News
Cloud Platforms
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January 05, 2012
05
Jan'12
Cloud player Accellion sets sights on international expansion
Mobile file sharing specialist Accellion is looking to strengthen its expansion out of the US after securing a multi-million dollar investment.
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December 23, 2011
23
Dec'11
The year distribution grapsed the cloud challenge
When the downturn first really kicked in back in September 2008 we all looked to the economists and analysts to tell us when it would get better. They sketched out the future with 2011 as a year of small growth before things started to kick back in ...
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December 15, 2011
15
Dec'11
Cloud, consumerisation and more flexibility predicted for 2012
The consumerisation of enterprise technology and the increasing adoption of bring your own device (BYOD) corporate policies are set to be two of the main features of 2012.
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December 09, 2011
09
Dec'11
Appirio picks up Saaspoint to support European expansion
UK cloud services specialist SaaSpoint has been snapped up by US firm Appirio as part of a move designed to extend the global reach of the American outfit.
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December 05, 2011
05
Dec'11
PEER1 pitches new public cloud unit at white-label partners
Hosting provider PEER 1 has unwrapped a new public cloud division, called Zunicore, which it hopes will enable white-label cloud partners to get around some of the more common objections to the market.
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December 01, 2011
01
Dec'11
Cloud and consumerisation to dominate the tech landscape
The next few years are going to be dominated by increased consumerisation and a greater move towards the cloud posing problems for IT administrators and outsourcing specialists alike as greater technology flexibility continues to be the main demand ...
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November 29, 2011
29
Nov'11
Ingram signs up to Cloud Industry Forum
Ingram Micro has become the latest to sign up to the Cloud Industry Forum (CIF) as it looks to underline its commitment to the emerging technology.
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November 24, 2011
24
Nov'11
Cloud aggregators may store up channel conflict
The future of distributors in the cloud does not necessarily entail becoming an aggregator of SaaS offerings, which could lead to increased channel conflict, according to sector VAD Cloud Distribution.
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November 23, 2011
23
Nov'11
Insight signs up as SAP cloud partner
Insight has signed up to become a SAP Business ByDesign reseller adding its own services to those included in business intelligence vendors cloud suite.
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November 23, 2011
23
Nov'11
Resellers urged to make cloud transition
The time resellers have to make the move to the cloud is getting shorter with most in the channel advising a transition towards the hosted model if the growth in the market is going to be taken advantage of.
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November 22, 2011
22
Nov'11
Colt makes good on cloud distribution plan
Infrastructure services provider Colt has made good on its promise to appoint a cloud distributor, as revealed by MicroScope in October, after wooing Magirus.
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November 22, 2011
22
Nov'11
ThinkGrid unveils university to boost channel cloud skills
Cloud platform specialist ThinkGrid has taken steps to increase the practical support resellers looking to move into hosted services are able to get access to with the launch of its own university training scheme.
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November 21, 2011
21
Nov'11
More stringent cloud SLAs being demanded
The result of the recent high profile public cloud problems with Microsoft's Office 365 service and the security problems experienced by Sony with its online gaming service are being felt by resellers.
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November 15, 2011
15
Nov'11
There's still life below the cloud, says Redstone
Network services provider Redstone has said it wants to build a business in the cloud, but not dominated by it, as it begins to rebuild its market position after recovering from a near write-off in 2010.
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November 15, 2011
15
Nov'11
Ingram partners with Rise to give resellers cloud portfolio
Ingram Micro has teamed up with cloud provider Rise to offer resellers a portfolio of hosted solutions. The partnership is part of the ongoing move by Ingram to promote the cloud to resellers as part of its involvement in the Channel Transformation ...
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November 08, 2011
08
Nov'11
Hybrid cloud is the current channel proposition
Resellers should start selling hybrid cloud solutions, combining on-premise with hosted applications, now as the market and the technology is ready to support that sales pitch.
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November 04, 2011
04
Nov'11
Enterprise cloud demand swells NetSuite numbers
Channel watchers looking for concrete signs that cloud demand is having a real impact need only look at the latest numbers coming out of NetSuite to get a sense of the increased interest in web based applications.
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November 02, 2011
02
Nov'11
Tech Data brings cloud channel programme to Europe
C2000 and Azlan parent Tech Data is importing its US cloud channel programme, TDCloud, to Europe in a bid to help resellers take advantage of the opportunities in the sector.
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November 01, 2011
01
Nov'11
ThinkGrid sets aside funds for channel MDF programme
Cloud specialist ThinkGrid is earmarking some of the venture capital funds it has secured to provide marketing development funds to resellers to help them encourage customers to move to a hosted environment.
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November 01, 2011
01
Nov'11
VMworld Europe 2011: All the news from the VMware show
Read all the news from VMworld Europe 2011 and find out what took place at the Copenhagen-based VMware show. VMworld Europe 2011 saw over 7,200 delegates spill through its doors at the Bella centre in Copenhagen this month.
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October 28, 2011
28
Oct'11
DiData picks up key Microsoft cloud badge
Following the launch of a dedicated cloud business unit during the summer, along with the acquisition of sector specialist OpSource, Dimension Data has picked up Microsoft's Cloud Accelerate Partner badge, held by under 1% of Microsoft resellers ...
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October 27, 2011
27
Oct'11
Citrix aims for SMBs with VDI-in-a-Box, posts Q3 results
Citrix is making a concerted effort to boost its presence in the SMB market with the launch of VDI-in-a-Box 5, an all-in-one virtual desktop aimed at smaller businesses, allied to a new channel partner SMB Specialist accreditation.
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October 27, 2011
27
Oct'11
Nebulas fires up simple security strategy with Zscaler signing
Network security and virtualisation reseller Nebulas has added cloud security specialist Zscaler to its Technology Incubator programme as part of a newly-launched Security Simplified strategy.
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October 26, 2011
26
Oct'11
Value added distribution is key, says Citrix
Citrix has stressed the importance of maintaining a value added distribution channel in the face of increasing pressure from larger distributor rivals. EMEA vice president of channel strategy Carsten Thomsen said it was one of Citrix's priorities to...
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October 26, 2011
26
Oct'11
Big rise in costs dents Amazon Q3 results
Investment in the Kindle Fire and further expansion has dented Amazon's third quarter profits which declined 73% to $63m on an increase in the company's costs of almost 50%.
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October 25, 2011
25
Oct'11
SMB clouds worth £660m to UK channel
A report into cloud services by hosting and services provider Parallels has today suggested that the UK SMB cloud services market opportunity could now be worth up to £660m, with up to 62% of businesses planning to switch to hosted servers.
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October 25, 2011
25
Oct'11
Cloud Distribution partners get app iViz-ibility
Cloud Distribution has added application penetration testing specialist iViZ Security to its stable as it seeks to build out a portfolio of disruptive, cost-effective cloud technologies.
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October 24, 2011
24
Oct'11
Oracle swallows up cloud CRM firm
Oracle has bulked up its cloud-based CRM offering after swallowing up cloud customer service specialist Right Now Technologies for $43.00 per share, or $1.5bn net of cash and debt. Right Now specialises in linking up customer service activities ...
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October 24, 2011
24
Oct'11
Citrix Elite tier win bigger deals and more of them
Citrix's Elite partner programme is bringing increased market share to the 300 EMEA resellers in the scheme with bigger deals and higher win rates than the vendor's other partners.
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October 19, 2011
19
Oct'11
VMware partners well-placed to exploit SMB cloud shift
Channel partners stand to make "significant money" by helping SMB customers make the move towards cloud computing with VMware technology.
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October 18, 2011
18
Oct'11
VMware challenges VARs to think about app virtualisation
VMware has told partners to put virtualisation of business software applications front and centre as a means to move from a basic virtualised environment to a true cloud infrastructure at its 2011 VMworld summit in Copenhagen.
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October 18, 2011
18
Oct'11
Cloud business booms for IBM
IBM has already more than doubled the cloud revenue it generated last year in the first three quarters of 2011 underlining that the hosted side of the business is growing faster than almost any other.
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October 17, 2011
17
Oct'11
Lanway bolsters managed services business
Public sector cuts have prompted a change of direction at AV education specialist Lanway over the last year and a half with the reseller moving into the managed services arena and now making a major appointment to beef up that side of its business.
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October 14, 2011
14
Oct'11
Distribution still has a role in a cloud world
Distribution will continue to play a critical role in a cloud market delivering services and support to resellers on behalf of vendors, according to IBM.
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October 13, 2011
13
Oct'11
Citrix snaps up ShareFile to bolster cloud capabilities
Citrix has extended its cloud capabilities with the acquisition of ShareFile, which provides hosted storage services, as it gears up to exploit the predicted growth in the market.
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October 12, 2011
12
Oct'11
Tablet not viable PC replacement yet, says CompTIA
Ahead of its upcoming EMEA conference, channel association CompTIA has suggested that a "three device system" will become the norm in most businesses in the near future, with tablets and smartphones unlikely to replace PCs altogether in the SME ...
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October 12, 2011
12
Oct'11
IBM takes wraps off SmartCloud
IBM has taken the wraps off a set of cloud offerings targeted at enterprise customers announcing its ambition to support 200m users by the end of next year as it encourages a shift to hosted services.
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October 10, 2011
10
Oct'11
Cloud services outfit Six Degrees bags £60m injection
Newly-minted managed data services house Six Degrees has bagged a £60m round of funding from private equity firm Penta Capital as it launches itself to the market.
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October 10, 2011
10
Oct'11
Insight welcomed into Cloud Industry Forum
Insight UK has become the latest channel player to throw in its lot with the Cloud Industry Forum, the industry body that works to advocate cloud services and establish codes of practice around the accountability, transparency and capability of ...
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October 04, 2011
04
Oct'11
App store model to transform channel by 2015
Analyst firm Canalys has used its Channels Forum in Barcelona to urge resellers to look beyond cloud computing, saying the growth of enterprise app stores represents "the true transformational force within the enterprise software market".
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October 04, 2011
04
Oct'11
Cloud to become a business conversation in 2012
Cloud computing is to become "more of a business and not just a technology conversation" during the next 12 months, according to a global study carried out by auditors KPMG.
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September 30, 2011
30
Sep'11
Ingram Micro takes practical approach to the cloud
Selling the cloud is something that the channel knows it needs to start thinking about but getting from a situation where it is just an idea to a solid business plan requires a fair bit of work.
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September 28, 2011
28
Sep'11
Cloud offering won't compete with channel, says Virgin Media
Virgin Media Business (VMB) has teamed up with cloud computing specialist Savvies to launch its first true cloud product, the Virtual Private Data Centre (VPDC), but has moved to reassure its service provider channel that it does not plan to compete...
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September 23, 2011
23
Sep'11
UK cloud market set for continued growth
The UK is leading the way with cloud services adoption and those channel players that fail to 'cloudify' their offerings in the managed services space face increasing pressure.
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September 21, 2011
21
Sep'11
Interoute buys into app services market with Quantix acquisition
Cloud infrastructure services provider Interoute has spent an undisclosed sum to buy Midlands-based Oracle platinum partner Quantix in an attempt to get into managed application services as well.
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September 20, 2011
20
Sep'11
IBM extends cloud helping hand to resellers
IBM has held out its hand to resellers wanting to move into the cloud providing a step by step route to hosted services as well as reducing the financial risk involved with moving to a more flexible business model.
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September 19, 2011
19
Sep'11
Ingram takes wraps off Channel Transformation Alliance
Ingram Micro has taken the wraps off an alliance that is tasked with promoting and furthering the spread of cloud computing and managed services in the channel.
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September 16, 2011
16
Sep'11
Government told "go cloud or die" by Salesforce.com boss
The UK government has been urged to embrace the cloud by one of the leading proponents of hosted services, writes Nick Booth. The call was made by Salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff at the company's annual rally, Cloud force 2011, which was held in ...
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September 09, 2011
09
Sep'11
Microsoft scrambles to restore Office 365 services
More questions will be being asked today over the reliability of Microsoft's cloud service Office 365 after the vendor's hosted software suffered an outage last night.
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September 06, 2011
06
Sep'11
Computacenter finds infrastructure holds back user cloud ambitions
The virtualisation opportunity remains a large one for the channel with a sizeable number of customers yet to make any moves in the area.
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September 06, 2011
06
Sep'11
Peer 1 looks for channel growth
IT hosting provider PEER 1 has reached the milestone of gaining 100 partners across EMEA, with 70 of them in the UK, as it looks to secure more business through the channel.
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August 25, 2011
25
Aug'11
HP partners to run DIY cloud seminars
HP VARs will be able to resell the firm's Cloud Discovery Workshops as a definable product within the next six months, the firm has said.
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August 24, 2011
24
Aug'11
Resellers must embrace cloud or risk being frozen out
Resellers have to do more to establish their cloud credentials with customers or face themselves being squeezed out of the conversation with customers.
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August 18, 2011
18
Aug'11
Redstone scores UK exclusive VMware cloud badge
Redstone has claimed a UK channel first after being revealed as the first - and so far only - British partner to receive VMware's new vCloud Powered services badge.
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August 18, 2011
18
Aug'11
NetApp looks to the cloud for growth
Storage specialist NetApp is positioning itself as a source of strategic cloud support for both resellers and customers as it formulates partnerships with the likes of Microsoft and Cisco to enhance its virtualisation and data centre offerings.
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August 15, 2011
15
Aug'11
In-depth: SLAs key to ensuring reliable cost-efficient cloud services
With our dependence on the internet - as well as other utilities and services - comes a need to assure a continuity of supply. However, issues do arise and there will be times when service or supply is interrupted, writes Dai Davis.
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August 12, 2011
12
Aug'11
Bring your own device drives VDI sales interest
The Bring your own Device (BYOD) trend is having a real impact on the demand for desktop virtualisation as users scramble to offer a greater degree of flexibility for staff wanting to connect on a range of their own products.
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August 12, 2011
12
Aug'11
Equanet hires cloud specialist to ramp up hosted business
Equanet has brought a cloud specialist on board to help develop the offerings the reseller can bring to market in the virtualisation and hosted arena.
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August 10, 2011
10
Aug'11
Trustmarque launches Office 365 education campaign
Microsoft partner Trust marque Solutions has launched a campaign to address confusion among end-users around fundamental aspects of Microsoft's cloud-based Office 365 software suite.
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August 10, 2011
10
Aug'11
In-depth: Storage added to list of cloud benefits
Various studies have indicated that although there remain disagreements between analysts over exact numbers the direction a large part of the software market is heading in is towards the cloud.
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August 05, 2011
05
Aug'11
SAP still holding door open for cloud hungry VARs
Sticking to its road-map SAP has issued the second annual update of its cloud Business ByDesign service and reiterated that the door is open for further resellers to get involved with selling the product and developing additional services.
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August 01, 2011
01
Aug'11
Cloud firms unite to nurture sector start-ups
Cloud accountancy software specialist Liquid Accounts has teamed up with @UK PLC, an online green marketplace and company formation agent, to launch a business start-up package designed to get potential cloud computing entrepreneurs up and running.
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July 29, 2011
29
Jul'11
Cloud transition pays off for Citrix
Citrix Systems today reported financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2011 ended June 30, 2011, writes Linda Endersby. The firm, which announced the acquisition of Cloud.com earlier this month, achieved revenue of $531m, compared to $458m...
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July 29, 2011
29
Jul'11
NetSuite Q2 revenues rise but losses deepen
Cloud-based financial and ERP software provider NetSuite has reported record Q2 revenue up 23% to $57.8m and the largest number of new customer wins in two years, but they could not prevent losses at the company from growing to $9.8m.
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July 28, 2011
28
Jul'11
Cloud is as fast as physical servers, report claims
The "myth" that cloud computing is inherently slower than conventional hosting environments has been dispelled, a new study claims.
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July 27, 2011
27
Jul'11
Computacenter picks nlyte for C3 cloud initiative
Computacenter has extended the use of nlyte Software's Data Centre Infrastructure Management (DCIM) suite to support its new C3 cloud initiative, which offers ability to adopt the cloud using an optimal blend of on- and offsite IT delivery models, ...
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July 27, 2011
27
Jul'11
Amazon international cloud growth dwarfed by American performance
Growth at Amazon's web services division internationally is falling further behind the company's performance in the North American market where AWS reported a massive revenue growth rate of 85% for its latest quarter.
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July 26, 2011
26
Jul'11
Arrow ECS adds Isilon cloud storage kit to portfolio
Arrow ECS is to add Isilon scale-out NAS products to its line card after signing a distribution deal with the EMC-owned firm. Isilon has made a strong play in the growing scale-out NAS sector.
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July 26, 2011
26
Jul'11
InTechnology commits to multi-million cloud investment
Yorkshire-based InTechnology has today announced a multi-million pound investment in its 4th Generation Cloud infrastructure, writes Linda Endersby.
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July 26, 2011
26
Jul'11
CA partners adapt to deliver cloud-based services
Large numbers of CA partners are set to adapt their business models to provide cloud-based services for data protection and managed services for backup and data management - and nearly a third have already moved to a cloud model.
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July 26, 2011
26
Jul'11
Outsourcery rebrand to consolidate cloud focus
Following the sale of its mobile services unit to Daisy in March, cloud services provider and Microsoft partner Outsourcer has moved to consolidate its focus on cloud computing with a "strategic realignment" of its brand and strapline.
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July 26, 2011
26
Jul'11
Centrix Software looks for big increase in UK partner numbers
The company develops analytics and reporting software to assess IT landscapes and monitor, meter and manage internal and external service delivery in a mixed environment that helps customers with virtualisation and transforming their desktops or to ...
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July 26, 2011
26
Jul'11
MS cloud boss Muglia pops up at Juniper
Former Microsoft cloud supremo Bob Muglia, who left the firm at the start of the year, has joined networking vendor Juniper Networks in the newly created role of executive vice president of its new Software Solutions Division.
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July 21, 2011
21
Jul'11
DiData names Aussie boss Nola as head of cloud
Dimension Data has named the CEO of its Australian business, Steve Nola, as CEO of its Cloud Solutions business unit. Nola's appointment follows DiData's acquisition of US-based cloud provider OpSource earlier this month, to form the core of the new...
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July 21, 2011
21
Jul'11
Onyx first to deliver SAP Business One services
Teesside-based SAP partner Onyx Group has been selected to become the first UK partner to provide SAP's Business One hosted ERP software solution as a service.
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July 20, 2011
20
Jul'11
Riverbed acquires to boost partner cloud proposition
Network performance specialist Riverbed has splashed out $110m (£68m) to acquire Cambridge-based Zeus Technology to boost its reseller-facing cloud proposition.
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July 20, 2011
20
Jul'11
EMC raises outlook after strong Q2 results
EMC has raised its financial outlook for the year after reporting second quarter revenue of $4.5bn and a 28% increase in net income to $546m.
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July 18, 2011
18
Jul'11
Akamai extends channel with NetAlliance partner programme
Cloud optimisation services specialist Akamai Technologies has announced plans to expand its channel with a partner programme designed to help global IT solution providers integrate the company's services into their offerings.
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July 18, 2011
18
Jul'11
Long-term forecast for NAND Flash demand looks cloudy if Apple's iCloud takes off
Apple has been instrumental in fuelling the growth of the NAND flash market but the forthcoming launch of Apple's iCloud storage service could have "significant implications" for the market going forward and potentially weaken demand, according to ...
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July 14, 2011
14
Jul'11
ANS first off blocks with Cisco cloud badge
Manchester-based Cisco partner ANS Group has become the first European partner to receive Cisco's cloud infrastructure certification.
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July 14, 2011
14
Jul'11
Microsoft unveils cloud, virtualisation incentives
Microsoft is improving the incentives it offers partners to encourage more to sell cloud and virtualisation. Using its worldwide partner conference as the platform to announce the changes the vendor unveiled enhanced incentives for those selling ...
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July 13, 2011
13
Jul'11
Hybrid cloud model set to be the norm
Microsoft has told partners that a hybrid cloud model, with customers taking a mixture of hosted and on-premise solutions, is going to be a reality for years to come as the market makes its transition to the brave new world.
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July 11, 2011
11
Jul'11
Micro-P looks to Outsourcery for hosted options
Micro-P has given its backing to cloud service provider Outsourcery signing up to allow the connectivity specialist to provide its resellers with hosted services.
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July 07, 2011
07
Jul'11
VMware appoints cloud technology chief
Virtualisation giant VMware has appointed a chief cloud technologist based in the UK offering guidance to resellers across Europe.
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July 06, 2011
06
Jul'11
ThinkGrid urges partners to develop vertical approach
Hosted virtual desktop specialist ThinkGrid is encouraging its reseller partners to target vertical markets with bundles designed to meet the needs of specific customers.
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July 05, 2011
05
Jul'11
Cloud Alliance slammed by standards group
The Cloud Industry Forum (CIF) has slammed moves by Star Internet to establish a Cloud Alliance warning that the development will not be a positive one for the channel.
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July 01, 2011
01
Jul'11
DiData buys enterprise cloud outfit OpSource
System and network integrator Dimension Data has bought California-based enterprise cloud specialist OpSource for an undisclosed sum and opened a new centralised Cloud Solutions Business Unit.
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June 23, 2011
23
Jun'11
Magirus close to finalising VCE programme
Magirus is close to finalising the details of the VCE partner programme as the scheme is rolled out across Europe for resellers selling the products from the technology consortium of Cisco, VMware and EMC.
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June 23, 2011
23
Jun'11
Red Hat sees 'fundamental shift' towards cloud spending
Red Hat president and CEO Jim Whitehurst has pointed to a "fundamental shift" towards cloud and virtualisation spending among business ICT buyers which is starting to benefit the open source solutions specialist.
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June 21, 2011
21
Jun'11
intY appoints Baskerville to build out channel
SaaS, cloud and UC specialist intY has appointed former Vizioncore EMEA boss Roger Baskerville to run its sales and marketing ops as well as naming comms industry veterans Phil Male and Mike Read to its board.
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June 20, 2011
20
Jun'11
Laissez-faire cloud policy could store up trouble
Organisations rushing to adopt cloud solutions without a clear plan for ensuring their business needs are met could be storing up trouble for later on, according to new research from Easynet Global Services.
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June 01, 2011
01
Jun'11
Acronis programme targets SMB cloud environments
Disaster recovery and data protection specialist Acronis has fired up a new worldwide partner programme designed specifically to take account of growth in virtualised and cloud environments in the SMB sector.
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May 05, 2011
05
May'11
Logicalis turns to Inca for IBM cloud services
Logicalis is to switch on a new IBM Cognos business analytics cloud platform and has also announced the launch of its first IBM Infrastructure-as-a-Service offering through recently-acquired Inca Software.
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April 26, 2011
26
Apr'11
Cloud spend set for explosive growth
The global cloud market is set for explosive growth over the rest of the decade as it more than quadruples current revenues. According to research from Forrester the cloud market will hit $241bn by 2020 up from its current projected level by the end...
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April 06, 2011
06
Apr'11
VMware hires Gov G Cloud man to set public sector strategy
VMware has hired the government's G Cloud Deputy Director Andy Tait as head of UK public services strategy. At the Cabinet Office, Tait worked under former Government CIO John Suffolk developing the Apps Store, G Cloud programme and driving data ...
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March 30, 2011
30
Mar'11
NetSuite launches 100% margin cloud programme in UK
In an effort to get its channel to move quickly towards the cloud NetSuite has confirmed that its 100% margin SP100 programme is being launched in the UK.
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March 28, 2011
28
Mar'11
CentraStage plans international expansion after funding
Cloud-based remote monitoring specialist CentraStage, which targets resellers with managed services tools, has completed a round of funding that will be used to extend its services as well as bolstering its management team.
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March 23, 2011
23
Mar'11
EU leads calls for cloud standardisation
The European Union has called for an open and standardised approach to cloud computing technology at the opening of a new Microsoft cloud centre in Brussels.
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March 16, 2011
16
Mar'11
IDC forecasts cloud growth to equal on-premise in 2011
The cloud will generate half of the anticipated growth in the European software market this year, according to research by IDC. The market watcher estimates that on-premise software will rise by just 2% or $1.7bn to $84.9bn but applications sold as ...
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March 11, 2011
11
Mar'11
Cloud growth will shake-up the UK software channel
Resellers dragging their heels on moving to the cloud have been given another warning that the market is fundamentally changing and they face being left behind if they stick with traditional product delivery models.