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Reseller News

  • IBM delays Principles of Engagement
    IBM will open up a raft of direct accounts to business partners early next year as part of a cost cutting process. As a result Big Blue has delayed the roll out of the Principles of Engagement programme that had initially been earmarked for release in the middle of last month.
  • Security resellers cannot rest on laurels and must up value
    The security market is likely to remain a beacon for resellers despite the downturn because of the need for customer vigilance against mounting threats.
  • Crunch starts to hit services
    Analysts at Forrester Research have started to gather anecdotal evidence that indicates the credit crunch is hitting IT service specialists.
  • IBM lifts covers off enterprise data centre programme
    IBM has unveiled enterprise data centre specialisations for a select band of resellers interested in addressing the growing need among large firms to radically overhaul their inefficient server farms.
  • Cisco mum on Linksys future as combined SMB channel takes flight
    Cisco has continued to maintain its silence over the definitive future of the small business-focused side of its prosumer and small office Linksys brand after folding Linksys’ SMB channel into the Cisco registered partner programme last month. This is in spite of encouraging signs that the move to integrate the two channels has gone down well.
  • Casualties of DSGi redundancies revealed
    Details have started to surface about the extent of the casualties of the redundancies made by DSGi across its reseller arms.
  • Phoenix warns of softening in half year figures
    Phoenix IT services has unveiled a picture of the half year that show growth but contain the signs of continued softening in the market.
  • Graydon warns channel insolvencies set to soar
    The number of channel firms going to the wall is on the up according to the latest set of insolvency figures from Graydon UK but worse is yet to come the credit reference agency has warned.
  • Kazerounian to exit Stone Group
    Sam Kazerounian, founder of UK system builder Compusys that was bought by Stone Computers nearly two years ago is preparing to leave the firm and take a break from the industry after 21 years in the channel.
  • Virdi leaves Bytes amid re-branding exercise
    After 13 years at Bytes Technology Group (BTG) sales director Zak Verdi has resigned to help set up an operation in the UK and potentially for licensing specialist SoftwareONE.
  • Thin client market to soar
    The thin client market is set to boom following the advent of virtualisation according to analyst predictions, heaping further pressure on the traditional desktop market and the pure PC players in that space.
  • Dell pilots managed service with partners
    Dell’s second specialisation for channel partners is being piloted in the capital, a month after the remote management service was trialled by the direct sales force with existing hardware customers.
  • British Chambers of Commerce calls for confidence
    were looking tough, has issued its latest quarterly survey indicating that recession has arrived for its members.
  • DataCore expolits LeftHand uncertianty
    Virtualisation player DataCore has lined up a programme to woo LeftHand Networks’ resellers with software discounts and rebates in a bid to unsettle the rival’s channel following the proposed acquisition by Hewlett-Packard.
  • Dell tries to tap up corporate resellers
    Dell has been working behind the scenes to formalise links with corporate giants SCC and Computacenter but it is believed that both firms have walked away from a deal – at least temporarily - as it would upset their biggest partner Hewlett-Packard.
  • Sophos on the hunt for networking specialists
    Sophos is looking to recruit networking partners in an effort to support its extending portfolio, which includes Network Access Controls.
  • 2e2 completes acquisition of Netstore
    Integrator 2e2 has today finalised the acquisition of security and managed services provider Netstore for £57m.
  • Axon board backs HCL bid
    The battle to acquire SAP consultancy specialist Axon looks like swinging in HCL Technologies favour at the expense of rival Infosys.
  • BSA announces settlements and files a court order
    The Business Software Alliance (BSA) has continued to keep the pressure on those failing to use legal software after announcing a handful of successful cases.
  • Microsoft steps up virtualisation training
    With the launch of Hyper-V under its belt Microsoft has recognised that it needs to increase the amount of virtualisation training.
  • Financing still on the table for the channel
    There are encouraging sings that those responsible in the US for lending money to resellers and customers have not cut back their credit limits despite the meltdown on Wall Street.
  • Energy costs growing at a worrying speed
    Businesses are fighting an uphill battle to contain and reduce power consumption in data centres with figures from IDC revealing the amount of energy they require is "climbing at a worrying speed" and rose by more than 13% between 2006 and 2007.
  • Ballmer prepares channel for Cloud OS and online services
    The end of this month will see a series of significant announcements from Microsoft about cloud computing.
  • Channel warned on eBay risks
    The channel has been warned to be very wary when using the popular auction site for business purposes after it was found that a Cisco VPN bought for 99p from eBay automatically connected to Kirklees Council in Yorkshire.
  • Gamma unveils assured service
    Business broadband and comms provider Gamma Telecom has lifted the lid on a new assured IP telephony services proposition that the firm has claimed is the first such service to carry a guaranteed end-to-end SLA.
  • Colt adds managed services MD
    Business comms provider Colt has appointed former BT president of global business operations and professional services, Maggy McClelland as managing director of its managed services business.
  • SecureTrading joins CNP fight
    There have long been high levels of frustration in the channel with the lack of apparent willingness by the banking and legal professions to tackle cardholder not present fraud.
  • Log data delivers value
    Resellers should cash in as companies are willing to pay for automated log management
  • Resellers to the rescue
    Selling virtualisation to SMEs can boost their storage capacity while saving them money
  • It’s time to smarten up
    Is there room for the reseller in the smartphone marketplace now the Apple iPhone has arrived? Davey Winder reports
  • Do not blow the big ITIL opportunity
    Many organisations are playing a waiting game on ITIL v3 training, but the channel cannot afford to do the same
  • Cut the backup behemoth down to size
    The channel can help businesses rein back the monstrous growth of the backup window, says Ryan Witt
  • Microsoft scores one over pirates
    Anti-piracy actions are often kept private, but Microsoft has revealed details of a successful piracy lawsuit.
  • The changing face of IT recruitment
    Evidence points to a buoyant jobs market despite the economic downturn, with different approaches to hiring.
  • Opening up security
    Nick Lowe, regional director for Northern Europe at Check Point, tells Simon Quicke how changing attitudes to security are presenting fresh challenges
  • Consumer IT can work for business
    Consumerisation is often seen as an ugly word when it encroaches on business, but is it really such a bad thing?
  • Indian suitors court SAP specialist Axon Group
    Indian based HCL Technologies has entered the bidding war for UK-based SAP consultancy specialist Axon Group.
  • Affiniti parent KCOM latest to reveal Lehman hit
    The fall-out from the collapse of Lehman Brothers continues to ripple across the channel with Affiniti and Kingston Communications parent KCOM warning it could be hit by £3m by the demise of the financial institution.
  • Webb joins Samsung and praises pure channel model
    Following his departure from Hewlett-Packard in June, industry veteran Dominic Webb has joined Samsung to head up its UK display division and is relishing working for a vendor that doesn't face the “daily” conflict of managing a hybrid sales model.
  • Dell finally unveils Certified Partner
    Dell has finally lifted the covers off Skye Group as its first Certified Partner in the UK who has sat the Enterprise Architecture specialisation.
  • Unisys CEO to step down
    Unisys is hunting for a successor to CEO Joseph McGrath after it emerged he plans step down at the end of 2008 following three difficult years at the helm.
  • Dell tinkering causes delays for partner quotes
    Dell’s management in tinkering with its Premier Page portal for partners but its decision to remove certain warranty options has caused delays to resellers’ customer quotes as orders are currently being processed manually.
  • Cisco extends lead in security appliances
    Cisco is running away with the security hardware sector in Western Europe following a quarter that saw market revenues reach a record high despite a decline in the number of systems sold.
  • Microsoft strings up ITAC for second time
    Nearly three years after Microsoft took down Manchester-based reseller ITAC for unlawful grey trading in its software (MicroScope 30 January 2006), Redmond has reported more details of the February 2006 case, revealing ITAC continued to trade illegally, flouting the terms of its settlement with Microsoft.
  • Dell becomes latest vendor to raise prices
    Dell has confirmed prices on specific products lines have increased as a result of the strengthening dollar, following in the foot steps of rivals Hewlett-Packard and Acer.
  • Didata reveals all to carbon project
    Dimension Data has submitted a report to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP6) disclosing its greenhouse gas emissions and its plans to combat climate change as part of an attempt to ‘baseline’ its global carbon footprint.
  • Sun to set up demand gen team for EMEA partners
    Sun Microsystems is trying to claw its way out of the current industry-wide downturn by assembling a demand generation team to drum up leads across EMEA having parted company with Advanced Alchemy.
  • Sun hikes MDF levels and relaxes rules
    Sun Microsystems has finally upped the level of marketing development funds (MDF) top tier partners can accrue and it is far more flexible on how its channel spends the money.
  • Parallels hands Computacenter gold to grow market
    Virtualisation specialist has appointed Computacenter as a gold partner with a brief to open up more enterprise accounts for the vendor.
  • Lehman Brothers troubles hit channel
    As one of the world’s largest banks, the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers has sent ripples through the financial world but the collapse has also hit its hardware suppliers Morse and Computacenter.
  • IronPort strengthens channel commitment
    IronPort Systems has strengthened its commitment to distribution and the channel with the appointment of three executives to help drive its indirect strategy
  • FAST working on forensic tool to curtial counterfieters
    The Federation Against Software Theft (FAST) is a not far away from rolling out a forensic tool that will enable Trading Standards to search systems to find unlicensed software.
  • Flushing out the counterfeit products
    Following changes in the law, the Trading Standards Institute has greater power in its fight against software pirates.
  • Teksys acquires Tech MS to bolster virtualisation offering
    Microsoft LAR Teksys has acquired Technology Made Simple Ltd (Tech MS) in a move that will bolster its credentials in the virtualisation market.
  • Healthcare could be recession-proof vertical
    Analysts at Datamonitor have revealed that although the majority of enterprises are set to trim their IT budgets in the next 12 months, the healthcare sector is emerging as an exception, with significant increases in budgets expected.
  • Financial meltdown impacts channel order books
    The meltdown in the global financial market has created a tidal wave of uncertainty among IT buyers that were already twitchy about ripples in the global economy, dramatically altering resellers’ and integrators prospect lists.
  • FAST raid leans on copyright legal powers
    The Federation Against Software Theft (FAST) has used the powers set down in the Copyright and Patents Act for the first time to support an anti-piracy raid.
  • BT offers hardware services
    BT has thrown down the gauntlet by stepping up the services it offers that compete with other resellers.
  • BSA notches up another success against counterfieter with legal action
    The Business Software Alliance continues to keep its legal team busy after issuing proceedings against the owner of Wolverhampton-based RJ-Software.
  • Microsoft opens up public sector discount licensing
    Microsoft has widened its public sector licensing discount levels to allow resellers to sell competitive licences to organisations with five PCs or more.
  • Glasshouse offers managed services to cover virtualisation skills gap
    Glasshouse has taken the wraps off a managed virtualisation service in response to a skills gap in the market that threatens to hold up the adoption of the technology in some corporates.
  • Lenovo to ship servers to SMEs in October
    Lenovo will start shipping its ThinkServer line into the SME market at the start of next month but it is not yet clear how aggressive the vendor plans to get with rivals in Europe.
  • Toshiba and Samsung to launch netbooks
    Toshiba and Samsung will launch netbooks into the European client market in October to try and cash in on a sector that has been tipped for explosive growth.
  • Dell sets up team to speed special bid quotes for partners
    Resellers complaints that Dell is not as a dynamic since it formalised channel partnerships and securing special bid pricing can take much longer has led the PC maker to designate a team internally to smooth the mechanism.
  • Majority of Fujitsu Services NHS staff redeployed
    The vast majority of Fujitsu Services staff put at risk of redundancy after it walked away from the NHS contract have been re-deployed within the firm according to a company spokesman.
  • IT sector showing signs of credit crunch with as costs of borrowing rise
    Despite the apparent optimism and talk of certain sectors being immune from the pressures of the downturn the ICT market is being hit badly by the credit crunch.
  • Alcatel-Lucent rolls out SME strategy
    Alcatel-Lucent has announced it is to give business partners in the UK and Ireland increased assistance in addressing the SME sector with the launch of a new strategy aimed specifically at the small to medium end of the market.
  • Ciena adds managed services specialisation
    Service-driven network specialist Ciena has added a global Managed Services Provider (MSP) designation to its BizConnect programme. The specialisation is designed to help service providers to compete in high growth markets and enhance their profitability.
  • Small dealers secure after Wall Street turmoil
    The message to resellers concerned about the liquidity of business banking facilities after the collapse of Lehman Brothers and Monday’s rescue of Merrill Lynch, is not to panic.
  • VeriSign embarks on EMEA recruitment drive
    Internet infrastructure security services provider VeriSign is on the lookout for new channel partners in western Europe after appointing two new regional managers.
  • Workshare opens up
    Content protection and control specialist Workshare will give the channel more in-depth access to its IP, allowing resellers and ISVs to better integrate its content control technology solutions with other solutions.
  • Virtualisation competition should increase as the market expands
    The virtualisation market should expand away from being dominated by a few players with fairly rigid pricing befitting resellers looking to get involved with the market.
  • Fujitsu Siemens opts to keep pricing stable
    Fujitsu Siemens is resisting exchange rates pressure to put up prices but may scrutinise the cost of kit in upcoming large corporate tenders.
  • Esteem planning acquisitions
    Managed services specialist Esteem has revealed it plans to aggressively grow its business in the year with two acquisitions planned.
  • Dell to incentivise direct team to increase channel sales
    In a move that would have been unthinkable in the not-too-distant past, Dell’s direct sales force will soon be knocking on the doors of resellers when a pilot kicks in that ties part of their bonuses to channel sales.
  • Maxdata closes UK office
    Maxdata will close its UK offices tomorrow and though resellers can continue to buy kit from the Benelux operation the vendor does not plan in the short term at least to market itself on this side of the English Channel.
  • Changes to Zanzibar should improve reseller public sector success
    Resellers selling into the public sector should find it easier to compete against large rivals under changes made to the Zanzibar Supplier Agreement.
  • HP first to raise PC and server prices
    A strengthening dollar has forced Hewlett-Packard to raise its PC and server prices by 5 to 10% in the UK from Monday and other major vendors are expected to follow suit.
  • Dimension Data reveals costs of network downtime
    Network performance in the UK lags behind the global average and is leading to delays that waste time and cost customers money.
  • IT services set to weather economic storm
    While not immune to the downturn, the services market is Western Europe is predicted to grow at nearly 5% over the next fives reaching $249bn by 2012 according to a survey by IDC.
  • Ricoh signs Westcoast and preps print services
    Ricoh is preparing to release a managed print service for IT resellers in the coming weeks, after it finally completed its distribution line-up in the UK with the appointment of Westcoast.
  • Comet owner issues profits warning
    The owner of Comet has issued a profits warning that falling sales will lead to a loss in the first half of the year.
  • DSGi denies discussions with Metro AG over sale
    DSGi has brushed aside reports that it approached German retail leviathan Metro AG to offer itself up as an acquisition target.
  • Credit crunch starts to show in contract delays
    A report by Forrester Research into IT services spending, overall services, strategies and priorities has confirmed the toll the economic downturn is taking on IT budgets.
  • Is the IT skils shortage over?
    The IT skills shortage appears to be easing according to the government, which did not include any technology occupations on the list issued today by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC).
  • Unsworth axed by Avnet
    John Unsworth the UK head at Horizon has been made by redundant by new parent Avnet Technology Solutions (ATS) but the US distributor has moved to calm fears that this will be the first of many to be pushed out of the door.
  • Morse 2008 results disappointing, says chief exec
    Morse has branded its latest financial results a “disappointment” after posting a significant losses and revenues that declined marginally.
  • CBI points to dramatic rise in flexible working
    The movement towards flexible working, which has an impact on the potential technology being used in the home, is continuing to gather pace.
  • Acer: netbook sales will rival notebooks
    The netbook market is not a flash in the pan but will mature to match notebook unit shipments, predicts Acer.
  • HP Gold accreditation deadline today
    Resellers have until the end of play today to apply for Gold member status with Hewlett-Packard, a new top tier accreditation that comes into effect on the vendor’s new fiscal year.
  • Dell bypasses channel with netbook
    Dell’s netbook finally launched today but business and retail partners have not be given access to the technology in the first instance at least, with sales going through the direct team and telco channels.
  • Foundry EMEA support centre open to resellers
    Foundry Networks has claimed VARs will not be cut out of the loop on services after opening an Amsterdam-based European support centre.
  • Ingram falls out of favour with Brigantia
    Dealer buying group Brigantia has not renewed Ingram Micro’s contract after the two failed to agree on rebates, delivery and service level agreements.
  • Cable & Wireless launches enterprise reseller tools
    Cable & Wireless SME resellers will gain access to enterprise carrier-class IP services and high bandwidth apps such as FMC or IPCCTV on its Multi Service Platform (MSP) through a new channel programme.
  • Belkin management overhaul
    Ian Whittacker, the managing director at Belkin has become the latest UK senior figure to leave the networking vendor in six months amid suggestions that his contract was not renewed.
  • BT Lynx adds Microsoft UC qualification
    BT-owned network services provider Lynx has added Microsoft’s Unified Communications Competency Voice specialisation to its accreditation line-up.
  • DSGI sees sluggish summer
    Financial bosses at PC World and Currys.digital parent DSG International remained cautious today in the face of a challenging consumer market, as the electrical retail giant released a trading update for the 16 weeks to 23 August.
  • Lenovo vows to take consistent approach
    Senior UK management at Lenovo are trying to stage something of a channel love in but realise they need to become more predictable to build a more stable sales platform.
  • HP hels resellers get to grips with data tariffs
    Hewlett-Packard is going to walk resellers through the contract activation process so they are able to sell data tariffs more effectively, something the IT channel has struggled with for years.
  • FAST teams up with IiS to share SAM information
    In a move designed to make it easier for customers to get advice about software asset management (SAM) the Federation Against Software Theft and Investors in Software have joined forces.
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