4.5.2006 The IBM veteran will become Big Blue’s managing partner executive at the distributor. 4.5.2006 Avnet develops an SMB Linux stack with support from IBM and Novell to introduce the open-source OS into SMBs’ Windows environments. 4.3.2006 Marathon Technologies turned to distributor Arrow Electronics to bring its high-availability solution for Windows to the masses. 3.30.2006 IBM Global Financing expects to deliver $3.4 billion in loans in 2006 to customers working through partners on IT projects, up 26 percent from 2.7 billion in 2005 and 41 percent since $2.4 billion in 2004. 3.27.2006 HP is driving VARs to grow their HP business with changes to PartnerONE membership requirements, attachment rebates and marketing funds that encourage partners to sell more HP across the board. 3.27.2006 Opinion: Channel executives at HP have rolled up their sleeves and really thought through how the company can get solutions providers to willingly expand their HP services and offerings. 3.27.2006 The chip maker moves to spread its technology in the enterprise market by cultivating vertical solutions and channel partners. 3.24.2006 The chip maker’s Interchangeability Initiative aims to increase notebook and mobile PC adoption by standardizing components and speeding repair times. 3.23.2006 Windows doesn’t have the corner on the market when it comes to slip dates. Office 2007 is running behind schedule, too. So will appointing Microsoft’s Office chief to head Windows really fix Microsoft’s delivery problems? (Microsoft Watch) 3.22.2006 The channel took Redmond’s Vista delay announcement in stride, having grown accustomed to operating system release delays over the years. Some said they expected no real impact on their businesses, though others expressed some concern about potential sales delays. 3.22.2006 Updated: CA is allowing its SMB VARs to sell its six SMB Protection suites directly to customers to broaden the route to market. 3.21.2006 Microsoft is folding its OEM and System Builder partner communities into one organization to make better use of shared resources. 3.20.2006 The U.S. Department of State announces large enterprise class purchases from Lenovo, buying 16,000 of the Chinese PC maker’s ThinkCentre desktops through direct reseller CDW. 3.17.2006 IBM and business partners are co-investing $250 million in Business Partner Innovation Centers in 2006, with 40 new centers targeted for openings. 3.15.2006 Lenovo launches a two-tier channel based on a simplified version of the PartnerWorld program it inherited from IBM and looks to recruit 3,000 to 5,000 additional partners in 2006. 2.23.2006 The Lenovo 3000 series, starting at $359 with features such as one-button disaster recovery and Wi-Fi connectivity, is designed to pickup the SMB market that the ThinkPad line missed. 2.22.2006 Jim Kleeman, head of Avnet’s HP distribution unit, announces his departure after two years of driving the unit toward a $1 billion sales goal. 2.20.2006 With six new storage SKUs for the SME, Hitachi Data Systems is leveraging Ingram Micro’s reseller network and SME know-how to bring them to market. 2.15.2006 Ingram Micro is recruiting system builders to be charter members of System ArchiTECHS, a community designed to deliver support and encourage collaboration among its components customers. 2.7.2006 Phoenix will be relying on VARs to reach these markets, where its solutions complement and support a variety of applications.
|