Interesting developments and trends in the world of virtualization and cloud computing continued to affect the IT channel market in 2011. Several big name companies, including Microsoft and Dell, stepped up their presence in the market while others, like Hewlett-Packard, sought to diversify and restructure. In fact, HP made headlines monthly in 2011 here at SearchITChannel.com, starting with the release of a WebOS tablet, personnel departures and firings and ending the year with a new CEO and some backtracking on changes to the company’s Personal Systems Group.
Our top 10 news list of 2011 captures these key developments in the industry and takes a look back at other events that made VARs and MSPs stop and take notice.
VMware charges partners for solution enablement toolkits
VMware partners saw the company introduce a charge for its previously free
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Solution
Enablement Toolkits. These changes to VMware’s pricing policies will see partners pay up to
$1,099 per year for all toolkits or $499 dollars per year for individual toolkit libraries.
Adrian Jones leaves
HP
Hewlett-Packard again hit the headlines with the departure of well-known executive Adrian Jones from the company. Jones was credited by partners for greatly improving
HP’s channel relationships and programs. His departure added to the personnel reshuffle that has
taken place at the IT giant since Leo Apotheker was installed as CEO in October 2010. Jones later appeared at Oracle, which added to the controversy -- and readers’ interest.
HP VARs wary of Apotheker’s
cloud vision
In what was an eventful year of transition for
Hewlett-Packard, the company rolled out its cloud computing strategy at the HP Summit in March.
Some VARs were concerned about HP’s plans to create a self-hosted market of products and
services, citing similar moves by the company in the past that ultimately ended in
failure.
HP TouchPad seeks to exploit
iPad Achilles’ heel
Continuing its busy year, Hewlett Packard Co.
attempted to market its new TouchPad tablet as a more business friendly alternative to the omnipresent iPad.
HP was banking on its more flexible, cloud-based WebOS system to entice businesses away from the
iPad and its heavy reliance on the iTunes marketplace.
Dell vStart bundle draws VAR
interest
Dell Corp.’s vStart virtualization appliances garnered significant interest in April 2011, two months before they
were even available to the channel. Dell’s newest virtualization bundles were predicted to compete
directly with FlexPods, backed by Cisco Systems and NetApp.
Dell killing partners … with
kindness
Dell Inc., long seen as a thorn in the side of PC
VARs, made steps to repair this tentative relationship. The company’s change to its PartnerDirect program drew praise from some VARs, while others continued to see Dell
undercut them through direct deals with customers.
Attachmate plots new future
for Novell
Attachmate Corp.'s purchase of Novell Inc. was
finalized on April 27 of this year. Attachmate aimed to breathe new life into Novell’s franchises
and assured partners and current users of Novell products that they
would receive their continued support.
Hyper-V Replica, Windows
Server 8 debut at Microsoft WPC 2011
The public got its first glimpse of Hyper-V
Replica and Windows Server 8 at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2011 in Los Angeles.
Launched on the same day VMware Inc. unveiled its vSphere 5 product, Microsoft sought to challenge
VMware’s dominance in virtualization, pitching Hyper-V as a more affordable platform choice for
customers and more profitable for partners.
HP partners blast tablet, PC decision, Autonomy buy
August 2011 saw Hewlett-Packard
signal the spin-off or sale of the PSG (Personal Systems Group) and downsize its product line.
This decision, combined with HP’s takeover of U.K.-based provider of search services, Autonomy
Software PLC, caused some market watchers to question the direction CEO Leo Apotheker was
taking.
Hard drive shortage ripples through the channel
Flooding in Thailand in mid-October caused a huge disruption
in the manufacturing and supply of hard drives. Big players in the market such as Western
Digital Corp. and Seagate Technology LLC were affected, and the shortage caused a huge spike in the
price of hard drives, with some smaller firms paying up to 70% more as a result.