Opinion

Opinion

• 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

• The backlash over Snowden could hurt US firms

  Those countries looking for an excuse to boost their own tech activities and criticise the US might use Snowden for those ends finds Billy MacInnes  Continue Reading

• Why channel developers must care about the community

  Mark Armstrong, managing director of EMEA, Progress, looks at why developers need to embrace social communities to keep their competitive edge  Continue Reading

• If only all IT companies were as imaginative as Optoma when telling their stories

  Nick Booth thinks it might be a bit more fun if companies cut all the waffle and told their stories with a bit more imagination  Continue Reading

• Implementing the Government Security Classifications Policy

  Government departments and their suppliers need to change how their assets are classified going forward under the GSCP says Louise Dunne managing director of Auriga  Continue Reading

• Managing North of the border

  How many channel firms have country managers for Scotland and could that situation change with a yes vote for independence wonders Billy MacInnes  Continue Reading

• Time for the channel to keep the language simple

  The channel might like to use its own terms to describe technology and processes but Billy MacInnes suggests that plain English might be a better idea  Continue Reading

• Is there always opportunity with risk?

  With security threats proclaimed as opportunities for resellers Billy MacInnes wonders if there is not an attitude problem around risk  Continue Reading

• Unlocking the mobile identity potential of smartphones

  Could the humble smartphone spell the end of keys and swipe cards? Ian Lowe from HID Global says disruptive innovation could be a strong play in the channel  Continue Reading

• Reports of tape’s death have been greatly exaggerated

  Steve Mackey from Spectra Logic says the demise of tape is nothing more than a viral myth, and urges the channel to rethink its approach  Continue Reading

• Tap reseller opportunities in the storage market

  Resellers targeting storage sales this year must think about performance, reliability and functionality at all costs, says Qsan's Bartek Mytnik  Continue Reading

• Channel checklist: building the ideal network

  James Arnold Roberts of Genius Networks identifies some of the hurdles that resellers will need to overcome to ensure they provide the customer with the ideal networking solution  Continue Reading

• What does Mozilla's CEO step down reveal about free speech?

  The decision by the CEO of Mozilla to step down raises some interesting points about free speech argues Billy MacInnes  Continue Reading

• The channel must value variety in its big data strategies

  Mark Armstrong, managing director of EMEA, Progress, asks if the industry is focusing on the wrong aspects of big data  Continue Reading

• Hardware-defined security? Now that’s original

  Nick Booth argues that technology always been software-defined and suggests that surely hardware-defined would be true innovation  Continue Reading

• The cloud takes the green tint off SAP

  The shift by users towards the cloud has also pushed the responsibility for emissions away from the user causing SAP a few problems finds Billy MacInnes  Continue Reading

• Why isn’t the channel using SAM data to secure R&D tax credits?

  Ahead of chancellor George Osborne’s 19 March Budget, Jelle Wijndelts, senior SAM consultant, Snow Software says a better comprehension of software asset management could ease business tax burdens  Continue Reading

• A seismic shift is about to hit the SAN

  VMware says VSAN will simplify storage in the virtual environment. If this is simplifying things, what happens when they try to make things hard? Nick Booth takes the temperature among VMware-watchers  Continue Reading

• Who is really failing to understand the industry term?

  The failure by some people to understand technology terms might produce some hilarious results but as Billy MacInnes wonders who is really failing to grasp the language?  Continue Reading

• To compete with Olympics, talk app management, not bandwidth

  Ipanema’s Bruce Hunter argues that pushing investment in bandwidth is not necessarily worthwhile when it comes to helping networks cope with high-demand events such as the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi  Continue Reading

• How the Internet of Things could wreck your cloud

  Nick Booth reckons there could be a high cost to the growth of wearable, connected devices  Continue Reading

• Why you should upgrade storage, not replace it

  Chris James from Virtual Instruments and Warren Reid from Dot Hill argue that there are far more opportunities for both resellers and customers in upgrading, rather than replacing, storage  Continue Reading

• When data becomes a natural resource

  With the CEO of IBM talking about data being a natural resource Billy MacInnes wonders just when technology started to rival air and water  Continue Reading

• How CEOs work with the channel

  Stuart Fenton, former Insight president and technologist, knows about the importance of a boss when it comes to working with the channel and shares his thoughts about how that relationship can work  Continue Reading

• Distree 2014: gambling on emerging technology

  Distree in Monte Carlo is the perfect place to forge a long distance relationship with a new tech vendor. Just be careful who you hop into bed with, says Nick Booth  Continue Reading

• Landing a winner with the sporty staffer

  It's not just wicket keepers that the channel could start recruiting and Billy MacInnes has some other suggestions  Continue Reading

• New world of opportunities heralds fresh challenges for the network

  The internet of things will bring enormous benefits, but organisations must have the right foundations, writes Nick Itta  Continue Reading

• Information versus experience

  Peter Tanner, CEO of Boomerang, has noted an increase in communication by channel firms but wonders if more information equals a good user experience  Continue Reading

• Develop anywhere, deploy everywhere

  Mark Armstrong, managing director of EMEA, Progress, looks at the new rules of application development in the channel  Continue Reading

• Making things simple is someone else’s complexity

  Billy MacInnes advises resellers to get closer to those running the lines of business with budget  Continue Reading

• This season's wearable trends for the reseller about town

  As London Fashion Week approaches, wearable computing is the hottest look in town, and Nick Booth thinks its absolutely fabulous  Continue Reading

• Reseller view: channel challenges in 2014

  Sabio director Adam Faulkner talks about some of the challenges facing the channel in this year and argues that the time has come for action when it comes to some pressing issues  Continue Reading

• IBM is starting to wrestle with its hardware problems

  In the week it revealed in its latest results that hardware sales were poor and then sold off its x86 server business to Lenovo, Billy MacInnes takes a look at IBM's hardware strategy  Continue Reading

• BETT 2014 report – must do BETTer!

  Disappointingly, nobody rang a bell to summon us to lessons at BETT. Nick Booth asks if this is because, for all the technical wizardry, some of the exhibitors aren’t very creative?  Continue Reading

• Data – the lifeblood of a business

  David Ellis, director of technology and services, ComputerLinks, looks at the importance of protecting data  Continue Reading

• Welcome the Channel Dragons

  Although not too much of a fan of Dragons' Den, Billy MacInnes welcomes the channel version because of its focus on the two-tier world  Continue Reading

• What's in store for storage in the year ahead?

  Federica Monsone, director at A3 Communications, finds out from her clients just what they think will happen in the world of storage in 2014  Continue Reading

• The internet of dumb, nasty things is on the way

  Machines – we can’t live without them, but they’re about to gang up on us and do us in. Nick Booth is worried  Continue Reading

• Android adds to the desktop confusion

  Trying to work out just where the PC market is hard enough but gets even more confusing, finds Billy MacInnes, once you add Android into the mix  Continue Reading

• BYOD: driving agile working

  Phil Jones from Brother UK highlights the channel opportunity to help customers invest in flexible IT and agile business practices  Continue Reading

• Gain customer trust with data security management

  Martin Sugden, CEO at data protection specialist Boldon James, shares some tips on how the channel can up its game around data protection to gain customer trust  Continue Reading

• Being approximate might just be good enough

  There is an obsession with using computer technology to get the right answer but Billy MacInnes is interested in the idea of getting close enough  Continue Reading

• Navigating the Cloud: Why SAM is more important than ever

  Julian Swan, director, compliance marketing EMEA at the BSA explains what cloud means for software asset management  Continue Reading

• Isn’t it time the IT industry’s evangelists learned to mind their language?

  Nick Booth finds that our techies could learn a lot from our decent English speaking contemporaries across the channel  Continue Reading

• System builders could be the comeback kings

  With AMD reporting that the UK system builder market is undergoing a revival Billy MacInnes looks for other comeback comparisons  Continue Reading

• Searching in the shadows for IT spending

  With CEB research showing a hefty chunk of money being spent on IT is coming from outside the CIO's control Billy MacInnes thinks it's time to go hunting in the shadows  Continue Reading

• Is the channel ready for “next generation” business intelligence users?

  Tony Bray, MD of Intuitive Business Intelligence, explores how resellers can spot and convert new BI buyers and capitalise on the predicted $17.1bn BI opportunity  Continue Reading

• How to keep it confidential in the cloud

  Nick Booth says the channel needs to step in to help out businesses that have unwittingly lost control of their intellectual property  Continue Reading

• A balancing act: Accelerating growth through vendor and reseller relations

  As the UK economy shows signs of recovery, robust channel relationships are becoming more important to help sustain growth, says Epson UK business manager John Kelly  Continue Reading

• Arming retailers to tackle showrooming

  Enzo Capobianco, retail market development manager EMEA at Honeywell Scanning & Mobility, talks about how the channel can arm small businesses to counter the impact of online retail channels  Continue Reading

• The irony in Cisco's dip in form

  Cisco blamed the spying scandal for hitting its recent numbers but wasn't it meant to be Huawei that was the networking vendor suspected of espionage asks Billy MacInnes  Continue Reading

• The midmarket is a ripe opportunity – but where’s the ROI?

  While the economic forecast is still one of low growth that does not necessarily mean low opportunity. Avaya's Michelle Jones explores how the channel can crack an underserved market  Continue Reading

• Can Twitter really be worth more than $24bn?

  As Twitter shares start trading Billy MacInnes wonders if the social media firm really is worth its valuation  Continue Reading

• Why risk your job over dodgy software?

  Following a FAST report into attitudes to illegal software use, on Billy MacInnes asks if it's really much of a surprise that few people are prepared to blow the whistle and risk their job?  Continue Reading

• Deliver the full 4G package

  M7 managing director Neil Cornish calls for MSPs and operators to exploit the full potential for innovation presented by the advent of 4G networks  Continue Reading

• The secret of a successful IT outsourcing relationship

  Ashish Gupta, SVP and head of EMEA infrastructure at HCL Technologies, shares his thoughts on the underpinnings of a successful outsourcing engagement  Continue Reading

• The evolution of managed print: improving efficiency at the core

  Danny Molhoek, GM of Lexmark UK and Ireland, talks about how the managed print services market is repositioning itself as a core driver of efficiencies at the business core  Continue Reading

• Should we all wear jumpers to save energy bills?

  The government has advised people to wear jumpers to keep warm and reduce energy costs and Billy MacInnes wonders if the advice would work in the channel  Continue Reading

• Storage may be boring - but it matters and makes money

  Fujitsu’s Craig Parker says we should remember that storage performance is vitally important to the performance of virtualised datacentres.  Continue Reading

• Computer 2000 finds its time for a name change

  Billy MacInnes ponders on why it has taken Computer 2000 so long to change its name to the same as its parent Tech Data  Continue Reading

• Risky recovery: Gambling with DR during the recession

  James Carnie from MSP Adapt explains why when it comes to disaster recovery policies, the channel needs to strike a balance between over-caution and over-spending  Continue Reading

• Innovation is futile unless the customer comes first

  Comms-care marketing director Richard Eglon says that however innovative your business may be, it doesn't mean a thing if you can't deliver on your customer service promises  Continue Reading

• Scale-out NAS on the verge of greater adoption

  Scale-out NAS, once affordable only to large enterprises, is poised for adoption by midsized firms needing flexibility, data control and reduced storage spending, says Overland Storage’s Joe Disher  Continue Reading

• The revolution will be televised: watch it later on catch up IPTV

  Nick Booth says it’s time for the channel to rise up and take control of the CCTV market  Continue Reading

• What percentage of indirect sales is the right level?

  With the revelation Red Hat has reached 70% channel sales Billy MacInnes wonders just what level of mix between direct and indirect business is ideal  Continue Reading

• Heavy clouds need optimising for ISV growth

  Neil Cornish, managing director, M7 Managed Services, insists it is time for hosted providers to come clean, move away from inappropriate technologies and embrace dedicated cloud appliances  Continue Reading

• Why better storage management could benefit humanity

  Universities and hospitals are home to the lost tribes of academia - mysterious cultures from whom we could learn so much, if only the barriers could be broken down. Nick Booth meets Figshare, a company that wants to do just that  Continue Reading

• The push and pull of sales

  Billy MacInnes shares some thoughts on marketing spurred on by Gartner's findings that the personal touch still matters in the B2B world  Continue Reading

• Channel beware: permanent data destruction is harder than it looks

  Secure data erasure should be part of public sector security strategies but the channel should beware: permanent data destruction is harder than it looks, says Kroll Ontrack’s Moradeyo Komolafe  Continue Reading

• How Britain hamstrung its datacentre dream

  The biggest threat to the future of the datacentre could be British obsession with regulation, argues Nick Booth  Continue Reading

• Wearable tech: a business challenge, a channel opportunity

  Ipswitch UK channel manager Stephen Demianyk takes a look at the advent of wearable technology, and reveals how the channel can get in on the ground floor  Continue Reading

• Failing to switch off

  Firms might be enjoying staff working more flexibly but many of those employees are finding it hard to switch off, finds Billy MacInnes  Continue Reading

• How to sell cloud email security

  Graham O'Reilly, CEO at EveryCloud Technologies reveals some reseller best practice when it comes to selling cloud security  Continue Reading

• Keep an eye on top level domain name chancers

  Will ICANN’s new top level domains be safe? Don’t .bank on it, says Nick Booth  Continue Reading

• Don't answer that email you've just clocked off

  Billy MacInnes wonders what lessons the German Labour Ministry attitude towards work email might has for the rest of us  Continue Reading

• Act now to save your customers from BYOD bills

  The channel can make a killing when customers find out how much unchecked BYOD is going to cost them, says Nick Booth  Continue Reading

• Time for artificial intelligence to make life easier

  Andrew Anderson, CEO of Celaton, believes that it's time for resellers to embrace artificial intelligence and stop fearing the technology  Continue Reading

• Microsoft is more than just one man

  Billy MacInnes points out that those hoping Steve Ballmer's decision to retire will mark a sea change at the company should remember it's a firm of more than just one man  Continue Reading

• HR technology can benefit staff and the business bottom line

  Bridget Stidworthy, customer services director, Chorus HR, talks about how a little investment in human resources technology can help you improve your social reputation  Continue Reading

• Removing obstacles to business critical big data applications

  Paul Coates, regional vice-president (UK & South Africa) at Riverbed Technology, shares his view on how to address legitimate security concerns around big data  Continue Reading

• The great cloud computing scandal

  New research from Rackspace prompts Nick Booth to take a good look at why some companies seem to be overstating how committed they are to the cloud  Continue Reading

• In the world of cloud services, let VARs be VARs

  John Zanni, vice president of service provider marketing and alliances at Parallels, tells us why he thinks a back-to-basics approach will help the channel win more SME cloud business  Continue Reading

• So tired of waiting for technology

  Technology forces the average Brit to waste 24 working days a year, according to a survey by Crucial. Nick Booth says it’s up to the channel to manage expectations more realistically  Continue Reading

• The old channel conflict chestnut is still a hot issue

  After all these years and talk of 100% channel commitment you would think there would be no more channel conflict out there wouldn't you? So did Billy MacInnes until he looked at the figures  Continue Reading

• Is channel conflict an inevitable result of innovation?

  Recent CompTIA research looked into the thorny issue of channel conflict with Vaughan Shayler, director, channel strategy, sharing the findings  Continue Reading

• Navigating through choppy waters

  Sinking companies like 2e2 can take others down with them, but Voyager seems to have navigated its way out of danger finds Nick Booth  Continue Reading

• A modern take on the Jevons Paradox

  Billy MacInnes is finding out that software defined datacentres might help with consumption but wonders if it will work out quite how the industry expects  Continue Reading

• Keeping it simple with cloud apps

  Nick Booth discovers in a chat with Insight that resellers can help make life a lot easier for customers with cloud apps  Continue Reading

• The value of a good reputation: CompTIA business credentials demonstrate quality service

  In business, a good reputation can be difficult to earn and hard to quantify. But demonstrating that reputation to clients and new prospects is key to winning new business, argues Vaughan Shayler  Continue Reading

• The real cost of sound that the channel can't ignore

  Graeme Harrison, executive vice president of marketing at audio specialist Biamp Systems, talks about the opportunities the channel is missing  Continue Reading

• IT is not the silver bullet for mid-sized firm productivity

  Recent research has showed that a better use of IT can help mid-sized firms become more productive but as Billy MacInnes argues so can some other things  Continue Reading

• Attacking the cyber security opportunity

  Cloud Distribution’s Adam Davison calls for the channel’s help in bringing bleeding-edge security vendors to wider attention  Continue Reading