Software
Pressure growing to give cloud attacks more legal penalities
Posted: Mon, 08 Feb 2010The pressure could be mounting to redraw the legal penalties for hacking into a cloud system with the current consequences for targeting hosted data not reflecting the potential damage caused...Read More »
NetSuite losses widen but CEO remains positive
Posted: Fri, 05 Feb 2010ERP cloud computing specialist NetSuite has seen its losses for the fourth quarter and the year widen despite meeting expectations on the revenue front.The company, which can boast of having...Read More »
Global IT spending recovery won't fully bounce back until 2011
Posted: Wed, 03 Feb 2010The lingering impact of the recession will peg back the recovery in global IT spending to just 3% as credit and demand remain limited commodities.According to IDC the recovery over...Read More »
Customers failing to use SAM to save money
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Microscope Media Centre
Posted: Tue, 02 Feb 2010MicroScope.co.uk Media Information MicroScope is the longest established weekly newspaper for computer manufacturers, distributors and resellers who need to maintain a competitive edge in the channel. Hard-hitting opinionated editorial covers...Read More »
CA seeks backup and recovery resellers
Posted: Mon, 01 Feb 2010CA has kicked off a two month campaign to grow the number of resellers it has in its channel with recovery management skills.The 'CA Seeks' initiative starts today running until...Read More »
Veeam unites European management into single role
Posted: Fri, 29 Jan 2010Virtualisation specialist Veeam has shuffled its management pack uniting the control of Europe under a single head.Previously the vendor had used a system of Southern and Northern European management but...Read More »
CA unveils fresh CEO and on track Q3 numbers
Posted: Thu, 28 Jan 2010CA is looking forward to its recent investments in cloud computing to start feeding through to the remaining three months of its fiscal year after it announced reasonably stable numbers...Read More »
Analysis: Educators fear IT budget cuts
Posted: Thu, 28 Jan 2010Although the weather might have hit the numbers, more than 30,000 visitors were expected to walk the floors of London's Olympia at this year's BETT Show over its four-day span.One...Read More »
Government aims to save £3.2bn a year with new IT strategy
Posted: Wed, 27 Jan 2010The government has published its IT strategy for the public sector, pinpointing £3.2bn worth of savings to be made across the sector. The savings are the technology part of the...Read More »
SAP talks of recovery despite recession hit 2009
Posted: Wed, 27 Jan 2010The recession took its toll on enterprise software specialist SAP with the vendor releasing a set of full year results littered with minus signs. For its financial year...Read More »
In depth: Lessons from BETT 2010
Posted: Tue, 26 Jan 2010Heavy snow, icy pavements and frozen roads only heightened the buzz at last month's BETT show at London's Olympia. The world's largest annual technology in education show, the event had...Read More »
FAST IiS clarifies relationship with FAST Ltd to end confusion
Posted: Fri, 22 Jan 2010The Federation Against Software Theft (FAST IiS) has moved to clarify its standing with FAST Ltd in an attempt to dispel any confusion in the market. Although...Read More »
Don’t get sidelined in the cloud revolution
Posted: Thu, 21 Jan 2010As cloud computing moves towards the mainstream of IT, resellers are increasingly being challenged to rethink the traditional “box shifting” mindset and look at new delivery models such as software,...Read More »
Keep track of software assets
Posted: Thu, 21 Jan 2010Attendees at a recent roundtable discussed the uncertainty surrounding software licensing during mergers and acquisitionsAt the roundtableThe roundtable event, part of the CEO Series, was hosted by FAST Ltd and...Read More »
In-depth: Opportunities as BI vendors look to SMEs
Posted: Tue, 19 Jan 2010Research group Gartner says business intelligence (BI) is once again the top spending priority for large enterprises as they attempt to exploit corporate information more effectively to reduce costs, boost...Read More »
Workplace downloads put businesses at risk, says FAST
Posted: Fri, 15 Jan 2010Anti-piracy campaigners FAST IiS have spoken out over new research from security firm ScanSafe that purported to show a 55% rise in office workers attempting to download illegal software...Read More »
Teachers call for more technology investment in schools
Posted: Wed, 13 Jan 2010The majority of teachers across Europe have urged governments to free up more cash to drive greater adoption of technology in schools, according to a survey commissioned by Intel. The study,...Read More »
Microsoft issues patch to remove i4i custom tags
Posted: Fri, 08 Jan 2010Microsoft has released a 12.3Mbyte patch for Office 2007, to comply with a US court order banning the use of custom tagging after 10 January 2010. The move follows...Read More »
FAST to share knowledge of digital software law
Posted: Thu, 07 Jan 2010Bono is not alone in raising questions about copyright protection around digital files. The Federation Against Software Theft (FAST) is also looking to share its legal knowledge with resellers and...Read More »
Vendors increase audits and extend reasons for non-compliance
Posted: Thu, 07 Jan 2010Vendors are widening the reasons customers can fail a software audit making it even more important for users to step up internal efforts, with the aid of a reseller, to...Read More »
BSA nabs first unlicensed user of 2010
Posted: Thu, 07 Jan 2010The Business Software Alliance (BSA) has caught up with a West Midlands-based firm discovered allegedly using unlicensed Microsoft and Adobe software in its first settlement of the new year....Read More »
CDC license predictions point to enterprise software revival
Posted: Wed, 06 Jan 2010CDC Software is predicting a significant rise in the volume of licence revenue it can reap from its installed base in the fourth quarter as a result of resumed buying...Read More »
Inflexible ERP systems wasting millions
Posted: Tue, 15 Dec 2009The spectre of wasted money and failed implementations that used to haunt the ERP market has not been banished completely with users still experiencing frustration with their technology....Read More »
Tech trader: Autotask raises the bar with Taskfire system
Posted: Wed, 09 Dec 2009Using technology to track each and every minute a reseller spends working on behalf of a customer, billing for it and then chasing the invoice, makes a great deal of...Read More »
Packaged cloud apps overpriced and lack choice
Posted: Mon, 07 Dec 2009Software as a service (SaaS) might be being held back from wider adoption because of the price tag, with users put off by the costs of hosted applications.In a blog...Read More »
Windows 7 gives PC market a boost
Posted: Wed, 02 Dec 2009The release of Windows 7 appears to be working some magic in terms of PC sales, with both manufacturers and analysts reporting increased demand and sales as the crucial Christmas...Read More »
Microsoft security update triggers black screen of death
Posted: Tue, 01 Dec 2009A security update sent round to Microsoft customers last week appears to have triggered a ‘black screen of death’ that is impacting Windows 7, Vista and XP users. ...Read More »
Private clouds set to dominate horizon for next few years
Posted: Tue, 01 Dec 2009It will come as little surprise to those resellers on the front line selling hosted services but more money is going to be spent on private rather than public...Read More »
Accounting software market still to touch large chunk of SME sector
Posted: Mon, 30 Nov 2009Resellers specialising in selling accountancy software wondering what size of the market is still doing their accounts manually are looking at a significant number of untapped customers.According to research from...Read More »
Analysis: Can SAP rise to the SaaS challenge?
Posted: Thu, 26 Nov 2009SAP reported poor third quarter results last month as attendees of its TechEd summit in Vienna saw a company at pains to show how it plans to reinvent itself and...Read More »
BSA doubles rewards for London whistle blowers
Posted: Tue, 24 Nov 2009The Business Software Alliance (BSA) has doubled the reward to those staff that are prepared to blow the whistle on their employers using unlicensed software. According to research...Read More »
Microsoft calls on developers to add value to Windows 7
Posted: Thu, 19 Nov 2009Microsoft has continued to court developers at its annual shindig for the ISV community detailing opportunities for third parties to add functionality around Windows 7. The vendor...Read More »
Ingram Micro unveils SAM strategy
Posted: Thu, 19 Nov 2009Ingram Micro has taken the covers off a Software Asset Management (SAM) strategy backed by Microsoft designed to place resellers in the position to certify user software licenses....Read More »
TSG back on acquisition trail
Posted: Tue, 17 Nov 2009TSG is now back on the reseller acquisition trail, having called a halt to its expansion plans in March last year. The largest national accountancy reseller has grown to its...Read More »
In depth: Making software count
Posted: Mon, 16 Nov 2009Vendors and resellers in the accounting market say they have begun to see signs that the worst of the recession is over. Customers are buying reporting tools to give them...Read More »
In depth: Bright ideas in the cloud
Posted: Tue, 10 Nov 2009It has been a long time since a concept was hyped by the IT industry quite as much as cloud computing. Just about every vendor and many a channel partner...Read More »
In depth: Selling Windows 7
Posted: Thu, 05 Nov 2009It is the biggest release of the year and arguably the most important in Microsoft’s history, but will Windows 7 live up to expectations and erase the ill will caused...Read More »
Windows 7 needs to target XP users
Posted: Thu, 22 Oct 2009Expectations around Windows 7 remain high fuelled by the optimistic views of analysts but the latest high profile launch from Microsoft has its work cut out persuading existing users...Read More »
Citrix license revenues dip in Q3
Posted: Thu, 22 Oct 2009As the ships steady in the wake of the recession the latest to provide an indication that the damage has been contained and the future prospects should be brighter...Read More »
UK software industry ripe for investment
Posted: Wed, 21 Oct 2009The UK software industry is not the dead duck that gloom merchants might like to describe it as with it instead being an ideal sector for investment. According...Read More »
Citrix changes XenDesktop licensing after user pressure
Posted: Wed, 21 Oct 2009Citrix has reacted to customer criticisms of the user based licensing of its XenDesktop 4 product and introduced more flexibility into its payment options. The virtualised desktop product...Read More »
Five minute interview: Craig Whitney, Axway
Posted: Tue, 20 Oct 2009MicroScope puts its questions to Craig Whitney, vice-president and managing director of AxwayWhat is the best/worst advice you have received and from whom? Always have a ‘plan B’ – from...Read More »
Ballmer strident over Windows 7 prospects
Posted: Fri, 09 Oct 2009This month is going to be one of the busiest in Microsoft’s calendar for quite a while as the vendor counts the days down to the launch of Windows 7.To...Read More »
Storage Expo 2009: preview
Posted: Fri, 02 Oct 2009We highlight the product launches happening at the data storage and information management event next week.It is a measure of how far things have changed over the past year or...Read More »
Software-based deduplication brings new options to SME market
Posted: Tue, 08 Sep 2009Data deduplication has been a hot topic in the storage world for the past year or so, and with good reason. Any technology with the power to tame the relentless...Read More »
Microsoft hands users option to check Office legality
Posted: Tue, 25 Aug 2009Microsoft is stepping up efforts to encourage customers to check the legality of their Office software in a bid to cut the level of pirated versions in circulation....Read More »
Analysis: Microsoft battles it out for last Word
Posted: Mon, 24 Aug 2009Sorry - billy's analysis at last for MondayA tiny company in Toronto is threatening to bring a lucrative part of the Microsoft ecosystem to a grinding halt after winning a...Read More »
Microsoft attempts to block Word ban
Posted: Tue, 18 Aug 2009Microsoft has filed an emergency motion to block an order that would ban sales of Microsoft Word in the US within 60 days and force it to pay fines...Read More »
Microsoft acknowledges Linux as a desktop competitor
Posted: Wed, 05 Aug 2009Microsoft has acknowledged Linux as a competitor to its Windows desktop client business for the first time. Microsoft listed Linux distributors Canonical and Red Hat among competing commercial software suppliers...Read More »
Opinion: Putting e-mail disclaimers to good use
Posted: Mon, 03 Aug 2009Failure to sign off e‑mails properly can be costly. On 1 October 2008, new rules came into force concerning the trading disclosures that incorporated companies must make to demonstrate their...Read More »
Oracle to buy GoldenGate Software
Posted: Fri, 24 Jul 2009Oracle is to add yet another software company to its growing list of acquisitions building on the growing list of companies it has picked up in the last five years. ...Read More »
Microsoft unveils Azure pricing model
Posted: Tue, 14 Jul 2009Microsoft has unveiled the pricing structure for its Azure cloud platform as it encourages developers to engage with the platform and resellers to start to promote the vendor's offering.Users will...Read More »
SaaS not the panacea according to UK users
Posted: Wed, 08 Jul 2009In a report that will have echoes of the experience some customers with the ASP model back in the 1990s users are ‘underwhelmed’ after moving to SaaS. According...Read More »
Google to challenge Microsoft with Chrome OS
Posted: Wed, 08 Jul 2009Google is developing a fast, simple and secure computer operating system that is designed to work well on the web. The operating system, called Google Chrome OS, is an...Read More »
Oracle calls for more vertical focus
Posted: Wed, 08 Jul 2009Oracle has kicked off its virtual partner conference with a call to arms from senior channel management keen to encourage the channel to engage with its demand generation...Read More »
IBM warns mid-sized companies against neglecting data
Posted: Wed, 01 Jul 2009Mid-sized companies are taking a dangerously lax attitude to managing and mining their data leaving them unable to take fully informed decisions about future strategy. According to research...Read More »
Oracle results show software holding up
Posted: Wed, 24 Jun 2009Green shoot watchers received a fillip in the form of better than expected results from Oracle with the vendor commenting that there had not been a catastrophic drop in...Read More »
2e2 lands Kognitio hosted database deal
Posted: Mon, 22 Jun 2009As the market for cloud services expands the Database as a Service (DaaS) specialist Kognitio has signed up 2e2 as the provider of the hosting to underpin the offering....Read More »
HP puts emphasis on transparency at Software Universe
Posted: Thu, 18 Jun 2009Hewlett-Packard has emphasised the need for application transparency and ease of use at its Software Universe event. The vendor has reacted to the current economic climate with a...Read More »
Cloud packed with reseller opportunities
Posted: Wed, 17 Jun 2009Despite the “just a load of hype” rhetoric that cloud computing has experienced in recent times, acceptance of this new IT model is gathering pace. Gartner recently released its cloud...Read More »
Centrix outlines wholesale move to channel
Posted: Thu, 04 Jun 2009The newly appointed channel team at virtualisation service specialists Centrix Software have set out their ambition to move its business from a direct model to indirect using a two-tier...Read More »
Sage talks up position in enterprise space
Posted: Thu, 04 Jun 2009Nine months since establishing its enterprise division Sage is reporting back tough but healthy market conditions for its ERP and CRM products. The vendor set up an...Read More »
SAM driven by fear rather than strategy
Posted: Wed, 20 May 2009Although the interest in Software Asset Management (SAM) is higher than it has been in the past there are some concerns that it is being driven by fear of...Read More »
Analysis: Window of Opportunity
Posted: Mon, 18 May 2009Although the exact release date remains shrouded in secrecy the push in the channel to make sure Windows 7 has a better experience than Vista has already begun. The...Read More »
Fear of vendor audits and need to save cash driving SAM
Posted: Fri, 15 May 2009The threat of vendor software audits, which is increasing in the downturn, is leading to an increase in interest in Software Asset Management tools. Earlier this week the Software...Read More »
Recession piling pressure on software managers
Posted: Thu, 14 May 2009The recession is having an impact on the way companies handle their software licences as job cuts and increasing vendor audits squeeze firms. The findings of research carried...Read More »
Benefits of SAM getting through to customers
Posted: Tue, 12 May 2009The message about the benefits of using Software Asset Management (SAM) appears to be getting through to users with a strong attendance at the first industry event to promote the...Read More »
Cloud is a state of mind
Posted: Tue, 12 May 2009Let’s face facts: if the cloud can’t deliver plenty of useful, secure, speedy and easy-to-use business applications, then it’s never going to take off beyond a niche audience. No-one wants...Read More »
Oracle calls on channel to mount SME BI push
Posted: Thu, 07 May 2009Oracle is mounting a channel push to get more mid-sized and SMEs using business intelligence (BI) after discovering a decent portion of that market is not using the technology....Read More »
Microsoft lands demanding public sector deal
Posted: Wed, 06 May 2009Microsoft has signed off a deal with Buying Solutions that will allow the vendor to sell across the public sector and give the government the chance to trumpet £75m...Read More »
Micro Focus swoops for Borland and chunk of Compuware
Posted: Wed, 06 May 2009Micro Focus has acquired Borland in a $75m deal and also picked up the application testing and automated software quality business of Compuware in a move that will strengthen...Read More »
Citrix simplifies enterprise licensing
Posted: Wed, 06 May 2009Citrix has announced changes to its licensing purchasing process in order to simplify customer paperwork and remove the need for upfront costs. An increasing number of software vendors...Read More »
Big ticket ERP sales struggling to convince users
Posted: Thu, 16 Apr 2009The price tag on large ERP system purchases has become too difficult for most customers to swallow in the current climate. Not only are the up-front costs a...Read More »
Symantec CEO pens supportive letter to partners
Posted: Wed, 15 Apr 2009The CEO of Symantec has penned a letter to resellers promising to keep listening to their concerns, reduce channel conflict and keep them informed of the vendor’s plans. ...Read More »
Economy and compatibilty fears could hit Windows 7
Posted: Tue, 14 Apr 2009The economy and compatibility issues could hold back the adoption of Windows 7 along with bad memories of a Vista experience. That is the verdict of research into...Read More »
Time to wield SAM carrot
Posted: Thu, 09 Apr 2009The mechanism of carrot and stick is long-established and one that involves balance between risks and rewards.Some might argue the approach in the software compliance world has focused slightly too...Read More »
Corel Q1 numbers hit by downturn
Posted: Thu, 02 Apr 2009Software vendor Corel has posted a worse than expected loss for its first quarter and responded by talking up its cost cutting programme. The Canadian company suffered a...Read More »
Lixto online tool will highlight price breakers
Posted: Thu, 26 Mar 2009The temptation for resellers and e-tailers to lead on price could be challenged as tools emerge that monitor product price levels available in the market. One of the...Read More »
Precise calls on resellers to exploit Symantec APM gap
Posted: Wed, 25 Mar 2009Application performance management (APM) specialist Precise is looking to exploit the decision by its former owner Symantec to stop producing APM products into the market telling its resellers to...Read More »
Licence whistleblowers wanted to hit corporate cost cutters
Posted: Mon, 23 Mar 2009The Federation Against Software Theft has launched a whistleblower campaign to try and encourage those people uncomfortable with the idea of being pressured by their bosses to use unlicensed software.The...Read More »
Software audits put SAM under the spotlight
Posted: Mon, 23 Mar 2009The increasing number of software vendor audits is pushing more customers towards Software Asset Management (SAM) as they try to remain compliant with their licensing requirements.There have been warnings sounded...Read More »
Software industry puts SAM event on the calendar
Posted: Fri, 20 Mar 2009A one day conference has been put in the diary by the software industry to highlight the risks customers face of being unlicensed and they way that asset management can...Read More »
Nebulas demonstrates consultancy skills with VMware F5 link
Posted: Tue, 17 Mar 2009Virtualisation and security reseller Nebulas Solutions has bolstered its consultancy credentials after setting up a demo linking F5 application balancing to a VMware virtual environment. The reseller...Read More »
Forrester cool on prospects of hosted BI taking off
Posted: Fri, 13 Mar 2009The future for hosted software is expanding beyond the traditional CRM and human resource management realms into other markets helping to drive the growth of SaaS and the potential...Read More »
Trading Standards keeps pressure on IP flouters in Cardiff
Posted: Thu, 12 Mar 2009Trading Standards in Cardiff has completed its second stage of inspections to check local firms are towing the line on software licensing compliance. With the support of the...Read More »
Virtualisation management emerging as stand alone opportunity
Posted: Mon, 09 Mar 2009Virtualisation management is becoming a discipline in its own right as more customers struggle to make the best use of the investments they have made in the past couple...Read More »
Microsoft backs Genesis Communications and Increase CRM merger
Posted: Fri, 06 Mar 2009Microsoft has indicated it is supporting the merger of Genesis Communications and Increase CRM as a combined operation will help drive its hosted software strategy. Genesis acquired Increase...Read More »
Microsoft launches online business process suite at CeBit
Posted: Tue, 03 Mar 2009Microsoft has used CeBit as the venue to take the wraps off its Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS) providing a range of hosted services for companies to start trialling.The suite...Read More »
A secure thin client for lean times
Posted: Fri, 27 Feb 2009There is a growing movement towards buying thin clients, not only to cut costs but also to head off security concerns.The recession has been a godsend for those looking to...Read More »
BCS returns to profitability
Posted: Fri, 27 Feb 2009Financial software developer Business Control Solutions Group has benefited from narrowing its focus and trimming costs over the last financial year returning to profit in 2008. The company...Read More »
Can managed print services revive the printer market?
Posted: Thu, 26 Feb 2009Over the last 18 months the topic of print management, or managed print services, has begun to feature more and more on the radar of vendors, customers and resellers. The...Read More »
Software audits set to rise in tough market
Posted: Tue, 17 Feb 2009Resellers advising customers about their software licensing requirements could be set for a busy time as the vendors turn up the notch in increasing audit levels to claw back potential...Read More »
Good year ahead for virtualisation software
Posted: Tue, 17 Feb 2009Virtualisation software continues to be one of the few near recession proof technologies in 2009 with analysts predicting another year of significant growth in the server and desktop spaces....Read More »
FAST Ltd repositions to increase SAM adoption
Posted: Wed, 11 Feb 2009The commercial operation that informs users about their licensing requirements FAST Ltd has moved to reposition the company under a fresh head of the business. Speaking to MicroScope,...Read More »
Recession boosts uptake of managed services
Posted: Fri, 06 Feb 2009The provision of managed services is likely to be one of the brighter spots in an otherwise difficult economic landscape this year and has the potential to become a safe...Read More »
Corel reports Q4 profits drop
Posted: Fri, 06 Feb 2009Canadian software vendor Corel has reported a drop in Q4 profits and revealed it is not going to make forecasts about the rest of the year. The quarterly...Read More »
SAP talks of death of upgrades with Business Suite 7
Posted: Wed, 04 Feb 2009SAP has taken the wraps off its vision for the future scraping its traditional approach to upgrading products. The vendor has used the launch of its latest...Read More »
ITAC owner sent down and assets seized to cover £2.5m fine
Posted: Wed, 28 Jan 2009Microsoft continues to pursue ITAC owner Barry Omesuh to get hold of the £2.5m he has been ordered to pay in damages after being found guilty of intellectual property...Read More »
SAP cuts staff and reveals income hit in 08 figures
Posted: Wed, 28 Jan 2009One of the most honest voices in the downturn has come from the board room at SAP as the German software player has consistently spelt out the reality of...Read More »