Ubuntu's latest release outflanks Microsoft Windows Vista on several fronts, including performance and price, according to a Test Center side-by-side analysis of both desktop operating systems.
2008 was a wild year for networking, but what will 2009 look like?
ChannelWeb's Top 25 Execs of 2008 know that reading is fundamental. Here are their picks for books to feed your brain.
Sign Up Now For Partner Programs and Channel Chiefs 2009Vendors: Apply now for two upcoming guides that solution providers will use to make their partnering decisions. Partner Programs (see the 2008 PPG) is our annual directory of hardware and software vendor programs, and is used by solution providers year round. Our annual roundup of Channel Chiefs (See Channel Chiefs 2008) puts a face on vendor programs and recognizes top leaders in the channel. Register for Partner Programs Keep an eye on all award and directory opportunities at the Directories and Awards 2009 FAQ page. Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:27 AM, December 3, 2008 Selling Into The SMB Market -- Our Virtual Trade Show, Opens TomorrowOur Virtual Trade Shows have made their mark this year, giving solution providers access to industry leaders, potential vendor partners, and other solution providers in a convenient and free experience. Tomorrow, our next Virtual Trade Show, Selling Into The SMB Market opens its doors, examining solution provider opportunities in the small and mid-sized business segments. To join us, register now, check out the events schedule and stop in tommorow. And if you see me, say hi! Posted by Joe Caponi at 02:38 PM, December 2, 2008 Happy Thanksgiving From ChannelWebWe'll have news updates throughout the weekend, but we're also looking forward to spending some quieter time with our families. Over on Information Week, Bob Evans has unearthed a letter that conveys the real spirit of Thanksiving: "It surely is certain that in your past, someone, somewhere endured sacrifice, pain, and risk with the courage to make a better life for themselves, directly leading to your well-being this very day. Happy Thanksgiving! Okay, one more link: my News Quiz for November just went up. Have fun! Posted by Joe Caponi at 01:55 PM, November 26, 2008 FAQ: Upcoming ChannelWeb Directories and Awards 2009Start planning for 2009 now -- keep an eye here for opportunities to be included in ChannelWeb's directories, rankings and awards programs. Continue reading "FAQ: Upcoming ChannelWeb Directories and Awards 2009" Posted by Joe Caponi at 11:58 AM, November 25, 2008 The Top 25 Executives Of 2008They range from top vendor executives and channel chiefs to solution provider leaders and corpoate CIOs. Together they make up our Top 25 Executives Of 2008, a varied group of individuals who share a commitment to the channel and a passion for growing their businesses no matter what obstacles they face. We highlight the winners in our slide show, and dig deeper in individual profiles of each of the Top Executives. Posted by Joe Caponi at 03:09 PM, November 24, 2008 BlackBerry Storm ArrivesToday's the day Research In Motion's touch-screen smartphone, the BlackBerry storm, arrives in stores. Andrew Hickey asks, "Can The BlackBerry Storm Live Up To The Hype?" "BlackBerry loyalists and fickle smartphone consumers alike have been salivating over the possibility of a touch-screen BlackBerry since Steve Jobs and Apple birthed the first run of iPhones. Originally, RIM brass said the iPhone presented little to no threat against its smartphone empire, but the iPhone quickly became the most popular mobile device, mostly due to this summer's official release if the Apple iPhone 3G. Somewhere along the line, RIM took notice." Over at Fortune, they round up early reviews of the Storm. Meanwhile, Hickey also notes that the Storm may be in short supply for awhile. Posted by Joe Caponi at 09:58 AM, November 21, 2008 An Upgrade For Our Pricing And Availability ToolWe've just rolled out a major upgrade to our Real Time Pricing and Availability tool. Built by our partners at VARStreet, the application queries major distributors, as well as more than two dozen web retailers, to provide quick access to the best pricing on technology products. In particular, if you're a partner of Ingram Micro, Tech Data, Synnex, or D&H, you'll get back your own preferred pricing from the search engine. You'll build quotes more rapidly, and save money in the process. Check it out, and let us know how we can continue to improve upon it. Posted by Joe Caponi at 02:22 PM, November 20, 2008 Notebooks, Netbooks On The MoveIn today's CRNTech, the Test Center's Ed Moltzen surveys the state of today's dynamic notebook market: "Significant market disruption in use patterns, pricing and new product cycles will create both opportunities and pitfalls for solution providers. Included: a look at the leading-edge notebooks from Lenovo, Dell, Fujitsu, HP, and Seneca. Posted by Joe Caponi at 11:34 AM, November 17, 2008 ChannelWeb @ LinkedIn: 1000 StrongOur ChannelWeb Network Group on LinkedIn is now just over 1,000 strong. If you haven't checked it out, join the channel's premier LinkedIn group and connect with your potential partners, employees, and employers! Posted by Joe Caponi at 12:59 PM, November 14, 2008 An Rx For Healthcare OpportunityAs we prepare for our Healthcare IT Summit next week, Chad Berndtson takes a look at solution providers expectations for the coming year: "[C.J. Ezell] converted The ASI Group from primarily a break-fix business to specializing entirely in health care, and he's since seen steady growth... Ezell has a particular focus on dental office clients, which he suggested represent one of the most untapped potential business opportunities for solution providers out there." Other opportunities identified included wireless networking, unified communications, and electronic medical records (EMR). "'If you're not into EMR within the next two to three years, you're really going to be too late. Take the plunge and get into it.'" Just today, Perot Systems (#35 on the VARBusiness 500) announced it was acquiring Tellurian Networks specifically to beef up their medical practice. Posted by Joe Caponi at 11:21 AM, November 14, 2008 California ShakeOut Preps For DisasterToday, possibly millions of southern Californians will participate in the Great Southern California ShakeOut, part of a weeklong disaster preparedness exercise. The Los Angeles Times reports: "After today's 'Duck, Cover and Hold On' drill, nearly 4,000 people from 100 local, state and federal agencies, including the military, in 12 counties in Southern and Central California will rehearse their emergency responses." It's not a bad time to review your own emergency planning, both for yourself and your family, as well as your business. In September, Scott Campbell examined how New Orleans VARs prepared for Hurricane Gustav, based on what they learned from Hurricane Katrina: "One of the big lessons from Katrina, said Bill Long, president of Integrated Network Systems, a Metairie, La.-based solution provider, was that customers who backed up their data locally couldn't get to it or lost it after that 2005 storm. Customers kept tape drives in bank faults or on local off-site servers, thinking that even if the power went out, they could get to the office to retrieve them. Of course, in many cases that couldn't happen as parts of the city were shut down weeks and even months. " Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:00 AM, November 13, 2008 Cisco's Cost-Cutting CriticisedIn response to Cisco Cancels 2009 Global Sales Meeting, we just received this insightful letter from John Kiser, CEO at security consultant Gray Hat Research: "I am increasingly amazed at the what has become a typical pattern when the economy becomes tough -- cut costs by eliminating rewards for sales professionals. The one group at Cisco that can most impact the company’s success or failure in the marketplace, their salespeople, will enjoy a year without an annual event to celebrate successes, learn from one another, the company and others. What a shame that someone who likely has had little or no direct interface with people who can make a decision to buy or not buy Cisco products can cause this kind of result. Posted by Joe Caponi at 03:22 PM, November 12, 2008 |
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