In-Depth Features


Best Practices: Keeping the Law on Your Side

Sooner or later, every growing company wrestles with the question of whether it's better to keep consulting outside legal counsel or finally bring an attorney in-house. Here's advice to help you make the right call.

SaaS: The Highest Hurdle

Software as a Service is gaining momentum in CRM and messaging segments. Now, partners try to leap into the ERP realm.

Windows Server 2008 Brings Big Challenges

Microsoft's super-sized server launch offers both increased work and new opportunities for integrators and ISVs.

Optimize Sales

Microsoft's Infrastructure Optimization push gives partners a way to help customers get a handle on their IT investments -- and get a foot in the door on bigger engagements.

Do MSPs Face an Identity Crisis?

The phrase "managed services provider" means different things to different people, and the connotation isn't always positive. But MSPs are working to build credibility and show that their market holds big opportunities for customers, vendors and the channel.

Managed Services Tool Talk

No managed services provider can afford to be without solid business and IT management applications. Here's a guide to some of the top offerings.

Vista Reaches for the Crown

It failed to catch on in the enterprise in 2007, and it still faces hurdles to acceptance. But partners say that it's too early to call Windows Vista a failure in the enterprise. This could be the year that the beleaguered prince of Microsoft operating systems begins its ascent to the throne.

2008 Marching Orders

The new product launch wave hits early in 2008, so what's a partner to do? Microsoft insiders and partners point out channel opportunities and challenges in a year without Bill.

Operation Re-Supply

Microsoft will arm partners with tons of new products to sell in 2008 -- including profitable tools like SQL Server and Windows Server 2008.

Knowledge Is Power: Who's Who at Redmond

Ballmer, Raikes, Watson are names we know already. Here's a list of other Microsoft execs -- like Flinders, Bennani and Park and 17 others -- that partners should keep in their sites.

Citrix Access Essentials: Good for the SMB -- and the Microsoft Reseller

With version 2.0, Citrix makes its thin-client tool even more SMB-savvy, while opening up its reseller program to non-Citrix partners.

Where the Dollars Are

While past performance is no guarantee of future results, Microsoft partners that serve the financial-services industry report that business is brisk-despite the recent chaos on Wall Street.

2007 RCP Partner Survey: It's (Almost) All Good

RCP's most recent reader survey reveals that Microsoft partners are a happy bunch -- satisfied with the partner program and excited to be working with the software giant. However, that doesn't mean that everything's perfect in the Microsoft channel. A few concerns remain, even in good times.

IBM Plans Major Security Initiative

IBM Corp. plans to announce Thursday that it will boost what it spends developing computer security products to $1.5 billion in 2008, reflecting an intensifying focus for the company.

Protecting Your Precious (Intellectual) Property

It's almost impossible to be too cautious about safeguarding your company's creative assets -- and it's never too early to start taking defensive steps.

Messaging Ninja Eases Exchange Security

For customers struggling with managing multiple security wares for Exchange, Sunbelt offers an easy-to-use, all-in-one, multi-layered solution.

The Chinese Connection

Earlier this year, a huge bust in China shut down a major pipeline that had been funneling pirated Microsoft and Symantec software to the U.S. market. Some partners helped the pirates. Some partners sided with authorities.

Microsoft and Cisco: The Odd Couple

Microsoft and Cisco are talking about collaboration in the nascent unified communications space, but they're approaching it from two very different angles. With customers heavily invested in both vendors' technologies, partners don't need to take sides -- yet.

Uneasy Courtship

Some of the biggest names in IT are ardently wooing partners who serve small and midsize businesses. Are their seductions working?

Sowing the Seeds

Microsoft's new server products are supposed to sprout early in 2008. Partners prepared for those launches can expect a bumper crop of business later in the year.