Computer Reseller News articles from September 2008

Computer Reseller News archives from September 2008

Will SSD spark a new format war?
September 1, 2008... Byline: George Purrio Will SSD spark a new format war? In the months ahead, solid-state drive technology is set to pose a threat to the traditional hard-disk drive market Solid-state drive (SSD) technology uses solid-state memory...

The call for hosted IP services.(Internet Protocol )(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Byline: Mike Webb The call for hosted IP services Hosted communications are an ideal offering in today's economic climate The tumultuous economic climate has seen end users try to lower risks and control project costs....

Weathering the credit storm.
September 1, 2008... Byline: Grant Williams Weathering the credit storm Credit insurance may help business through turbulent times, says Grant Williams Almost a year since the first rumblings of a credit crisis rippled over the Atlantic, the UK is...

Readers' Lives.
September 1, 2008... Byline: Adrain Burholt The key to true happiness Adrian Burholt speaks on the growing link between mobile communications and IT Describe your job and say why you enjoy it. I run The Key Revolution A- an 18-month-old company....

Clunk click and Risc.
September 1, 2008... Byline: Sara Yirrell Clunk Click and Risc Group promoted Welsh/French relations when Clunk Click's Paul Roberts and Loic Perpignan from Risc Group met French prime minister Francois Fillon and Welsh first minister Rhodri Morgan.

Letters.(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2008... Byline: Various Broadband benefits I agree with Telappliant that the rise of broadband will provide opportunities for specialist IP technology vendors in the coming years (CRN, 11 August). Businesses of all sizes are...

Silverstone at full speed with Softcat IT contract.
September 1, 2008... Byline: kayleigh bateman Silverstone at full speed with Softcat IT contract Home of Formula 1 racing benefits from IT audit ahead of the final Grand Prix at the venue Software asset management (SAM) VAR Softcat has implemented a...

GlassHouse advises Fife on strategy.(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Byline: Kayleigh Bateman GlassHouse advises Fife on strategy Independent IT infrastructure consulting and services firm GlassHouse Technologies has developed a five-year storage strategy for Fife Council. The Council realised that...

Got the stomach for it?(implementing information technology at slaughterhouses)
September 1, 2008... Byline: Varioer Got the stomach for it? Even slaughterhouses need IT servicing, as Dave's friend discovers I had to feel sorry for a friend of mine from a peripherals specialist as he recounted the story of a particularly gory...

Advertising sees new potential.
September 1, 2008... Byline: Nick Booth Advertising sees new potential The digital signage sector is set for an upswing once the industry can prove a return on investment Advertisers love the concept of digital signage, but until recently sales were...

CBS hopes to net larger accounts with accolade.
September 1, 2008... Byline: Doug Woodburn CBS hopes to net larger accounts with accolade Securing an ISO standard accreditation has opened up new opportunities for the support services firm Midlands-based support services firm Central Business...

Heron flies into Bloxx channel team.(Peter Heron)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Byline: Sara Yirrell Heron flies into Bloxx channel team Sara Yirrell Web-filtering vendor Bloxx has appointed a new channel manager to spearhead the growth of the company's reseller base. Peter Heron has joined the firm as...

Tatham sets sights on growth.(Alex Tatham)
September 1, 2008... Byline: Sara Yirrell Tatham sets sights on growth While many businesses in the channel are struggling, Simms managing director Alex Tatham has big plans to counter the recession. Sara Yirrell reports Nowadays, larger than life,...

Hosted to top agenda as VoIP boom continues.
September 1, 2008... Byline: Sam Trendall Hosted to top agenda as VoIP boom continues Analysts encourage resellers to move into the market and benefit from contracted annuity sales After worldwide turnover grew more than 50 per cent for the second...

Affiniti installs Scottish centre Integrator Affiniti has installed a new contact centre for Dumfries and Galloway Council. Affiniti was tasked with integrating CRM software from Lagan into a Cisco IP contact centre infrastructure. The centre will initial.(Colt, Corporatec)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Byline: Sam Trendall Affiniti installs Scottish centre Integrator Affiniti has installed a new contact centre for Dumfries and Galloway Council. Affiniti was tasked with integrating CRM software from Lagan into a Cisco IP contact...

Trident cuts corners for partners with pre-load.
September 1, 2008... Byline: Nick Booth Trident cuts corners for partners with pre-load Distributor takes the hassle out of tricky Windows installations for industrial PC users Nick Booth Surrey-based distributor Trident has claimed it will...

Intel Flash drives to mark SSD push.
September 1, 2008... Byline: Nick Booth Intel Flash drives to mark SSD push Nick Booth Intel used its developer conference in San Francisco last week for a sneak peek at a range of Flash drives to be launched in the coming year. The range...

Midwich becomes second Ricoh distributor.(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Byline: Fleur Doidge Midwich becomes second Ricoh distributor Fleur Doidge Midwich has been appointed to sell Ricoh's print range alongside incumbent Northamber as the Norfolk-based distributor renews its focus on print products...

Fuel hike forces C2000 s hand on freight charges.
September 1, 2008... Byline: Doug Woodburn Fuel hike forces C2000 s hand on freight charges Broadliner expects most resellers to pass on increased charges to end users Doug Woodburn Computer 2000 (C2000) has become the latest distributor to bow to...

Growth brings end to EWG.
September 1, 2008... Byline: Doug Woodburn Growth brings end to EWG Doug Woodburn The recently disbanded European Wholesale Group (EWG) has admitted a formal merger between its three members may have been the only way to keep the pan-European...

SAM duo merge for market clarity.(software asset management)(The Federation Against Software Theft and Investors in Software)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Byline: kayleigh bateman SAM duo merge for market clarity Kayleigh Bateman UK software bodies The Federation Against Software Theft (The Federation) and Investors in Software (IiS) have joined forces in an attempt to bring more...

Best quarter is to come.(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Best quarter is to come Now the bank holidays are over, and as we are yet again feeling cheated out of any kind of summer, it is time to focus attention on the months ahead. We are within reach of that magical fourth quarter leading up...

Synaxon reveals big plans for UK resellers.
September 1, 2008... Byline: Sam Trendall Synaxon reveals big plans for UK resellers Buying group looks to sign 350 partners to benefit from its economies of scale and procurement resource Sam Trendall German buying group giant Synaxon AG is...

Letters.(Letter to the editor)
September 8, 2008... Ensuring security I've been following the channel's response to the credit crunch and the doom and gloom in the media, and would like to sound a very positive bell that goes beyond 'cautious optimism'. Computerlinks' experience is that...

Virtually a success.
September 8, 2008... Virtually a success ISI business unit director Rob Tomlin looks at the business benefits of virtualisation and what it could mean for reseller opportunities in coming years Virtualisation, the creation of a virtual version of...

Writing not yet on wall for UK.
September 8, 2008... Writing not yet on wall for UK Analysts point resellers towards the untapped corporate market to bolster flagging sales of interactive whiteboards Fresh tactics are needed to boost sales of interactive whiteboards in the UK, despite...

Picture caption.
September 8, 2008... Eleven staff from Intrinsic Technology raised [pounds sterling]2,500 for Cancer Research UK at the Race for Life at Tatton Park in Cheshire. The pink ladies' efforts have already been built on by a sponsored bike ride.

Readers' Lives.(Interview)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... A globetrotting team Duncan Fisken started off filing blueprints for [pounds sterling]5 before settling at Aruba Describe your job and say why you enjoy it. I manage a high-touch technical sales team across a dozen countries in...

Calendar.(Brief article)(Calendar)
September 8, 2008... 16 September Event: CRN Golf Challenge Venue: East Sussex National Golf Resort & Spa www.channelweb.co.uk 24 September Event: CRN RLF Venue: Four Seasons Hotel, Hampshire www.resellerleadershipforum.co.uk...

Cooler Master looks to take gamers by storm.
September 8, 2008... Byline: Nick Booth Cooler Master looks to take gamers by storm Components vendor takes aim at maverick PC buyers with latest high-end CM Storm brand Nick Booth After launching its CM Storm brand at the Game Developer...

Target has 3K mini-book in its sights.(Target Components )(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... Byline: Nick Booth Target has 3K mini-book in its sights Nick Booth Target Components has landed exclusive distribution rights for what it has labelled the coolest mini-notebook on the market. Its new Razorbook 400 is a...

PineApp seeks mid-market resellers.
September 8, 2008... Byline: Nick Booth PineApp seeks mid-market resellers Email and content security vendor PineApp has appointed its first Irish distributor and is launching a midmarket reseller recruitment drive. The Israel-based vendor has...

Magirus to lend a hand.
September 8, 2008... Byline: kayleigh bateman Magirus to lend a hand Storage giant Magirus is aiming to reduce the risk of product investment for its resellers, by providing services on their behalf until they are up to speed. The distributor is...

WLAN players await 11n surge.
September 8, 2008... Byline: Sam Trendall WLAN players await 11n surge Huge potential for resellers as wireless LAN market changes rapidly due to increased consolidation and 802.11n technology Frenzied consolidation and the emergence of 802.11n...

Legal searches let firms down.
September 8, 2008... Byline: kayleigh bateman Legal searches let firms down Nearly half of businesses in a European survey say IT systems have failed to find and deliver vital paperwork IT departments are failing to produce documentation fast enough...

ICA competitors ready to accept OEM partners.(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... Byline: Doug Woodburn ICA competitors ready to accept OEM partners MessageLabs' buyout of Fortinum ICA will cause friction among OEM partners, rivals claim Competitors of image analysis vendor Fortium ICA have claimed its...

Maverick expands hot lamps.(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... Byline: Doug Woodburn Hot Lamps UK growth promised by Maverick Doug Woodburn Maverick has claimed that UK resellers will reap the benefits of the European expansion of its lamp distribution arm, Hot Lamps. Maverick parent Tech...

Minx heads to Europe.(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... Byline: Doug Woodburn Minx heads to Europe Doug Woodburn Corporate reseller Insight will use its recent acquisition of Cisco Gold partner Minx to build a pan-European managed network services business. Stuart Fenton,...

netintelligence goes indirect.(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... Byline: kayleigh bateman Netintelligence moves to indirect Kayleigh Bateman Internet security firm Netintelligence is targeting the SME software-as-a-service (SaaS) market to coincide with its indirect channel expansion. The...

Clouds gather over PBX sector.
September 8, 2008... Byline: Sam Trendall Clouds gather over PBX sector Channel must find new ways to make money out of telephony as economic slowdown threatens to hit sales Sam Trendall Resellers have been urged to push unified communications...

Fire crew helped by CI-Net VAR CI-Net has completed the installation of a secure virtual private network (VPN) for the Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service. The reseller claimed the VPN would offer fire crews better access to building layouts and other data.
September 8, 2008... Byline: Sam Trendall Fire crew helped by CI-Net VAR CI-Net has completed the installation of a secure virtual private network (VPN) for the Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service. The reseller claimed the VPN would offer fire crews better...

Dell does distribution U-turn Dell has appointed Micro Peripherals (Micro-P) to carry its imaging products, just two months after all but ruling out the need for UK distribution partners. The vendor had previously stressed that a two-tier model would not.(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... Byline: Doug Woodburn Dell does distribution U-turn Dell has appointed Micro Peripherals (Micro-P) to carry its imaging products, just two months after all but ruling out the need for UK distribution partners. The vendor had previously...

Football stripping.
September 8, 2008... Byline: Sara and Sam Football stripping Dave takes on a dubious deal and ponders elderly social networking I'm trying to sign up to be a Smoking Gun partner after reading that they have signed a deal with The Sun for a range of...

BDO reports dramatic drop in optimism index.(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... Byline: Sam Trendall BDO reports dramatic drop in optimism index Sam Trendall As UK firms' short-term business confidence sinks to a 17-year low, channel onlookers have picked out annuity revenues and public sector expertise as...

Bell joins counterparts in passing on freight costs.
September 8, 2008... Byline: Doug Woodburn Bell joins counterparts in passing on freight costs Distributors defend the decision to react to fuel costs as resellers fret Doug Woodburn Resellers have expressed concern that the bulk of the UK's...

React ends row with Bradford.(React Technologies and Bradford Networks)(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... Byline: Sam Trendall React ends row with Bradford Sam Trendall Distributor React Technologies is hoping the Trading Standards Service's decision not to pursue action against it will end its spat with US vendor Bradford Networks....

We can beat the crunch.(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... Byline: Sara Yirrell We can beat the crunch Times are definitely tougher for some firms in our industry than others. As talk about the credit crunch becomes part of daily life, it appears that the panic button is finally being...

Euler fights its corner after channel criticism.(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... Byline: Sara Yirrell Euler fights its corner after channel criticism Hard times lead to tough decisions, but the IT industry is holding up, says credit insurer Sara Yirrell The head of credit insurance giant Euler Hermes...

High-end cuts rumoured at DSGi.(Dixons Store Group International )(Brief article)
September 8, 2008... Byline: Doug Woodburn High-end cuts rumoured at DSGi Doug Woodburn Dixons Store Group International (DSGi) Business is staying tight-lipped about rumours that it is making cutbacks at its recently launched Advanced Solutions...

Readers' Lives.(Interview)
September 8, 2008... An ambassador for world peace Irfan Hamid also likes the fact that you can have the top down more often in London Describe your job and say why you enjoy it. I manage the delivery of our product roadmap to market globally. Who...

Monitors see business boom.
September 15, 2008... Monitors see business boom LCD monitor sales to businesses are outperforming the retail market, and there is still more opportunity to come While the retail market continues to focus on mobile PCs, 2008 has seen particularly strong...

Credit crunch has financial saviours.
September 15, 2008... Credit crunch has financial saviours Resellers need solid financial underpinnings in this more competitive market, says Philip White Recent comment on the need for resellers to become trusted advisors raises some interesting issues for...

Calendar.(Conference news)(Calendar)
September 15, 2008... 18 September Event: IT Security Conference 2008 Venue: Radisson SAS Portman, London www.idc.com/events/eventshome.jsp 24 September Event: CRN RLF Venue: Four Seasons Hotel, Hampshire ...

Pic caption.
September 15, 2008... Cleveland's MCS Computers was awarded several three-day VIP passes to the Silverstone F1 Grand Prix at this year's Channel Expo by vendor Trust. MCS' Pete Johnson (left) and Shaun Byrne hold one of the tickets.

Channel cashes in on HPC.
September 15, 2008... Channel cashes in on HPC The competitive high-performance computing market is ready to be exploited across a range of hardware offerings, as Kayleigh Bateman discovers High-performance computing (HPC) could be one of the UK's fastest...

Thinking beyond the box.
September 15, 2008... Thinking beyond the box Packaged software is seeing increasing competition from software-as-a-service, says Martin Painter Traditional modes of selling software are becoming problematic for resellers looking to go beyond box-dropping....

Too good to be true.
September 15, 2008... Too good to be true The original promise of NAC was a panacea to troubles faced by IT administrators everywhere Network access control (NAC) has long been talked up as a cure-all for most security woes. Deployment challenges and...

The postal service stinks.
September 15, 2008... The postal service stinks Something is rotten in Calum Macleod's mailbox and this time it is not fish Three years ago my mother sent me a smoked salmon through the post as a Christmas present and it still has not arrived. The reality...

C&W to thaw VAR relations.
September 15, 2008... Byline: Sam Trendall C&W to thaw VAR relations Carrier's reseller scheme aims to engage VARs and offer small businesses enterprise capabilities Carrier Cable & Wireless (C&W) hopes to change the perception that it is aloof towards...

ShoreTel angles at R&D.(Brief article)
September 15, 2008... Byline: Sam Trendall ShoreTel angles at R&D ShoreTel is to reinvest its 2008 growth in research and development to try to swell its market share. John Combs, chief executive of the IP telephony vendor, told CRN that investing in...

Owl spreads its wings online.(Website overview)
September 15, 2008... Byline: Fleur Doidge Owl spreads its wings online Once-troubled audiovisual distributor takes flight with recently revamped web site to attract resellers Audiovisual (AV) distributor Owl Visual Systems has launched into online...

HDS welcomes manager, 3PAR unveils fastest storage, Virtualisation on the up.(Hitachi Data Systems' Sarah Pamphilon)(Brief article)
September 15, 2008... Byline: kayleigh bateman HDS welcomes manager Sarah Pamphilon has been appointed as partner development manager at Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) to develop business opportunities with SCC. She joins HDS from Computacenter. HDS...

ExaGrid seeks partners for de-duplication push.(Brief article)
September 15, 2008... Byline: kayleigh bateman ExaGrid seeks partners for de-duplication push Vendor sets $100m annual sales goal as it kicks off UK channel battle with rival Data Domain De-duplication vendor ExaGrid has revealed to CRN its...

PC builders braced for back-to-school boom.
September 15, 2008... Byline: Nick Booth PC builders braced for back-to-school boom Harrow-based PC builder hopes to maintain sales momentum with an energy-saving PC Nick Booth As the UK's school term resumes, PC makers are entering their most...

Every opinion will count.
September 15, 2008... Byline: Sara Yirrell Every opinion will count Sara Yirrell previews the first ever Reseller Leadership Forum, where CRN will bring the channel's elite together Getting the top UK channel heads together in one room is a daunting...

AMD plays catch up with price drop.
September 15, 2008... Byline: Nick Booth AMD plays catch up with price drop Nick Booth As AMD announced price reductions on its Athlon X2, Phenom X3 and Phenom X4 desktop CPUs, analysts have speculated on whether it is too little, too late in its...

Spam Titan.
September 15, 2008... Byline: David Rae Spam Titan Email security that doubles up as anti-virus With an array of vendors providing anti-spam software, choosing which ones to partner with can be a difficult decision. Spam Titan, however, might just have...

Where do we go from here?
September 15, 2008... Where do we go from here? Endpoint has carried the security channel so far this year, but full DLP is the way to go this winter After spending the quiet summer months regrouping, security resellers are ready to reveal where they...

Sense/Net set to widen reach.
September 15, 2008... Byline: Kayleigh Bateman Sense/Net set to widen reach Kayleigh Bateman Success in its native Hungary has prompted open source vendor Sense/Net to widen its reach to the UK, through new partner signings. Sense/Net is set to...

Arc Technology set to grow with Sheffield move.
September 15, 2008... Byline: kayleigh bateman Arc Technology set to grow with Sheffield move Distributor claims resellers in the north are frustrated with the lack of distribution available in the region Kayleigh Bateman Northern security...

Arrow points resellers to vendor campaigns.
September 15, 2008... Byline: Sam Trendall Arrow points resellers to vendor campaigns Sam Trendall DNS Arrow has launched an online tool that will enable resellers to develop tailored marketing campaigns based on their vendors' plans for forthcoming...

Zycko slams the lack of green skills in channel.
September 15, 2008... Byline: Kayleigh Bateman Zycko slams the lack of green skills in channel Distributor hits out as research reveals that IT managers rely on suppliers for green information Doug Woodburn Distributor Zycko has hit out at the lack...

Anglia lands fresh deal, Mayflex goes on the road, Calyx joins man from the Pru.(Anglia Business Solutions, Noble Foods and Prudential )(Brief article)
September 15, 2008... Byline: Sam Trendall Anglia lands Fresh deal Reseller Anglia Business Solutions has landed a deal with Noble Foods, the UK's largest egg supplier, to deploy its LINKFresh software. The suite will be used to manage the company's supply...

VeriSign finds identity with IAS channel push.(Brief article)
September 15, 2008... Byline: Doug Woodburn VeriSign finds identity with IAS channel push Doug Woodburn VeriSign has launched its first channel push around its identity and authentication services (IAS). The vendor's recent non-core disposal drive...

Ingram bolsters POS business The distributor has continued to bolster its automatic identification and data capture (AIDC) and point of sale (POS) business through the acquisition of France-based distributor Eurequat. Full story: www.channelweb.co.uk/2.
September 15, 2008... Byline: Doug Woodburn Ingram bolsters POS business The distributor has continued to bolster its automatic identification and data capture (AIDC) and point of sale (POS) business through the acquisition of France-based distributor...

Every vote will count.(Editorial)(Brief article)
September 15, 2008... Every vote will count It is with some amount of incredulity that I am writing this editorial to say that the Channel Awards 2008 shortlist is out. It really does not seem like five minutes since the last judging day. This year the...

Ricoh invests heavily to boost its market share.(Brief article)
September 15, 2008... Byline: Doug Woodburn Ricoh invests heavily to boost its market share Doug Woodburn Copier giant Ricoh has joined the battle for printer supremacy in the UK after making a "seven-figure" investment in its IT dealer channel....

Juniper rumoured to be buying Meru or Aruba.
September 15, 2008... Byline: Sam Trendall Juniper rumoured to be buying Meru or Aruba WLAN specialists targeted following recent spate of consolidation Sam Trendall Channel onlookers have greeted speculation that Juniper Networks may be...

CKS Group in administration.
September 15, 2008... Byline: Doug Woodburn CKS Group in administration Doug Woodburn CKS Group, an established player in the WEEE arena, has entered into administration and was on course to be sold as CRN went to press. As of 10 September,...

Channel awards shortlist is online.(Brief article)
September 15, 2008... Byline: Sara Yirrell Channel awards shortlist is online Sara Yirrell The long wait is over. The Channel Awards 2008 shortlist is now online and ready to receive votes. Judging day for the awards took place last week, with many...

HP ups prices in wake of weakening pound.
September 15, 2008... Byline: Doug Woodburn HP ups prices in wake of weakening pound Leading systems vendors to offload burden of growing equipment costs on to channel players Doug Woodburn HP today became the first major systems vendor to react to...

Turnover boost for Redstone Redstone has joined an elite group of UK resellers with a turnover of over i?1/2200m. The communications specialist saw turnover almost double to i?1/2200.7m in full-year 2007. Pre-tax profits hit i?1/2894,000, compared to a loss of i?1/21.04m.(Panacea Services)(Financial report)(Brief article)
September 16, 2008... Byline: Doug Woodburn Turnover boost for Redstone Redstone has joined an elite group of UK resellers with a turnover of over [pounds sterling]200m. The communications specialist saw turnover almost double to [pounds sterling]200.7m in...

In focus.
September 18, 2008... Byline: Charlotte Moore In focus Thwarted dreams of philosophical study meant Paul Willows building a career on the visual. Charlotte Moore reports Making the executive board of a company is always a notable achievement. But Paul...

But will HDD strike back?(hard-disk drive )
September 22, 2008... Byline: Sara Yirrell But will HDD strike back? Hard-disk drive technology has long been king of the castle, but now there is a challenger to its throne. Sara Yirrell asks if solid-state drives are going to capture the storage...