Search

The article discusses plans by large U.S. companies to move away from performance reviews and offer more frequent feedback between employees and managers.

The article discusses the AMD Validated Solutions (AVS) motherboard replacement program of Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) in the U.S. According to the author, the program promises to provide a new set of services, including a 15 month stability guarantee on their products, 48 hour return services, technical support and a 24x7 access to support site. AVS is one of the several channel initiatives to be offered and marketed by AMD in preparation for their new product launching.

The article discusses the result from the 2006 CRN Channel Compensation Survey citing the profit margins of high-technology vendors in the U.S. It was observed that solution providers concentrated on the recurring revenue that their value-added services deliver than their margins and rebates. Infrastructure integrator Networked Information Systems' co-president Bob Murphy considered beneficial margins to be in the 15-20 percent range. INSETS: Marginal Improvement;Satisfaction Vs. Importance.

The article reports on the developments related to the field of innovative technology in the U.S. Managed services are expected to have an increase, according to surveys. Hewlett-Packard chief vowed to be more stringent in teaming with solution providers. Industries struggled to be savvy with the notion of Software As A Service. The development of mobile application has increased according to research. The national service networks facilitate services for customers of solution providers.

Focuses on the relation of the Cisco Systems Inc. with its solution provider channel partners. Leadership of the company in the IP communications, wireless and computer security markets; Attitudes of solution providers towards the company; Strategies employed by the company to improve its relation with channel partners. INSET: CISCO FORGES TIGHTER LINKS BETWEEN SALES TEAM, PARTNERS.

Provides information on several offshore companies that will be at the 2004 Outsource World Conference in New York looking for U.S. solution providers to partner with. Infosys of Bangalore, India; EPAM of Russia; ComArch of Krakow, Poland; CGI Group of Toronto, Ontario.

Offers a look at vendor deal-registration programs among solution providers in the U.S. Benefits of deal-registration programs in preserving solution provider margins; Information on major computer companies that offer deal-registration plans for solution providers; Flaws of the program. INSETS: IBM PARTNER LOGICALIS: DEAL REGISTRATION CAN IMPEDE GROWTH;Rewarding Disclosure.

Hewlett-Packard Co.'s chairman and chief executive officer Carly Fiorina has detailed her plans to unify the company's commercial and enterprise units, at the annual Americas Partner Conference held in Los Angeles, California in the week prior to March 29, 2004. She also outlined the five reasons for partners to align themselves with Hewlett-Packard. These are: its scope and scale; its four billion dollars annual investment in innovation in areas such as management, mobility and security; its ability to assemble compelling solutions and services offerings the channel can in turn sell to customers; its continued investment in programs; and its commitment to mutual profitability. Company's partners welcomed the channel message however some are worried that the channel march will not be embraced by the field.

The article features ten United States-based solution providers that are experiencing fast growth in the area of security. The companies are profiled in terms of years in business, number of employees, sales growth in 2003, percentage of sales in security, product-to-services revenue mix, key vendors and key distributors. These companies are: Kansas City, Missouri-based Fishnet Security; Branchburg, New Jersey-based Atrion Communications Resources; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based Redsiren; Cincinnati, Ohio-based Cadre Information Security; Fairfax, Virginia-based Anteon International; Portsmouth, New Hampshire-based Adaptive Communications; Holliston, Massachusetts-based Conqwest; Knoxville, Tennessee-based Sword & Shield Enterprise Security; Centennial, Colorado-based DirSec; and Charlotte, North Carolina-based Global Linking Solutions.

Focuses on the trends in buying behavior of solution software providers in the U.S. Factors driving sourcing decisions; Buying relationships with business-critical vendors; Loyalty to broadline distributors; Evidence that some value-added resellers are open to considering bundles.

Presents a roundtable discussion on customer education regarding computer network security in the U.S. Professional background of the participants in the discussion; Issues in the computer industry which were talked about by the participants; Views on the concept of return on investment in the sales of security solutions; Utilization of security appliances. INSET: MICROSOFT'S SECURITY WOES A BOON TO CHANNEL.

Presents a chart presenting the top channel chiefs in the computer software and electronic industries in the United States as of October 2003.

Focuses on the certification programs for computer valued-added resellers in the U.S. Importance in the solution provider business model with the HP Service Provider Certification; Ranking of the Symantec Certified Security Engineer on the security-related certifications; Value of the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer certification for small and large solution providers. INSET: THE METHODOLOGY BEHIND OUR ANNUAL RESEARCH.

Presents the rankings of chief executives in the computer industry in the U.S. Work achievements of vice presidents Ray Piontek; Work experience of vice president Paul Mountford; Contribution of vice president Ross Brown to Citrix Systems Inc.

Reports on the role of solutions providers in optimizing and consolidating current information technology (IT) assets of corporations in the United States. Changes in corporate IT investment strategies; Reasons of businesses for choosing to improving existing IT assets; Opportunities for solutions providers to help in business technology optimization.

Discusses the rise of direct-sales competition between solution providers and vendors in the United States. Potential results of the channel-vendor competition; Reason for the rise in competition; Information on the Partner Engagement Principles initiative of Compaq.

Focuses on the competition faced by Intel in the handheld computing market in the United States. Marketing of Web-enabled cellular phones; Intel's approach to standards; Development of ARM silicon.

Focuses on the investment of state governments in the United States on technology campaigns. Concern of several executives on the law for digital signature; Details on the conference to be held by EComForum about digital signature; Skepticism of executives on the role of government in e-business. INSETS: THE ISSUES;Washington State Worth Watching;THE ISSUES.

Reports on the increasing popularity of eXtensible Markup Language (XML) in the United States Internet industry. Benefits of XML; Potential fragmentation problem regarding XML; Challenges posed by the XML technology; Consensus among Web integrators about XML solutions. INSETS: Vendors of XML Tools Not Hard To Find;Trading Hub On Web Creates Buffer.

The article discusses "CRN" periodical's Channel Best-Sellers, a list of the top IT solution providers in the U.S. "CRN" collaborated with the NPD Group to come up with the list. The project aims to recognize companies that might not lead their particular sector in overall market share, but are formidable drivers of dollar volume revenue through the channel. Some of the firms included in the list are American Power Conversion, Cisco Systems, Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft.

A list of the top ten computer companies included in the "Emerging Heavyweights" for 2006 in the U.S. is presented. They include Acer America Corp., Hitachi Data Systems Corp., and Juniper Networks Inc. Theses companies boosts strategies that are being led by longtime channel advocates with a proven track record of success.

The article report business developments on the software upgrades by Autodesk Inc. in the U.S. Among the 25 new products launched as a part of the annual upgrade cycle of Autodesk are Autodesk Vault, Autodesk Productstream 5, and Autodesk Streamline 7. Kristen Tomasic, vice president of engineering design solutions at Synergis Software Co. says the data management capabilities of the Autodesk products are opening up design data to those outside the engineering group.

The article presents top computer channel executives in the U.S. They include Larry Zulch, vice president (VP) and general manager of EMC Insignia; Janet Wood, senior VP of global partnerships and sales of Business Objects Inc.; Adam Ross, VP of channel for the U.S. partnerships of NetSuite Inc.; Joe Vitalone, VP of sales and business development of Shoretel Inc. and Don McMahan, executive VP of sales and marketing at Visioneer Inc.

The article reports developments of top-level executives who lead the services partnership for industry's biggest channel players in the U.S. Karl Meulema, vice president of Cisco Systems Inc. introduced and advocated Cisco Lifecycle Services. JoAnn Redding, vice president of sales at Hewlett-Packard Co. said her biggest achievement was the clarified rules of engagement and continued quarter-over-quarter growth. Rick Devenuti, senior vice president of Microsoft Services and IT, developed a long-term strategy for customers and partners to adopt Microsoft technology.

The article presents information on the "Cyberstates 2005" report, researched and compiled by the American Electronics Association. According to the report, California may lead the nation in high-tech employment, but the Northeast boasts several cyber-distinctions of its own. Revenue is generally up among value-added resellers and resellers focused on serving small and midsize businesses, but there remains no predictable pattern to information technology spending across states including Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont.

Presents an overview of the opportunities for solutions providers in U.S. midwestern states. Growth of security solution provider Nexum; Factors that drive infrastructure updates in the states; Investment of solution provider Nexus Information Systems.

Highlights the success of several executives in the computer service industry regarding their company's channeling program in the U.S. Tiffani Bova at gateway; Scott Dunsire at Lexmark; Mark Hill at Acer America.

Provides information on several U.S. executives in the computer service industry to watch out in 2005 in terms of their channeling programs. Michael Sotnick of SAP America; Bill Siu of Intel; Greg Adams of IBM Business Partners for the Americas.

Discusses the compliance of companies with information management policies mandated by the impending U.S. Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act, as the focus of the CRN Systems Integrator Roundtable. Amount of money estimated to be spent by companies for complying with the SOX corporate governance law; Statement issued by Woo Song, chairman of Intrasphere, on the policy; Requirement of Section 404 of the SOX legislation; Efforts of roundtable attendees to help clients develop SOX related procedures.

Discusses the efforts of Donna Dubinsky, Jeff Hawkins and Ed Colligan, creators of the PalmPilot hand-held computer, to establish Handspring Inc. in the U.S. after leaving Palm Computing Inc. History of the PalmPilot; Background of the PalmPilot creators; Details of the business strategy of Handspring.

The article profiles ZSL, an Edison, New Jersey-based firm that emerged at number forty-five in the "Fast Growth 100" ranking of computer value-added resellers (VARs), solution providers, and information technology (IT) systems integrators in the U.S. according to their rate of corporate growth. Critical success factors include synergistic partnerships, according to executive vice president Shiv Kumar.

The article features Centric CRM, a software developer with Fortune 500 clients in the U.S. Michael Harvey, the chief marketing officer, asserted that the company has 30 business partners and hoped to authorize a total of between 50 and 100 by the end of 2007. Its core technology is built on Java J2EE and supports integrations with voice over Internet protocol solutions. Some of its characteristics include sales pipeline management, lead management and help desk.

The author discusses the achievements attained by the publication for its 25 years of influence to covering news related to value-added resellers and other business technology solution providers in the U.S. She cites the 2007 Media Power 50 award they have received which recognizes the most influential magazines and newspapers. She also mentions its published cover story about Dell Computer Corp.'s channel strategy.

The article comments on the poor opinion customers have of IT services industry in the U.S. A study made by RainToday.com revealed that while about half of customers are satisfied with their IT services provider, 66 percent of them were at the same time open to switching suppliers. The IT decision making process has been transformed significantly and the IT department of companies are looking for ways that technology can help in making quick marketing and sales moves.

The article discusses the activities of the periodical for solutions providers and computer value-added resellers in the U.S. The periodical teamed up with Cowen and Co. to collect on solution providers' expectations for the wave in the SMB market and enterprises' impression of the update and when they will spend. It is also working with NPD Group on services contracts and warranties sold through distribution and an invoice-level project.

The article offers information about the industrial research conducted by the "Computer Reseller News" on the emerging technology vendors in the U.S. About 57 percent of the solution providers planned to add upstart vendors in their portfolio. However, president of Network Innovations Pty. Ltd. Brian Gregory stresses his doubt about the profitability of the business with the product margin. Furthermore, about 31 percent of the solution providers have generated 19 percent on their revenue.

The article focuses on the move of solution providers to reduce partnership with high-technology firms discussed during the Association of Strategic Alliance Professionals conference in the U.S. The author cites the case between Hewlett-Packard and Autodesk were both companies discourage partnership and encourage investment with vendors. She also mentions that the October 2006 conference will highlights the reflection of both vendors and solution providers.

The author reflects on the impact of the consolidation between CDW Corp. and Berbee Information Network Corp. on the industry in the U.S. She feels that the integration was made in the spirit of investment rather than in cost-rationalizing a shrinking market. She points out that CDW's action was to pay for a $175 million infrastructure.

The article offers insights about corporate governance in the IT and computer industry in the U.S. The author tries to imply the need to separate the roles of chairman and chief executive officer. In line to this, CEO Bob Dutkowsky replaced Steve Raymund as CEO for Tech Data Corp. and Carl Bass succeeded CEO Carol Bartz, who will remain as executive chairman.

The article reflects on the catastrophic events that transformed information technology providers to develop disaster recovery plans in the U.S. The author explained that the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack has changed her perspective on New York and prompted companies to create business continuity and security solutions. Solution providers have also started to rethink strategies after the attacks.

The article comments on the growing home integration market in the United States software industry, as illustrated in Silicon East's home-automation software work for an episode of the television show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." The system will include special accessibility technology because the recipient family has blind members. The online forum Digital Connect and the periodical CRN will also feature home integration.

The article reports that the software firm Microsoft Corp. will invest $30 million in supporting partner sales and marketing efforts in the United States. The funds will be used for additional sales and marketing resources, for marketing campaigns and for helping Gold Certified and Certified partners. Margo Day will become regional vice president for the West region in order to improve resources for partners.

The article discusses the result of the 2006 CRN Channel Compensation Survey citing the satisfaction of solution providers engaged with managed services with the compensation they received from vendors in the U.S. They attributed their high satisfaction rating to the double-digit increase in profit margins derived from monthly managed services subscription fees.

The author reflects on the need for a better center power management data among companies in the U.S. She cited a research by International Data Corp. that 15 to 17 percent of the company's expenses are consumed by data center power and cooling costs. She added that proposition on power will become brighter if one should have a consolidation cycle. The author inferred that companies that are energy-conscious must consider data center issues in their strategies.

The article reports that Novell unveiled the new beta version of SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 during the XChange Tech Connect event in the U.S. in May 2006. It includes information on the key features and specifications of the operating system, as well as its applications in technical, transactional or fixed-function workstations.

The article comments on the future market prospects for smart cards in the United States. The increasing importance of smart cards is expected to benefit systems integrators and value-added resellers because they are skilled and inclined to work with the infrastructure for managing and deploying smart cards.

The article focuses on the profitability of information display systems solution providers in the U.S. 2006 Reseller Channel News survey shows that solution providers were less confident on the industry's profit margin. However, some companies like Wireless Ronin Technologies Inc. has come up with updated content of display systems via wireless networks. The company now offers media player and power source with a controllable content.