Proceed with Caution: The Road to Data Center Virtualization While data center virtualization is a practice area many IT Solution Providers would like to add to their portfolios, there are plenty of obstacles in each project that smart resellers should watch for. Beyond the Headlines of Disaster Preparedness Hurricanes are devasting, but user error and brownouts are equally as damaging to IT infrastructure and destructive to data.As Hurricane Ike demonstrated, proper disaster-recovery strategies are critical to keeping businesses running. Nokia Security Appliance Sale Signals Marketplace Sea Change Nokia is reportedly selling its security appliance division to an undisclosed buyer is part of a larger wave of change in the security hardware market and could spell big changes in options for solution providers. KeyScan Melds Keyboard and Color Scanner into a New Peripheral Review: The KS810 from KeySpan may be the perfect accessory for a business drowning in paper. Cramming a color scanner into a keyboard is no easy feat, yet KeyScan pulls it off at a price that most businesses can afford. HP to Buy Storage Firm LeftHand for $360M HP channel partners and IT consultants will soon have access to a new product line from HP following the acquisition of network storage provider LeftHand Networks. The HP LeftHand Networks deal is expected to extend HP s storage technology offerings to mid-sized companies. Channel Insider, OnForce Announce Strategic Partnership Channel Insider will work with OnForce in developing new granular market intelligence that provides deeper insight into economic conditions and technology services demands in local markets. SolarWinds Redefines Network Configuration Management Orion NCM 5.0 is a tremendous improvement over the previous product, Cirrus Configuration Manager, providing solution providers with a powerful tool for imposing change management over complex network infrastructures. Managed Services, Hosting Opportunities in Scandinavia : U.S. service providers with offerings such as SAAS, virtualization and managed services ought to seek business in a region pre-disposed to early technology adoption. HP Brings Execs to Solution Providers, End Customers Hewlett-Packard this month launched the first official event in its ExeConnect offering - a program designed to bring HP's top executives to meet with HP solution provider channel partners and their customers at partner-requested events.

Most Profitable (Recession-Proof) Products
The Dow Jones is bleeding billions of dollars, but solution providers can find some shelter with these top 10 recession-proof technologies.  

Channel Insider Mid-Year Outlook Report
Recessionary Pressures
Undercut Resellers
New Channel Insider research finds that economic pressures brought on by the tight credit market and increase energy costs are causing end users to cut back on IT spending. The result is lower sales, revenue and profits for solution providers.

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