton-based Phoenix IT Group is finally to seek a listing on the London Stock Exchange, which could value the...

Poskett takes up channel reins as Vickers quits HP.(Brief Article)
October 18, 2004... The most quoted man in the channel, Andy Vickers, will step down from his role as director of Hewlett-Packard's solution partner organisation for the UK and Ireland at the end of the month. Having spent two-and-a-half years in the position,...

Red-M adopts two-tier channel model.(Brief Article)
October 18, 2004... roanna avison roanna.avison@rbi.co.uk UK-based wireless intrusion detection vendor Red-M has appointed Sphinx as distributor and expanded its reseller base with seven partners. The move comes as the vendor attempts to raise its profile and...

Steljes remains a Toshiba IS partner.
October 18, 2004... billy macinnes microscope@rbi.co.uk The chairman of AV specialist distributor Steljes has dismissed suggestions that its relationship with Toshiba Information Systems (IS) is under threat. Paul Steljes stressed the distributor was still a...

Storage in the UK -- bright future or not?
October 18, 2004... Jean-Jacques Maleval scrutinises figures presented by IDC to find that the supposedly rosy picture which is meant to depict the future of the storage market may not be as rosy as we have been led to believe Storage is supposed to be one of...

Storage takes centre stage.
October 18, 2004... Karl Flinders reports on some of the topics of discussion at this year's Storage Expo event at London's Olympia Imminent legislation and consolidation were reasons for increased reseller and business interest in Storage Expo 2004. With...

Sun considers offset model.
October 18, 2004... paul kunert paul.kunert@rbi.co.uk The sales technique of selling mobile phones at a discount and making up losses on a contract could be adopted by vendor Although at an embryonic stage, Sun Microsystems is considering heavily...

Telcos seek new revenue streams in IT outsourcing.
October 18, 2004... tony Glover microscope@rbi.co.uk Telecoms operators ranging from [pounds sterling]15.6bn giant BT to Easynet, which has a current market value of about [pounds sterling]90m, are rapidly reinventing themselves as IT outsourcing companies....

Toshiba commitment questioned.
October 18, 2004... billy MaCInnes microscope@rbi.co.uk Toshiba UK has raised questions over its commitment to the PDA market after revealing it has still to decide whether to market successor products with its current range. The vendor has a very low...

UK IT industry is 'complex'.(Brief Article)
October 18, 2004... Roanna avison roanna.avison@rbi.co.uk Alchemy's managing director gives his verdict on why the UK is a challenging market The IT industry in the UK is comprised of conglomerates of small companies operating under one brand. This the...

Acer promises to end disruption to support.(Acer Inc.)(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... The UK managing director of Acer has vowed to end the disruption to its support services, caused by consolidating its spare parts unit, repairs and call centre, by the end of the month. During the first quarter, the company decided to...

Acquisitions on the horizon for on-track Civica.(Civica Systems Ltd.)(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... At the end of its first trading period as a public company, Civica released a statement to the City saying its figures were in line with expectations. For the year to 30 September, the reseller said it had made good progress in both financial...

Avaya carries out internal changes.(Avaya Inc.)(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... Capping off an eventful month for Avaya, which included the purchase of German communications vendor Tenovis and the appointment of Nimans as a UK distributor, the IP giant has restructured its senior management as it finalises its SME...

Avaya teams up with CIM.(Chartered Institute of Marketing, Avaya Inc.)
October 25, 2004... Avaya has teamed up with the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) to help its channel partners develop their own marketing strategies, as customers purchasing IP technology shift from early adopters to mainstream technology buyers. As the...

Azzurri appointment will lead to services integration.(Azzurri Communications)(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... After acquiring 11 voice and data businesses, Azzurri Communications has appointed a group service director to bring all the support elements into one coherent unit. John McGahan was most recently a management consultant advising on services,...

BSA accused of harassment.(Business Software Alliance )
October 25, 2004... The latest move by the Business Software Alliance has not gone down well with some of the UK's biggest companies The Business Software Alliance (BSA) has angered a major UK user group with allegations of under-licensed software. Hundreds of...

Caudwell urges resellers to drop hardware prices.(Caudwell Group)(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... Caudwell Communications, the telecoms division of the Caudwell Group, most famous for its mobile phone retail division Phones4U, has urged IT resellers to drop their hardware prices even further and offset the costs with shared tariffs on...

Drying up desktop refreshment hits Q3 figures.(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... The EMEA PC market is on a downward trend compared to a year ago, according to third quarter research by Gartner, with notebook sales steadying and desktop replacement cycles drying up. In 2003, the market boomed on the back of aggressive...

FSA registration called for on warranty sales.(Financial Services Authority)(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... Resellers may have to register as sellers of insurance if they sell certain product warranties Resellers that sell warranties face registering with the Financial Services Authority (FSA) as sellers of insurance once the Insurance Mediation...

Fujitsu Services to buck trend and focus on hardware sales.(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... At a time when most resellers are striving to increase their services business, Fujitsu Services is looking to grow hardware sales and has recruited channel veteran John Bland to head up the team. The Slough-based company heeded industry...

Lack of compatible components could slow adoption of 775 technology.(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... With Intel transitioning to 775 pin technology, distributors have warned that the market will stagnate unless other components of the infrastructure are made available in the supply chain. At present, motherboards, chassis, graphics cards and...