Opinion

Opinion

• New big data movement threatens to expose the time wasters

  Alteryx, Volumetrix and Culture Amp are all, in their own way, cutting through the big data nonsense and could get rid of the jargon that litters this part of the industry  Continue Reading

• Salesforce.com strikes the right balance

  The balance between the subscription and support sides of the business seems to be well balanced at Salesforce.com argues Billy MacInnes  Continue Reading

• Could Siri be a life saver?

  Siri might have more uses than just interrupting music and answering silly questions muses Billy MacInnes  Continue Reading

• The need for a trade show to land a big Wale

  Getting people to give up their time is getting more of a challenge but as Simon Quicke observes the keynote slot could provide some of the answer  Continue Reading

• Flash – what the channel needs to know

  In the first of a series of articles Philippe Fossé, vice president of EMEA Channels, EMC, shares some thoughts about flash  Continue Reading

• Volta, Verboss and NuoDB – creating a new channel

  Nick Booth is slightly concerned about the rise of automation and what it could mean for the channel  Continue Reading

• The right mixture of sun and breeze

  Having just got back from Italy Billy MacInnes muses on how the channel is a bit like perfect summer weather  Continue Reading

• The Lux against Britain’s data centre industry

  A strong Pound and the EC are conspiring against UK hosts finds Nick Booth  Continue Reading

• The BI managed service opportunity

  Peter Baxter, managing director EMEA, Yellowfin, looks at just what the BI market can offer those delivering managed services  Continue Reading

• Tempting the DIYers back to using the experts

  With the news that many SME owner managers try to fix their IT problems themselves Billy MacInnes wonders how they can be tempted to use the channel  Continue Reading

• Is BYOD DOA? Not for MSPs

  The bring your own device trend is far from over, particularly for MSPs, argues Ashley Leonard, president and CEO of Verismic  Continue Reading

• Time saving is the biggest driver of the storage market

  Nick Booth applauds some recent efforts in the storage market to cut down on time wasting  Continue Reading

• Wearables – fad or function?

  Dr Peter Chadha, CEO of DrPete Technology Experts, argues that wearable technology is here to stay  Continue Reading

• Data that comes after a promise of responsibility

  Some of the firms that harvest user data and exploit it can give the recruitment industry a bad name but Nick Booth thinks he has found an exception that could change things  Continue Reading

• Striking the balance between useful and burdensome

  You could make a cool phone people use a lot that then drains its battery or one with lots of power that is a pain to drag around. It's a problem Billy MacInnes has been thinking about  Continue Reading

• Cloud services vs. on-premise

  Paul Lipman, CEO at iSheriff, looks at what’s behind the migration to the cloud for security services  Continue Reading

• Why network monitoring should be fundamental to everything partners do

  Network monitoring offers an open platform for partners to deliver value says Rupert Collier, senior channel manager at Paessler,  Continue Reading

• Cyberia is no place for old men

  The cloud is full of massively insecure vulnerable men and street wise young women, says a survey. Or does it? Wonders Nick Booth  Continue Reading

• The future of managed print services is all about the service

  Vendors, distributors and resellers alike need to accept the world has changed says Giles Thorpe, managing director, CCE  Continue Reading

• Press 5 if you want to speak to a human

  With the spotlight on customer service Billy MacInnes bemoans the delays that customers can face navigating through automated phone systems  Continue Reading

• WS2003 end of life – Is your business ready?

  Mark Scaife, head of technical development, Phoenix IT, looks at what the forthcoming support switch off for WS2003 means for the channel's customers  Continue Reading

• Time to get the lowdown on the cyber crime scene

  With InfoSec kicking off this week Nick Booth looks at the event through the eyes of a slightly different audience  Continue Reading

• The mis-alignment between customers and service providers

  Recent findings from LogicNow revealed that many customers were not on the same page as their service providers and Billy MacInnes has some thoughts on why  Continue Reading

• In the election the candidates for social media sentiment failed

  Given the way the polls failed to predict the recent election result Nick Booth wonders why bookmakers still call everything better than sentiment analysts  Continue Reading

• If anyone can make the smartwatch fly Apple can

  History has proven that when Apple gets involved with a market it tends to have a significant impact and Billy MacInnes thinks the same could happen with the smartwatch  Continue Reading

• Managers need to get home working

  There are several theories why home working has not yet taken off more widely but Billy MacInnes thinks some of the answer might be to do with the management  Continue Reading

• Lessons from Zenium and Equinix on how to host

  People don’t do enough research when buying cloud space – but after two data center trips in a week Nick Booth can see why  Continue Reading

• Happy to talk to a website

  The days when customers were keen to talk to people are being replaced by users clicking through websites  Continue Reading

• Both parties make fluffy broadband promises

  The manifestos are out, the gloves are on and the broadband remains off... for non-city dwellers  Continue Reading

• How to be the perfect host

  Are you looking to put your customer’s data up at the Hotel Colo? Nick Booth has some tips for finding the perfect host  Continue Reading

• Did you miss IoT day?

  It might not have been marked in the diary or circled on the calendar but there is an Internet of Things Day, which Billy MacInnes finds out has been around for a while  Continue Reading

• Vendors waste millions on the NetNots of the channel

  The problem with IT is it’s a people business – with rewards for those who are good at networking and notworking  Continue Reading

• Why the BI market is ripe for change

  Things in the business intelligence market are changing and the channel needs to know its options says Peter Baxter, Managing Director EMEA at Yellowfin  Continue Reading

• The freedom to use the competition?

  It is all well and good to have links to particular brands but surely it is a problem asks Billy MacInnes when it reduces personal freedom?  Continue Reading

• Time to take the Survey Monkey

  Nick Booth got the chance to talk to the new managing director at Survey Monkey and presented him with an interview format he would be all too familiar with  Continue Reading

• Planning for growth: The importance of a birds-eye view in service delivery

  How can IT services ensure they are ready for what lies ahead? Jim Shulkin, VP of marketing at Changepoint, has some answers  Continue Reading

• IBM apps could divorce hardware forever

  The relationship between IBM and Apple has got Billy MacInnes pondering what the future holds for Big Blue  Continue Reading

• Trends in business continuity

  Just what do customers expect resellers to deliver when it comes to business continuity? Austin McChord, founder and CEO, Datto has the answers  Continue Reading

• The danger of rising prices

  HP's CEO admitted that as a result of exchange rates it will have to adjust prices but what if its competitors decide against it is a question on the mind of Billy MacInnes  Continue Reading

• Minding your own business

  When channel relationships change Billy MacInnes wonders if sometimes there is an urge from those distributors involved just to concentrate on their own activities  Continue Reading

• The latest intelligence on Big Data is all too confusing

  Nick Booth is finding the latest facts and figures about big data far from clear and infographics are not helping  Continue Reading

• Is it time to close the file?

  Tristan Rogers, CEO of Concrete, asks how the growth of the web has changed the world of the humble electronic file  Continue Reading

• The problem with meetings

  Beware filling staff diaries with meetings as very few will thank you for it says Nick Booth  Continue Reading

• Apple's billions and the questions it raises over tax

  Apple's recent financial results once again put the issue of corporation tax back in the spotlight and provoked some thoughts from Billy MacInnes  Continue Reading

• Bett 2015 – time to make a play for managed IT services

  David Fearne, technical director at Arrow ECS UK & Ireland, gives his reaction to the BETT show  Continue Reading

• The unexpected benefits – and subsequent opportunities - of wireless

  Jonathan Hallatt, regional director UK, Ireland & South Africa, at Netgear, looks at just what wireless could be delivering for the channel  Continue Reading

• ICT matters but don't forget the three R's

  Billy MacInnes is not too happy about the idea that somehow ICT now ranks above other subjects, including English and Maths  Continue Reading

• Does your marketing machine need lubrication?

  Nick Booth wonders if M2M mobile marketing could drive the channel 2 drink?  Continue Reading

• Time for a different approach to Honours

  Billy MacInnes probably scuppers his own chances of a knighthood as he calls for a fresh approach to rewarding good deeds  Continue Reading

• BBC was wrong to single out Apple in Panorama investigation

  The Panorama special accused Apple of not doing enough to look after workers in the supply chain. Sean McGrath argues that the investigation was flawed  Continue Reading

• The seven C words that capture the spirit of IT disruption

  Nick Booth expects plenty of C-words will be heard during a period of IT inspired disruption next year  Continue Reading

• The Microsoft cloud case that could have far reaching consequences

  The ongoing legal battle between Microsoft and the US government over just what can be shared in the cloud is one that Billy MacInnes thinks could have a far reaching impact  Continue Reading

• How to Influence the Influencers

  One of the key components of the marketing mix is to get onto the radar of the leading industry analysts – a task that is not always easy  Continue Reading

• Living within the means despite the credit on offer

  More firms are viewing the economy as improving but not that many are leaping to take on more debt  Continue Reading

• Resellers represent a potential cyber security risk

  Stuart Poole-Robb, chief executive of KCS Group, warns that resellers could be an increasing target for cyber criminals  Continue Reading

• How to make people get IT

  Nick Booth picks up on a couple of recent industry launches to illustrate the struggle to spread the word on innovation  Continue Reading

• The role of segmentation

  Jon-Marc Wilkinson from WatchGuard Technologies explains why it is important to segment your networks to reduce the risk of successful attacks  Continue Reading

• Mind the gap and find the right skills

  Billy MacInnes looks back over some recent market coverage and exposes skills gaps at different ends of the market  Continue Reading

• Value your relationships and you’ll go far

  Christian Putz, Violin Memory vice president, EMEA channel sales, shares his views on just what makes a decent channel relationship  Continue Reading

• Moving to the cloud: why resellers need a helping hand

  Moving to the cloud can be a challenge and the advice from David Ellis, director of strategy at Arrow ECS, UK and Ireland, is to find the right partner to help  Continue Reading

• Myth conceptions about IT

  There are many myths and legendary figures in IT and as Nick Booth finds some are still around trying to pull their own sword out of the stone  Continue Reading

• When ten miles is just too far

  We are all being encouraged to work flexibly but as Billy MacInnes discovers a short move proved simply too much for Reddit's CEO  Continue Reading

• Onward and upward at Innovate UK

  Britain’s technology strategy board (now rebranded as Innovate UK) held an exhibition of the inventions that can make Britain’s industries leaner and greener  Continue Reading

• The rise of the millennial heralds a golden age of IT

  Todd Thibodeaux, CEO at CompTIA argues that, far from representing a threat, the rise of ‘Generation Y’ offers a golden opportunity for the channel to put IT at the heart of the HR function  Continue Reading

• Insuring the smartphone user survives

  It might not just be the damaged smartphone that sparks an insurance claim Billy MacInnes discovers  Continue Reading

• Could MozFest 2014 help create a more open web in the future?

  The Internet has created a big revolution, creating a world that favours big data, big government and big corporations, but there’s still scope for the channel to sweat the small stuff.  Continue Reading

• It's time to split

  Billy Macinnes wonders just what it must feel like for those staff at HP and Symantec facing a future working for a split business  Continue Reading

• Finding some virtual problems

  Nick Booth walked the stands at the recent VMworld 2014 event to find out if anyone in the land of virtualisation had any problems to declare  Continue Reading

• Cyber security's "Doomsday Warning"

  Warnings of a Doomsday cyber security attack are not just the stuff of James Bond warns KCS Group chief executive and founder Stuart Poole-Robb  Continue Reading

• Messages of bravery and comfort from VMware

  Billy MacInnes finds a contradiction in the messages coming out of senior management at VMworld 2014  Continue Reading

• What does Microsoft have against the number 9?

  Billy MacInnes wonders just what reasoning lies behind Microsoft's decision to jump from Windows 8 to 10  Continue Reading

• Served from the cloud

  Graham Harris, product director for cloud at Daisy Wholesale, discusses cloud and why the channel shouldn’t be intimidated  Continue Reading

• Miliband might want more IT apprenticeships but will he get them?

  The Labour Party leader Ed Miliband has called for more apprenticeships, particularly in the IT sector, but Billy MacInnes is doubtful changes will happen quickly  Continue Reading

• The channel needs the right blend of youth and experience

  Nick Booth believes that the emphasis on coding is a welcome move that could solve a looming skills crisis  Continue Reading

• SMBs and the channel – one size doesn’t fit all

  Neil Bramley, Northern Europe business unit director, B2B at Toshiba, believes that channel can make a strong play in the SME market as trusted advisors  Continue Reading

• The looming datacentre problem

  Aging data centres could find they are no longer fit for purpose soon and that could pose a serious challenge to significant parts of the industry, finds Nick Booth  Continue Reading

• Load balancing covers all bases

  George Zervos from KEMP Technologies looks at changes in the load balancing market and detects a touch of paranoia when it comes to the cloud  Continue Reading

• Toshiba facing an SME retail challenge

  Toshiba hopes to tempt those SME users that buy through retail to choose a B2B product instead but Billy MacInnes thinks it might be a tough challenge  Continue Reading

• Time to hug that server

  Nick Booth finds that not all research provides clear cut answers as he looks at some findings on the rise of server hugging  Continue Reading

• Cyber crime wake-up call

  The mounting evidence of the extent of cyber attacks and the risks to business are finally being recognised by customers says Stuart Poole- Robb, chief executive of KCS Group Europe  Continue Reading

• Listing the ingredients for a decent channel event

  Vendors, distributors and resellers all like to get the message across at events. But not all seminars and roadshows go well and Simon Quicke has some thoughts on why  Continue Reading

• How can partners capitalise on the third platform opportunity?

  Russell Poole, EMC UK&I channel director, discusses recent research revealing that many UK partners lack the ability to capitalise on the third platform opportunity  Continue Reading

• Time to take a different financial approach

  The way that SMEs look for finance is changing and Billy MacInnes believes that the channel will need to react  Continue Reading

• Relax, the system’s gone down. Nobody is going to die

  The idea of perhaps losing some uptime is not one much tossed around the industry but as Nick Booth finds out it’s attracting some attention  Continue Reading

• Choosing the right vendors to accelerate a changing business

  Getting hands on the budget is becoming an increasingly complex task and requires having a portfolio of varied vendor solutions argues Eric Jorgensen, VP sales EMEA, Virtual Instruments  Continue Reading

• How to deliver a decent partner programme

  There are several key mistakes that can undermine any partner programme and make life miserable for resellers and vendors  Continue Reading

• Can you really motivate the channel with boot camps?

  Stand by your beds! There’s a rash of military style training courses for the channel. But Nick Booth wonders if they work?  Continue Reading

• One Windows to rule them all

  Microsoft boss Satya Nadella has used the firms recent results to outline his vision of the future and Billy MacInnes was taking notes  Continue Reading

• Plumbing the depths of a data lake future

  Data lakes filled with Citizen Source? It could happen says Nick Booth  Continue Reading

• Hackers to target managed IT services suppliers

  Stuart Poole-Robb, chief executive of business intelligence and cyber security adviser KCS Group Europe, warns about protecting against weak links in the supply chain  Continue Reading

• The flexible meaning of BYOD

  BYOD means many things to many people and that just might be the key to its success argues Billy MacInnes  Continue Reading

• Confusion in the cloud

  The IT industry is awash with jargon and acronyms – BYOD, CYOD, COPE, PaaS, IaaS, SaaS, … the list goes on and now there is an new one according to Adam Davison from Cloud Distribution  Continue Reading

• Garth Brooks highlights the limits of technology

  The ticketing mess left after country music legend Garth Brooks cancelled his concerts is one that Billy MacInnes thinks would even fox the smartest IT  Continue Reading

• Hardware support needs fixing up

  Providers of technology maintenance and support services need to deliver more streamlined and connected services if they are to survive, writes Glyn Doddin  Continue Reading

• Going commando on the sales pitch

  Billy MacInnes wonders just what makes a decent channel sales pitch  Continue Reading

• Time to avoid gut instinct

  Making decisions just on your git instinct might not be the right way to seal channel partnerships finds Nick Booth  Continue Reading

• The costs of failing to provide training

  Overlooking training can have some pretty major implications as Billy MacInnes discovers  Continue Reading

• At last, it’s the automated channel

  Soon robots will run the channel, thanks to the UK Technology Strategy Board’s Robotics Mission finds Nick Booth  Continue Reading

• HP putting its bets on The Machine

  HP used the appropriate backdrop of Las Vegas to provide Billy MacInnes and other partners with hints of where it its placing its R&D bets  Continue Reading

• To the mesosphere and beyond

  Nick Booth finds that the secret to banishing the fail whale could be Mesos  Continue Reading