Larry Walsh Posts

Microsoft snuck out a second version of its Security Essential 2.0 application over the weekend, adding linkage to the embedded Windows Firewall. The early indications are Microsoft is moving to make MSE a more complete software security suite for home and small business users. The ultimate result could be more channel security opportunities.Microsoft has made no bones about its intentions to become a major player in the security marketplace. Through product development and acquisitions over the ...

Is any partner ever really satisfied with their vendor? Perhaps it’s an unfair question, since partner sentiment is shifted by events and circumstances. But a growing chorus of channel partners is raising its voice of discontent with Hewlett-Packard, calling into question new CEO Leo Apotheker’s channel commitment. And that’s just part of what’s happening across the Channel-Lands this week. We’re also watching the rise of Chinese competition, the setting of business goals in 2011, and a big chan ...

The Obama administration is pumping $19 billion into the healthcare industry to help defray the costs of digitizing medical records and enable collaboration amongst medical providers. Electronic medical records promise greater efficiency and productivity, but healthcare providers are worried about their liability resulting from software errors. Those concerns could create a barrier to sales for solution providers. These liability concerns are keeping many physicians from investing in EMR syste ...

As they say in boxing circles, here’s the tale of the tape: Apple has sold more than 20 million iPads since they went on sale last January. Samsung is reporting more than 1 million Galaxy Tab sold in the first month on the market. And scores of vendors are racing to put their version of touch screen tablet computers on the market.If you think those numbers are impressive, consider this: Asian manufacturers are gearing up to produce more than 100 million tablets in 2011.DigiTimes reported last we ...

It’s no secret that everyone wants a piece of the cloud. Ah, but plenty of debate remains over what the cloud means to the channel, and who will eventually dominate this emerging marketplace. And that’s the buzz dominating the Channel-Lands last week.Google, Microsoft Griping for Government CloudIt seems Microsoft and Google are bound to remain locked in a pitch battle command of the federal government’s cloud business. When either one wins a deal, the rival seems duty bound to complain or – in ...

Here’s an alarming statistic: one in seven small and mid-sized businesses have no IT security protection. According to a new survey by security software vendor AVG Technologies, SMBs are particularly exposed to Internet-born threats that could disrupt growth. And, worse, they don’t have the expertise to exercise risk management. There are a couple of well-known facts reinforced by the AVG survey: SMBs are exposed to the same security threats as large enterprises. SMBs do not have the expertise a ...

Spiffs, rebates, special discounts and limited promotions are tools all vendors use to tickle their customers into loosening their purse strings. Vendors surrender a little margin in favor of capturing a customer to upsell and expand the sales relationship later. But are these special incentives always worth the expense? How do they affect the partner in the sales process?This is the question Bill Leutzinger, president of telecom reseller TelecomMedic, asked in his recent blog post on Phone Plus ...

The world is moving up into the clouds, of that there is no doubt. Just how the channel will make this migration and what form will businesses take once they arrive remain in question. This week, the Channel-Lands received a reaffirmation commitment in the cloud to partners from one of the largest patrons. We also heard from the new HP chief on his plans for partners. And we’re monitoring some interesting moves by Apple.Microsoft Chief Affirms Channel Cloud CommitmentMicrosoft global channel chi ...

Literally moments after releasing more than a quarter-million sensitive U.S. diplomatic documents, WikiLeaks issued a distress call via Twitter that sounded like something out of Star Trek. It essentially read: “We’re under attack.”The assault aiming to block access to the classified documents was nothing more than a distributed denial of service attack – commonly called DDoS. In hacking circles, DDoS is one of the oldest and relatively simplest of attacks. It leverages the Syn-Ack handshake tha ...

Retailers – particularly purveyors of computers and electronics – are cheering after the brisk return of consumers to the malls this past holiday weekend. Early reports indicate Americans are opening their wallets to cash in on reported bargains on everything from name-brand clothes to flat-screen digital televisions. This is good news for retailers and online outlets, but it also may signal a boost to the overall economy – and it couldn’t come soon enough.Black Friday, the traditional start of ...