Channel
monster CDW is back with more numbers for your consumption. This time, the
Large Account Reseller is looking at adoption of Vista and Office 2007. The
crux of the findings is that Vista -- which almost 30 percent of "IT decision
makers" are either using or "evaluating" -- seems to be a good
springboard to adoption of Office 2007. While not particularly surprising, that
little nugget still seems interesting. From the
press
release:
"The survey of 753 IT decision makers, released last May, indicated
that 29 percent of respondents were currently using or evaluating Windows
Vista. Newly released findings of the survey show that 42 percent of those
using or evaluating Windows Vista have deployed or plan to deploy the 2007
Microsoft Office system, and that 38 percent said they planned to do so within
12 months of when they took the survey last February."
So there you go. Hopefully, you're one of the partners who's profiting from
the uptake (and we won't comment on the speed of the uptake, having said enough
already) of these technologies.
Posted by Lee Pender on September 07, 20070 comments
There was a time, of course, when Microsoft couldn't do without vendors like
Symantec (and maybe it still can't -- but that remains to be seen). Big security
players were the cops who kept Windows from looking like some dark, dangerous,
back-alley operating system and held most -- if definitely not all -- of the
attacks that threatened various versions of the OS at bay. Windows needed security,
and Symantec and friends happily -- and profitably -- provided it. And they
still do.
But if there are three things that are inevitable in life, they are these:
death, taxes and Microsoft invading its partners' markets. It's Symantec's turn
now, as Redmond has launched its Forefront suite in an attempt to unseat the
leader in enterprise endpoint security. From now on, these old friends will
also be rivals, taking up arms like two great empires preparing for battle --
while still collaborating to stave off threats to Windows.
Partners, of course, are caught in the middle of this impending war -- and
profitably so, if they play both sides well enough. In this
month's RCP, we use plenty of historical allusions to describe the
battle
between Microsoft and Symantec and how it will affect both companies' partners.
And here's a little teaser to get you to click
the link -- an excerpt from an exclusive interview with Symantec CEO John
Thompson, who weaves a subtle tapestry of words in his description of Forefront
(just in case you doubted the presence of rancor in this new-world relationship):
"When the hype settles down, people have to settle into the pragmatic
reality, which is that [Microsoft's] product sucks."
Oh, it's on now!
What's your take on Microsoft Forefront and Symantec? Sound off at [email protected].
Posted by Lee Pender on September 07, 20071 comments
Maybe you're not entirely sure what Software as a Service is. Sure, you read
a lot about it (even here), and maybe you hear people talking about it. You
see that Salesforce.com seems to be cleaning up revenue-wise with it. Perhaps
your customers have even puzzled you by inquiring as to what your SaaS option
is. So you're left trying to figure out what SaaS really is, much less what
your strategy for it should be.
Then along comes Microsoft, as only Microsoft can, changing the vocabulary
altogether. It's not SaaS that Microsoft is pushing, after all; it's S+S, or
Software Plus Services. Great -- another buzzword to learn and explain, another
strategy to develop.
Well, if all you know about SaaS is that it sounds like a word your mother
would have used when you talked back to her as a kid, take heart. RCP
is here to help. And not only are we talking SaaS in our September
issue, we're also clarifying exactly what
Microsoft means by S+S -- and how partners can benefit from it.
Executive Editor Anne Stuart has the lowdown on Microsoft's vision for a hosted-technology
model, and if this little passage doesn't hook you to click
the link, you might as well close up shop now:
"While Microsoft officials talked nonstop about how the transition
to SaaS would revolutionize its business, the company's overall approach was
heavy on vision, light on details. Until Denver. Microsoft's leaders used
the fourth annual Worldwide Partner Conference to share, for the first time,
some specifics about what they call 'Software Plus Services' (or S+S). The
first came in the form of a warning: Climb aboard the Good Ship S+S -- or
risk being left behind on the dock."
Unless you're quite happy on the dock -- and we suspect that you wouldn't be
for long -- you'll want to dig in to our September feature.
What's your SaaS strategy? Do you have one? Are you developing one, and how?
What's your take on S+S? Answer any, all or none of those questions at [email protected].
And, on a completely different note but while we have your attention (hopefully),
we're also hoping to hear from partners who are involved in infrastructure optimization.
Send comments on that to [email protected],
too.
Posted by Lee Pender on September 06, 20070 comments
OK, so it's not the greatest play on words of all time, but we were trying
to go for something other than a "turns on Silverlight" phrase (which
Keith Ward already stole), which kind of makes us think of a lousy old Neil
Diamond song.
Anyway, Microsoft released
Silverlight this week.
Posted by Lee Pender on September 06, 20070 comments
And that's
a
big "no" from a big standards organization for Microsoft's Office
Open XML document format.
Posted by Lee Pender on September 04, 20070 comments
With apologies to our friends outside the U.S. who were probably working yesterday,
we're still recovering from a long holiday weekend here and all the work we
missed on Monday. So, get ready for some quick hits today. (Yes, that means
you get a break from RCPU's usual ponderings, but we'll be back to ponder tomorrow.)
Also, we'll have a Friday edition this week, so be on the lookout for that.
In the meantime, as the grill cools and the kids whine about going back to
school, have a gander at Keith
Ward's excellent story on why, exactly, Windows Server 2008 is delayed again.
And, remember, always feel free to comment on any entry you see here at [email protected].
And enjoy those Labor Day leftovers, if there are any.
Posted by Lee Pender on September 04, 20070 comments
If
this
stuff works, it could spell doom for the makers of Skittles and Mountain
Dew.
Posted by Lee Pender on August 29, 20070 comments
We hear the phrase all the time -- "SMB," or small and medium-sized
businesses. Partners, vendors and analysts all say that the new pot of revenue
gold lies at the end of the SMB rainbow, now that bigger companies have just
about all the technology they can stand, thank you very much. But SMB is not
a homogenous category of enterprises. Indeed, some Bs are considerably more
M than S, and vice versa.
With that stratification in mind, channel heavyweight CDW recently completed
a study on how small businesses grow to be medium-sized (meaning, for the purposes
of this study, shops of 100 employees or more), and how much focus they put
on IT in the growth process. The study provides some insight into small-business
survival skills, given that only half of all startup businesses survive their
first four years. The survey results could also prove to be instructive for
partners setting their vessels out into the ocean of SMBs.
You can see the full study here
if you fill out a short request form (pretty much name and e-mail). It's worth
a look, as it reveals a few trends partners might like to mention when they
call on clients and a few strategies channel players can use to close deals.
First off, CDW found that in successful startups -- in a cross-section of industries,
not just in technology -- IT is a big deal for business owners. Of the companies
surveyed that went from startups to more than 100 employees, 74 percent of owners
said that they were "totally involved in IT decisions"; 42 percent
of them said that they handled IT themselves, with no dedicated IT department
-- although those that did have a dedicated IT person or department were likely
to grow more quickly than those that didn't. Fully 65 percent of business owners
agreed or strongly agreed that their IT strategies were critical in their companies
growing beyond 100 employees.
A hearty 22 percent of bosses went as far as to identify themselves as "total
geeks"...and saw their companies grow, for the most part, faster than those
whose owners were less interested in IT.
"One of the most compelling findings is that IT literacy is a strong factor
[for growth]," Lauren McCadney, senior segment manager for small business
at CDW, tells RCPU. "We asked people to self-identify. Those folks who
self-identify as IT geeks or power users, their businesses really were growing
much better."
But even the geeks need help. A hefty 65 percent of owners said that they employed
some type of consultant or outside IT help, signaling demand for consultants
and other channel players. But what do small-business owners want from channel
partners?
Well, the biggest regrets among MB (as opposed to SMB) owners surveyed were
that they didn't take advantage of the technologies they did acquire (21 percent
said this) or that they didn't integrate technology strategically into their
business plans soon enough (18 percent). So, McCadney says, partners should
hit business owners with plans for strategic IT investment early and often --
and emphasize that technology can make or break a small business; it's not just
a fun set of toys.
"I would say number one, if they're working directly with business owners,
is get that business owner to slow down and realize that it's not a matter of,
'Can we afford to do this?' It's, 'Can we afford not to?'" McCadney says.
And partners shouldn't leave customers hanging once a system is installed;
they should guide them through the sometimes painful process of getting it to
work and helping employees become accustomed to it.
"You need to have a healthy appreciation for technology," McCadney
says. "There is huge opportunity to actually work with the customer to
make sure that they fully know how to take advantage of what they have."
The bottom line from the survey: The more a small business is into IT, the
better its chances are for quick growth. And that's good news for partners who
know how to get that message across.
What are some of your SMB sales strategies? If you're a small-business owner
yourself, how important has an IT strategy been for you? Talk to me at [email protected].
Posted by Lee Pender on August 29, 20070 comments