Channel Strategies for the CIOHewlett-Packard Co.'s plan to transform itself into a cloud-and-software powerhouse -- and the ensuing uproar over a possible sell-off of its venerable PC business -- caused a huge uproar last month that has yet to subside. The company, an icon among U.S. businesses, struggled to overcome miscues as it announced plans to nuke its light-selling but much-hyped TouchPad and dropped $10 billion to buy Autonomy Software PLC.
The VCE Co.’s decision to reorganize its channel and sales organizations was also a big story for VARs last month.
Here are the top SearchITChannel.com stories for August 2011.
1: HP partners blast tablet, PC move, Autonomy buy
When Leo Apotheker makes a change, it’s a doozy. Late last month, prompted by news leaks, the
HP chairman was forced to disclose (on the HP earnings call) that HP was
looking at “alternatives” for its $40-billion-a-year PC business. Such alternatives might
include selling it or spinning it off. The news seemed to shock not only the public but
high-profile HP execs as well. HP lost more than $12 billion in market cap the day after the
call.
2: Tablets: Going beyond the iPad
Maybe Apotheker should have read this before dumping the TouchPad. SearchITChannel.com
contributor John Moore found high interest among VARs and their customers
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for non-iPad
tablets, including the Samsung Galaxy and -- you guessed it -- the HP TouchPad. More proof that
HP may have acted too soon: Best Buy and other outlets sold out of the remaining TouchPads in
record time after HP announced a $99 fire sale.
3: VCE reorgs channel sales
Several VCE partners started worrying this summer that the
VCE Co., purveyor of Vblock, was backing off its channel commitments. The partners cited
cancelled meetings and conference calls and unreturned email. It turns out that VCE was
reorganizing its channel and sales organizations along geographic lines. Oh, and there were also a
few layoffs. The VCE Co. was founded by EMC, Cisco and VMware.
4: As hardware biz shrinks, VARs build out cloud management services
More VARs, including GreenPages Technology Solutions, are diving into cloud
management services to help customers manage diverse endpoints and applications. And, it’s not
a minute too soon as margins that already eroded on PCs and laptops are now afflicting servers.
5: Microsoft Xbox Kinect may be good for business
Xbox
Kinect ain’t just for fun and games anymore. That’s at least according to Microsoft VARs that
were intrigued by the possibilities of using the devices for physical therapy, remote manufacturing
control and other applications. Kinect lets users control their computers using gestures or body
motions instead of keyboards, joysticks or mice.