Channel Strategies for the CIOApple Inc., which dismantled much of its channel years ago, is taking tentative steps to woo enterprise-focused integrators in a move of huge interest to SearchITChannel.com readers. That was the most-read story on the site in November.
Also hot was Heather Clancy's take on Microsoft's future after multiple missteps with Vista and Internet search. Vendors' continued push to sell integrated data center hardware including Vblocks is another hot topic for solution providers going into 2011.
Here are the top five SearchITChannel.com stories from November 2010.
1: Apple courts integrators in enterprise IT push
What's this now? Apple Inc. is suddenly making nice with at least some enterprise integrators, signing deals with Unisys Corp. and Agilex Technologies Inc. The company clearly hopes to ride its popular iPhones and iPads right into the corporate boardroom and beyond. (Of course that's what we think. Apple did not return calls for comment.) Ironically, right around the same time, Apple decided to stop selling its Xserve server, a move that irked some Apple VARs that said the box serves an important niche audience in ad agencies and publishing companies. Apple could not be reached about
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that either.
2: Bloodied Microsoft retains IT power
Microsoft took some big body blows over the past few years with the widely-panned Vista OS, with its so-so multi-billion-dollar Internet search effort and with what many viewed as laughable smart phone efforts. But VARs write Microsoft off at their own peril, writes Heather Clancy. More recently, the company everyone loved to hate -- at least up till the emergence of the Google behemoth -- got good reviews on Windows 7 and even some compliments on the new Windows 7 phone. As for its latest search effort, the company is buying Bing market share with a Yahoo deal.
3: VARs eye VCE coalition incentives to boost Vblock sales
VARs say data center customers are definitely intrigued by Vblock bundles of EMC storage, Cisco storage and VMware virtualization but say they need incentives and pricing to make the bundled sale as attractive as hawking the component pieces separately. They expect the VCE coalition to offer such incentives starting early next year.
4: Server virtualization drives 10 Gigabit Ethernet interest
Ten Gigabit Ethernet (10 GbE) networking has been around for six years or so, but a lot of corporate customers are just getting around to upgrading their 1 Gigabit pipes now. Many data centers are finally making the 10 GbE leap after virtualizing more of their infrastructure. They'd better hurry: 40 GbE gear is already rolling out.
5: Top SearchITchannel.com stories for Oct. 2010
Most of the top SearchITChannel stories for October were focused on Microsoft. The most popular detailed how Microsoft Office 365 will leave channel partners in the cold. Also of note were stories about Ray Ozzie's impending departure from Microsoft and a peek at Windows Phone 7 opportunities, and another that compared Microsoft Azure with Amazon Web Services. The lone outlier was a story about stupid vendor tricks and how they infuriate VARs.
Check out the most-read SearchITChannel.com stories for October.