eWEEK Strategic Partner - Hosted by Hostway


NEED TO KNOW
RESEARCH
When Value Outweighs Price
When it comes to hiring a solution provider, IT managers are more interested in value than how much it costs.
Reaching The Customer
A good customer strategy is important to the success of any business, but are companies making the best use they can out of their customer data?
TECH FILES
Solution providers must take some factors into consideration before deciding on a backup solution.
Channel Looks to Server Repurposing

Putting servers to a different use broadens the reach of virtualization and leverages extra processing power.
Network Forensics Applications Grow Smarter
Firescope's and Network Physics' analyses appliances give VARs and security consultants easier access to information.
 
 
VISTA VIEWS
Vista Terms Evoke Buyer Concerns
Software assurance requirements have obvious benefits for Microsoft but the potential impact on customers is another story.
Wait for SP1 Puts Businesses in Bind
Microsoft's vagueness on a service pack release is forcing customers to play a chicken-and-egg guessing game.
Mistakes Are The Channel's Bounty
The complexity of Microsoft's Windows Vista and Office products creates plenty of opportunities for channel companies.
PROVIDER PROFILES
Provider Tunes Remote Delivery
SL Powers constructs managed services model with a robust hardware-as-a-service component.
Ultramatics Soars with SOA
Solution provider uses new approach and technology to addressing customers' IT needs.
Plan B: It's More Than Just a Name
Solution provider shifts course away from integration toward fast-growth track in security and storage.
Shopping for New Customers
CHIPS Consulting is seeking new customer business through an acquisition strategy.
IT CAREERS
A New Standard Announced for IT Architects
The Open Group's ITAC-3 hopes to standardize the role of top-level IT architects across organizations.
Mobile Device Security Wrongly Burdening IT
Training employees for network security is considered an IT issue, but should be considered a business one.
The concept of server repurporsing broadens the reach of virtualization and leverages extra server processing power.

CHANNEL CENTRAL

Ongoing concerns with energy costs should translate to business opportunities for solution providers.

My Vendor Is All Right
Finding the right balance between seeking profit and providing support to partners is key for vendors.
 
Rather than having service offerings that are stand-alone, services should be offered as extended warranty options available at checkout.

FEATURED

For Hire
Solution providers pick up side businesses as recruiters for their customers.

Want to Be an MSP?
Managed services are all the rage, but VARs should look before they leap into the fray.

The SOA Challenge
Despite potential customer savings, solution providers grapple with explaining the  technology’s  benefits.

A High-Energy Problem
Solution providers guide SMBs through options to make IT environments more eco-friendly.

Where to Cut
Here are seven ways to condense IT environments to cut power use.

Many Ways to Shop
POS innovations driven by convenience create work for solution providers.

Now Playing: Digital Signage
A multiplex movie chain calls on solution providers to brighten up its menu displays.

VAR to VAR
Typically out of necessity, an increasing number of solution providers is playing the role of vendor for their peers and competitors.

Signs of the Times
Channel companies are creating expanding networks of computerized signage solutions.

A Wireless World
As cellular service expands beyond phone use, the channel answers the call for wireless solutions.

High-Tech Tower of Babel
The industry's penchant for creating new marketing terms and relying on acronyms that multiply like rabbits in springtime is confusing customers.

CASE STUDIES

Long-Distance Book Signings
How solution provider GenX made remote meetings between authors and readers a reality.

Technology Lesson Learned
Education Company Turns to Solution Provider Redemtech to Improve Asset Recovery.

Cotton Companies Walks the Walk
Disaster assessment specialist practices what it preaches with Terian solution.

Blizzards as usual
When the snow fell on Christmas, ITonCommand helped CIMCO's employees stay up and running even though blizzards hadn't factored into the reason for hiring the solution provider.

Searching for Answers with Virtualization
Solution provider AccessFlow helps the law firm of Eskanos & Adler solve its virtualization woes.

Forgital Goes Paperless
The distributor of industrial rings hires solution provider Stargel to implement an automated Questys document management system.

Storage Woes on the Mend
Diagnostic tool maker Cholestech engaged solution provider to Adeara to improve its storage systems.

Mary Kay Gets IT Makeover
Maryville Technologies implements business service management capabilities.

The Shoebox Goes Digital
Solution provider Unison automates direct marketer's outmoded filing system.

Helping Partners
Enterprise Resource vice president talks about the vendor's responsibility to its partners.
 
RSA New Channel Chief: No Change of Direction
Q&A: Former Citrix channel executive Chris Clinton, the security giant's choice to head its global channel organization, shares his plans for RSA's channel program.
 
 
 
 


Commentary
Readers respond to the eWEEK editorial, "The Second Time Around," and to eWEEK's coverage of Vista.
 
XML
Add eWEEK Technology News to your RSS newsreader or My Yahoo!