A quarter into 2008, market researchers at IDC say that worldwide, IT spending
-- like the broader economy -- is on track for a slow year.
In a research
press release Tuesday based on IDC's "Worldwide Black Book Q1,"
the Framingham, Mass.-based market research firm predicted that worldwide IT
spending will increase 5.7 percent this year, compared with 7.2 percent last
year.
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Posted by Scott Bekker on May 13, 20080 comments
Microsoft is pumping up its
Big
Easy partner promotion
, the $10 million incentive plan that gives SMB customers
subsidy checks made out to partners for the purchase of Microsoft software.
The program was designed to consolidate Microsoft's confusing array of subsidy
programs, and with a sliding scale of incentives, to increase the size of the
subsidy check when partners up-sell, cross-sell or sell more expensive licensing
packages to customers.
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Posted by Scott Bekker on May 08, 20080 comments
Microsoft's full-time effort to harry software counterfeiters netted a few
more legal actions this week. Eight software dealers in four countries -- the
United States, Canada, Egypt and the Netherlands --
attracted
legal actions
either by Microsoft or by local authorities.
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Posted by Scott Bekker on May 08, 20080 comments
The economy is
top
of mind
for most people right now. Because of that, we're dedicating a significant
portion of the May print issue of
Redmond Channel Partner
magazine to
practical tips for continuing to wring money from a weak economy into the bucket
of your business.
One of the things partners told us as we reported the story was that they're
looking harder at Microsoft Financing to help close deals as the economy sags.
Well, there was some good news from Microsoft on that front in The Wall Street
Journal on Wednesday. (Click here.
Requires paid subscription.)
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Posted by Scott Bekker on April 17, 20080 comments
EMC Corp. this week made an offer to buy Conchango plc, a U.K.-based Microsoft
Gold Certified partner, for U.S. $84 million.
Conchango's board unanimously recommended the offer to Conchango shareholders,
and the deal is expected to close this month.
EMC positions the move as giving the Hopkinton, Mass.-based storage giant's
Microsoft consulting practice a foundation in the United Kingdom and Europe.
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Posted by Scott Bekker on April 03, 20080 comments
Entrigue Systems, a Dunwoody, Ga.-based provider of Windows desktop user profile management software sold under the Script Start brand, launched a formal partner program on Monday.
Called the Entrigue Authorized Solution Ecosystem (EASE), the program offers discount margins ranging from 20 percent to 30 percent for U.S. partners in a three-tier program. To qualify for the top-tier margin of 30 percent, a reseller will need to sell at least 15 server licenses per quarter.
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Posted by Scott Bekker on March 31, 20080 comments
Network storage vendor
NetApp
this week launched an expansion of its channel program in a bid to expand its market share against EMC and other storage vendors by giving its partners the tools to deliver more profitable services surrounding NetApp's storage devices and software. Of the four initial service focus areas for NetApp partners in the program, one is specifically for Microsoft applications.
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Posted by Scott Bekker on February 13, 20080 comments
Granted an economic slide isn't good for anyone. But it does appear that computer services companies escaped the grip of a service sector contraction in January.
The Institute for Supply Management issued its January report on the service sector on Tuesday. When the institute's monthly index is above 50, it means growth in the service sector, which accounts for about two thirds of the economy. An index score below 50 is a contraction. The index for January was 44.6.
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Posted by Scott Bekker on February 05, 20080 comments
So Microsoft knocked their financial results out of the park in their 10-Q filing last week. Well, how do those record results relate to you out there in the channel? For those of you who don't have time to dig through Microsoft's 10-Q filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, we here at RCPmag.com took one for the team and slogged through dozens of pages for nuggets of potential interest to Microsoft partners.
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Posted by Scott Bekker on January 30, 20080 comments
The New York Times
' Business Section this morning had a piece about an upcoming federal rule change (
click here
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Posted by Scott Bekker on January 30, 20080 comments
Microsoft told channel partners this week that it will launch a software subscription program for small and medium businesses in the United States and Canada on March 3.
Eric Ligman, Microsoft U.S. senior manager, small business community engagement, unveiled the Microsoft Open Value Subscription Program on Tuesday in an entry on the partner-focused Microsoft Small Business Community Blog.
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Posted by Scott Bekker on January 03, 20080 comments
Microsoft's OEM chief, Scott Di Valerio, is leaving the company to join Chinese
computermaker Lenovo. Di Valerio will be senior vice president at Lenovo and
president of the Americas Group.
Di Valerio, 45, starts his new job on Dec. 3. He'll report to William Amelio,
president and CEO of Lenovo Group Ltd. Di Valerio will be responsible for sales
for the Americas. He replaces Rory Read, acting president since January 2007.
Read will continue his position as senior vice president for global operations.
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Posted by Scott Bekker on November 06, 20070 comments