The VAR Guy isn’t accusing Microsoft of creative accounting. He knows Bill Gates isn’t like former Enron CFO Andrew Fastow. But The VAR Guy scratched his head when Gates said Vista sales now exceed 40 million copies. Hmmm. Let’s take a closer look at the facts. First, let’s give Microsoft credit: 40 million copies of […]
If you read The VAR Guy regularly (doesn’t everyone?), you know that he isn’t exactly bullish on Novell. However, he has to give Novell some praise today for bolstering the company’s relationship with SAP. SAP and Novell are now offering joint support to customers that run SAP applications on Novell’s SuSE Linux. The announcement comes […]
The other shoe has finally dropped. When Apple transitioned its hardware to Intel processors, many pundits wondered when Macintoshes would come pre-loaded with Windows. Well, Apple still isn’t ready to make that move. But a big IT distributor is. Tech Data now offers 13 Macintosh configurations with Windows XP and Parallels preinstalled. Parallels is the […]
Microsoft claims open source software violates more than 200 of its patents, according to an article in Fortune. The online world is now buzzing about that article… wondering if Microsoft will pursue royalties from open source companies and their customers. Hmmm. The VAR Guy was just about to buy a Dell PC with Ubuntu Linux. […]
Much of the Linux community is waiting to for Dell to introduce PCs with Ubuntu pre-loaded in North America. But if you can’t wait for Dell to deliver the goods, there are alternatives. Check out PricePC.com, System76.com and ZAreason.com for a look at small PC suppliers that are loyal to the open source community. In […]
Take the world’s fastest-growing version of Linux and match it with the world’s fastest-growing open source email platform… What do you get? How about a promising partnership between Ubuntu and Zimbra? I heard a rumor — well, more than a rumor — from a trusted source that Ubuntu and Zimbra will announce a relationship next […]
Microsoft continues to generate record profits. But the mood about Windows Vista remains mixed at best, especially among hardware and software partners. The VAR Guy was surprised to read a surprisingly honest assessment of the situation from Hauppauge Digital Inc., maker of WinTV technology. In a statement about quarterly results, Hauppauge CEO Ken Plotkin said, […]
It’s official. I plan to purchase a Dell PC with Ubuntu Linux as soon as possible. My only challenge: Dell has yet to actually unveil the PCs. The company’s Web site now includes a teaser for Ubuntu-based PCs. According to Dell’s site, the PCs with Ubuntu preloaded are “Coming Soon – By Popular Demand.” Interesting. […]
If you listen closely to Mark Enzweiler, Red Hat’s channel VP for North America, he’ll tell you quite a lot by saying just a little. Enzweiler in March assured The VAR Guy that Red Hat would leap from its dominant Linux server position and land on mainframes and desktops. Those words rang true this week […]
Finally, SAS Institute is making some noise again. After launching a channel initiative last year, the business intelligence company had gone quiet for most of this year. Then The VAR Guy started hearing some rumblings about SAS a few weeks ago. Turns out SAS had been intensifying its partner efforts in the government market. New […]
The VAR Guy was on the mark again: As he expected, Red Hat today launched an online store featuring 14 open source software providers. In theory, the Red Hat Exchange could allow the company to become a central online market place for open source applications. The first software companies to support the online store include… […]
What’s next in managed services? The VAR Guy thinks he has found the answer: New tools that tie together multiple third-party MSP platforms. The net result could be a single “business intelligence” window that allows VARs to remotely monitor storage, security, bandwidth and other issues from a single PC. But achieving this nirvana won’t be […]
Brace yourself for a shameless plug: The VAR Guy spent most of today prepping for MuniWireless 2007: New England, a conference focused on best practices for public broadband deployments. Several sessions at the June event will feature VARs and integrators. And for good reason: Solutions providers like Scientel Wireless and Outsource Inc. are building out […]
Rupert Murdock’s bid for The Wall Street Journal hasn’t been accepted (at least not yet…), but The Journal is already peddling in sensationalism. Skeptical? A Journal blogger speculates that Cisco might want to buy Yahoo. It sounds far-fetched, but… …Cisco CEO John Chambers did say last month that Cisco will compete more directly with Google […]
If you’re planning to load up on Dell’s new Ubuntu Linux systems for a corporate department or small business, Dell may have a surprise for you. As the old saying goes, read the fine print. Indeed, Dell will limit Ubuntu sales to five systems per customer, according to fine print on the PC giant’s Web […]
When Red Hat kicks off its annual customer conference May 8 in San Diego, The VAR Guy will be watching closely. The company faces at least seven key challenges–and opportunities–as it tries to remain the open source industry’s most successful company. Here’s the rundown. 7. Don’t Underestimate Oracle Linux: At first, The VAR Guy dismissed […]
The VAR Guy loves unique perspectives and strong opinions. He got plenty of both May 3 during an insightful conversation with SugarCRM CEO John Roberts. Among the revelations: Roberts believes 90 percent of traditional software companies don’t have a long-term future. And while he greatly respects Red Hat, Roberts believes Oracle Linux is not to […]
Dozens of VARs call SugarCRM each week, seeking to join the company’s partner program. The open source company welcomes the interest and continues to sign up new partners. But to generate the biggest profits, you’ll want to be one of SugarCRM’s elite 20 partners, The VAR Guy hears. Details are still pending, but SugarCRM is […]
The VAR Guy hears Red Hat will provide an update about its online software store next week during the company’s customer summit in San Diego. In theory, the move could allow Red Hat to become the Amazon.com of online software sales. Sources close to Red Hat say the Linux provider and at least one of […]
The VAR Guy attended CompTIA’s Managed Services Summit this week near San Diego. During the event, VARs like TeamLogicIT President Chuck Lennon provided a reality check for solutions providers making the move to managed services. Here’s a recap. First, the upside: Most MSPs attending the summit spoke very highly of their current business performance, and […]
