Tips

Tips

• MSP backup solutions for hosting cloud backup services

  Learn about MSP backup solutions for managed service providers that want to go beyond simply managing cloud backup services to actually hosting them.  Continue Reading

• Selling Windows Intune to SMBs for mobile device management

  For VARs wondering if selling Windows Intune makes sense, find out which customers benefit the most from Microsoft's cloud systems management tool.  Continue Reading

• Microsoft Sync Framework services for mobile device data management

  Solutions providers can find success using the Microsoft Sync Framework to help SMBs with mobile workers that aren't constantly connected to a network.  Continue Reading

• Cloud computing trends: Three reasons skeptics aren't adopting cloud

  The hype around cloud computing trends doesn't match adoption rates. Learn three reasons skeptics are resisting the cloud and how you can win them over.  Continue Reading

• Selling government IT solutions: Challenges and opportunities

  Partners are finding business opportunities in selling government IT solutions despite tight budgets and learning curves in the government sector.  Continue Reading

• Guiding customers through cloud automation platform selection

  Cloud-shopping customers need help with cloud selection, and IT solution providers can guide them in the selection of a cloud automation platform.  Continue Reading

• Top seven challenges to Cloud First reveal lessons for providers

  A recent investigation of the U.S. government's Cloud First policy offers insight into cloud adoption barriers even where adoption is mandatory.  Continue Reading

• Selling Red Hat virtualization to SMBs

  Red Hat virtualization can be a great tool to get small and medium-sized businesses into virtualization and can win VARs customer trust.  Continue Reading

• Managed backup solutions: Hybrid cloud backup options for MSPs

  Find out what your options are for providing managed backup solutions to customers, including hybrid cloud storage offerings.  Continue Reading

• Creating a virtual machine template in vCenter Server

  Learn how to create a virtual machine template, update the template and deploy a VM from a template in vCenter Server.  Continue Reading

• Using Hyper-V Replica to help SMBs with disaster recovery

  The Hyper-V Replica feature in Hyper-V 3.0 provides an opportunity for VARs to offer disaster recovery and business continuity services to SMBs.  Continue Reading

• Linux HA cluster tool evolution in SUSE and Red Hat

  The pool of Linux HA cluster options is narrowing as Pacemaker becomes the preferred choice for SUSE, Ubuntu and Red Hat.  Continue Reading

• Selling next-generation firewalls: Overcoming resistance, challenges

  Partners can find new business opportunities in helping customers understand the need for next-generation firewalls.  Continue Reading

• FAQ: Selling Microsoft Hyper-V 3.0

  Learn how the launch of Microsoft Hyper-V 3.0 is stirring up the hypervisor space and what solution providers need to know when selling it.  Continue Reading

• Sealing the deal: Factoring in product and cloud integration

  Before buying, providers need to estimate cloud integration costs, weigh product function against price and balance service cost and flexibility.  Continue Reading

• Are SEO services a good addition to your line-card?

  Providing SEO services to SMBs is a good business opportunity for VARs, because an optimized website can bring customers a lot more business.  Continue Reading

• Social networking strategies build partner presence and opportunities

  By using social networking tools, partners connect better with customers and generate business through presence in the social media environment.  Continue Reading

• Low-investment cloud backup solutions for VARs: The sales-only model

  Read up on one type of cloud backup solutions available to VARs: services that VARs simply sell rather than manage or host themselves.  Continue Reading

• Virtualizing small business customers with vSphere Hypervisor

  Upgrading SMB customers to a virtualized server using vSphere Hypervisor can improve performance and stability, but there are some limitations.  Continue Reading

• Cloning virtual machines in vCenter Server

  Learn how to identify and clone virtual machines in vCenter Server, from the parameter selection in vSphere 5 to the actual steps to creating the clone.  Continue Reading

• IT channel partners: Storage vendor selection process

  Find out what criteria one VAR uses in the storage vendor selection process, including assessments of domain expertise, partner program requirements and deal registration rules.  Continue Reading

• Five steps to optimizing vSphere performance in the cloud

  Solution providers hosting applications in the cloud on VMware’s platform can take advantage of these five tips for improving vSphere performance.  Continue Reading

• Cloud storage prices: Avoid turning your MSP business into a commodity

  Managed services providers face a lot of pressure to cut cloud storage prices, but doing so may turn their business into a commodity and devalue their services.  Continue Reading

• Is SQL Azure migration right for your customers?

  Customers considering an SQL Azure migration from SQL Server should be aware of the drawbacks to using this cloud database option.  Continue Reading

• Cloud backup solutions for VARs, MSPs: Three approaches

  Find out about the three potential cloud backup solutions a VAR or MSP could adopt to provide services for customers.  Continue Reading

• Mid-sized companies transition to virtualization architecture

  As network workloads increase, partners are helping mid-sized companies transition to scaled-down virtualization architecture to overcome network issues and tie in cloud services.  Continue Reading

• Windows 8 upgrade selling points for VARs

  With Windows 8 coming soon, channel partners should start talking to customers about their Windows 8 upgrade options and the advantages of some its features.  Continue Reading

• Cloud business intelligence tools offer SQL Azure Reporting alternatives

  SQL Azure Reporting’s limitations may disappoint some customers, but solution providers can step in and offer other cloud business intelligence tools.  Continue Reading

• Conflicting definitions of hybrid cloud model cost you customers

  Owning an electric car and a gas-powered car doesn't mean you own a hybrid vehicle. Likewise, providers must see the hybrid cloud model as more than the sum of its parts.  Continue Reading

• Selling customers on enterprise cloud backup services benefits

  To sell enterprise cloud backup services, storage VARs and MSPs need to focus on the business benefits -- mainly, risk mitigation and cost reduction -- rather than the technology itself.  Continue Reading

• Providing shared availability with a cold spare server

  Solution providers can sell SMB customers a shared server chassis to rapidly ease server failure by providing a compatible cold spare server.  Continue Reading

• Cloud APM services win customer trust by monitoring app performance

  Acceleration is just one facet of cloud performance services. Application performance management (APM) services that focus on monitoring are another avenue for providers.  Continue Reading

• How BYOD can be an opportunity for VARs

  It may seem like BYOD squeezes VARs out of the purchasing cycle, but there are opportunities to take advantage of this trend.  Continue Reading

• HIPAA-compliant cloud storage services: Due diligence is key to survival

  To provide HIPAA-compliant cloud storage services, storage VARs and MSPs face many, grave regulatory requirements. Learn about the risks and get advice for performing due diligence.  Continue Reading

• Better cloud application response time: An overview of partner options

  Cloud application response time is a sticking point for customers, but not all providers have the capital to build a CDN from scratch. Partnerships may be a sound alternative.  Continue Reading

• V2V conversion using VMDK to VHD Converter

  If your VMware customers are interested in Microsoft Hyper-V, you can use the VMDK to VHD Converter tool to perform a V2V conversion and migrate VMs.  Continue Reading

• 'Big data' technologies to address retention, performance and capacity requirements

  Read up on how ‘big data’ technologies from companies such as RainStor, GridIron and Quantum are addressing challenges around retention, performance and capacity.  Continue Reading

• Five ways your VDI implementation can fail

  Solution providers can win with VDI solution sales, but failure to communicate with customers and manage expectations can kill a VDI implementation.  Continue Reading

• Microsoft System Center 2012 add-ons ease management issues

  Microsoft System Center 2012 contains several add-on products that VARs can use to help customers manage and enhance their Windows system.  Continue Reading

• MSPAlliance: Cloud certification, audit brings order to chaotic market

  Not all clouds are created equal, but there should be equality for a cloud certification among providers, says MSPAlliance CEO Charles Weaver in this guest column.  Continue Reading

• Seven cloud partner opportunities to explore

  The best way to fight cloud computing’s threat is to embrace cloud instead. Get started as a cloud advisor, look at mobile services and explore other cloud partner opportunities.  Continue Reading

• Hyper-V R2 SP1 changes the virtualization market

  Microsoft’s Hyper-V R2 SP1 release has new features that make it more attractive, especially to new adopters of virtualization technology.  Continue Reading

• Reducing VDI cost related to storage via efficiency techniques, Virsto software

  Learn how to cut the VDI cost related to storage using storage efficiency techniques such as thin provisioning, linked clones and deduplication as well as software from Virsto.  Continue Reading

• Using DMARC to improve DKIM and SPF email antispam effectiveness

  DMARC aids the DKIM and SPF protocols that help keep spam out and let legitimate emails in. David Jacobs explains how.  Continue Reading

• Mobile security services: Protecting against mobile security risks

  There’s a plethora of mobile security risks, from data loss to malware to unauthorized network access. Calm your clients’ nerves by offering mobile security services.  Continue Reading

• Active Directory management services: cleanup and optimization

  If you think there’s no demand for Active Directory management services, think again. Active Directory cleanup and optimization services can be valuable to your customers.  Continue Reading

• Using SQL Azure Reporting Services to offer data analysis services

  By adding Azure Reporting Services to your line card, you can provide customers with easy data analysis services. SQL Azure Reporting information can benefit your company, too.  Continue Reading

• What it takes to sell enterprise social networking software

  Channel partners will have to show customers how to integrate enterprise social networking tools into their existing communications applications in order to make a sale.  Continue Reading

• Application delivery services can save customers money, help VARs

  Apps are everywhere and VARs can capitalize on this trend by providing Web application delivery services that reduce time and costs for customers.  Continue Reading

• Scalable NAS initiative at Ancestry.com demonstrates competing products can coexist

  Find out how Ancestry.com ended up with scalable NAS systems from competing companies Isilon and BlueArc -- and what lessons its use case offers to storage VARs.  Continue Reading

• 5 simple ways MSPs and integrators can mitigate cloud lock-in

  MSPs and integrators risk facing cloud lock-in when they partner with a larger provider for cloud services instead of building their own. Here are five ways to avoid it.  Continue Reading

• HIPAA security checklist: 10 services your customers need

  HIPAA compliance services can lead to solid business growth for solution providers. Kevin McDonald's HIPAA security checklist has 10 ways to begin.  Continue Reading

• Four desktop virtualization thought leadership opportunities for MSPs

  Certification, writing and speaking can help MSPs establish a reputable desktop virtualization consultancy.  Continue Reading

• Monetizing the cloud: Differentiate services through cloud billing

  Cloud billing should not be underestimated as a differentiator. But before cloud providers can achieve that, they must understand competitors' capabilities and customer needs.  Continue Reading

• VDI sizing and disk array controller requirements

  Find out how to help customers estimate their disk array controller needs around capacity and performance as part of a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) sizing exercise.  Continue Reading

• Turn 'server huggers' onto cloud adoption: Be a partner, not a seller

  IT managers like control, and this proclivity is a barrier to cloud adoption. Overcome this barrier by showing customers how outsourcing servers can, in fact, be empowering.  Continue Reading

• Selling public sector IT solutions forces partners to do some homework

  The need for public sector IT solutions is growing due to developing network activity, but can partners must be ready to commit to longer sales cycles and other complications.  Continue Reading

• Helping SMB customers by using open source virtualization solutions

  Open source virtualization solutions can benefit SMB customers through big cost savings – find out how to make money selling these products.  Continue Reading

• MSP tip: Be a guide, not a salesperson

  Managed service providers can build a more successful business by simply solving existing problems for customers and hosting IT discussion groups.  Continue Reading

• Tape archiving: Which customers are a good fit?

  Find out why tape archiving -- for both large customers and small ones -- is worth another look by VARs who might have lost interest in tape in favor of disk-based or cloud-based archiving.  Continue Reading

• Tools for mainframe storage management

  Learn about the products that are available to help your customers handle mainframe storage management tasks from companies such as BMC, CA, EMC and IBM.  Continue Reading

• Create a computer security blog to attract and retain customers

  Blogging can produce new leads for security solution providers. Focus on content in your computer security blog that connects with customers.  Continue Reading

• SMB SAN solutions: Storage networking options

  Find out which SMB SAN solutions might be a good fit for your customers. Storage networking options examined include Fibre Channel, FCoE, InfiniBand, iSCSI, AoE and SAS.  Continue Reading

• Cloud computing trends that will shape the 2012 cloud provider market

  Five key cloud computing trends will influence cloud provider strategies, and it's these trends that will shape the cloud market for the rest of this decade.  Continue Reading

• How VARs can help customers securely discard e-waste

  The disposal of old systems provides a service opportunity for VARs that can also bring up other security issues that services can be sold around including compliance, data management and storage.  Continue Reading

• Cloud computing and vSphere: Top systems channel tips of 2011

  SearchSystemsChannel.com readers were reading up on cloud computing and virtualization technologies and business opportunities in 2011. See what our hottest tips were this year, and make sure you didn’t miss some great advice from our experts  Continue Reading

• Scale-out storage options increasing with software-based systems

  Scale-out storage overcomes some of the limitations of traditional NAS, and software-based scale-out NAS is lowering the entry costs for smaller customers.  Continue Reading

• Cloud security issues: Talking enterprises through their concerns

  Cloud providers and managed service providers (MSPs) must continue to do a lot of handholding with customers to allay their concerns about cloud security issues.  Continue Reading

• Cheat sheet: Talking to clients about cloud computing security risks

  Customers are jumpy about cloud computing security risks, and cloud providers must be ready for their questions with bulletproof answers. Here are questions you can expect.  Continue Reading

• MSP Tip: Strategies for guiding customers to make better technology choices

  While one-size-fits all doesn’t work for managed services, some customers need incentives to use better technology options to accomplish their business. A pay-as-you-go model can help guide customers with difficult storage requests.  Continue Reading

• Virtual storage appliance vs. traditional shared storage

  A virtual storage appliance can be a viable way to allocate storage for their virtual server infrastructure; it offers cost and complexity benefits compared with traditional shared storage.  Continue Reading

• What services can VARs offer for tablets and mobile devices?

  Consumer technologies like tablets and smartphones are making their way into the enterprise. Find out how VARs can help customers better integrate these devices to meet their business needs.  Continue Reading

• Converged infrastructure approach coming together, albeit slowly

  Data center infrastructure integrators say interest in converged infrastructure has increased and, with it, the need for cross-training technicians on servers, networking and storage.  Continue Reading

• Making the case for enterprise Linux

  An unpaid for Linux distribution can cost your customers a lot, despite the free price tag. Learn how to sell clients on enterprise Linux and find out what benefits you can reap.  Continue Reading

• NoSQL technology gains channel support

  Open source NoSQL database technologies such as MongoDB and Couchbase are catching on in enterprises that need an alternative to relational databases.  Continue Reading

• Hyper-V storage provisioning tools

  Hyper-V storage provisioning presents challenges compared with a physical server environment and compared with a VMware environment. Find out what tools are available to help.  Continue Reading

• PaaS: Cloud computing providers' next big opportunity for growth

  As providers look up the cloud stack for their next play, Platform as a Service (PaaS) cloud computing services have caught their eye as the next opportunity.  Continue Reading

• Five business challenges every cloud reseller should prepare to tackle

  Becoming a cloud reseller requires many strategic changes for partners new to a services-oriented business model. Here are five challenges cloud resellers should prepare for.  Continue Reading

• Choosing the right VDI solutions for your customer

  Solution providers can get a leg up on competition by knowing the VDI solutions, such as Microsoft Remote Desktop Services and VMware View, that are available to customers so they can pick the best option.  Continue Reading

• Selling managed print services requires attention to detail

  Opportunities in managed print services exist, and solution providers can sell these services. Showing customers how creating efficiency in printer logistics including location optimization and inventory management is the key.  Continue Reading

• VDI storage costs: Beware of customer expectations

  It’s important to discuss the reality of VDI storage costs when VARs are planning a VDI project with customers. Find out how to manage VDI expectations and solve performance issues in this tip.  Continue Reading

• What’s in store for SUSE Linux?

  SUSE Enterprise Linux has evolved from a company with confused direction to one that has big plans, which were announced at BrainShare 2011, including a new file system and further development of SLES.  Continue Reading

• Fixing disk array controller performance problems

  Find out how storage vendors are addressing bottlenecks in disk array controllers, as well as the benefits and downsides of these approaches for your customers.  Continue Reading

• Regulatory compliance requirements for security solutions providers

  Customers aren’t the only firms that need to comply with regulations. In many cases, solution providers need to be compliant, too.  Continue Reading

• Disaster recovery applications drive SMB virtualization adoption

  The use of server virtualization in small and medium-sized businesses is still growing, with VMware ESXi servers leading the way. Channel partners are using virtualization in disaster recovery solutions and as a management tool.  Continue Reading

• VSphere 5 features for VARs: VCenter server appliance, auto deploy

  Solution providers should take note of vSphere 5 features such as vCenter server appliance, a low-maintenance tool that helps VARs deploy vCenter Server, and auto deploy, which makes running ESXi much easier.  Continue Reading

• VSphere 5 upgrade challenges: Licensing and ESXi

  Your customers may be chomping at the bit to begin a vSphere 5 upgrade, but there are a number of factors for them to consider, including new licensing and changes to VMware’s virtual machine file system.  Continue Reading

• Cloud-based storage: Determining which of your customers’ applications should move to the cloud

  While nonstrategic applications are the most likely candidates for a customer’s first steps into cloud-based storage, a closer look at a specific environment might yield a different choice.  Continue Reading

• Solutions providers see demand for SharePoint alternatives

  Solutions providers say open source alternatives to SharePoint provide better social media integration and have lower price points than the proprietary Microsoft software.  Continue Reading

• Q&A: ESET CEO on Sophos problem, state of antivirus and ESET resellers

  In this Q&A, Richard Marko, CEO of ESET, talks about antivirus products, ESET’s reseller strategy, and the criticism recently aimed at Sophos.  Continue Reading

• How to make cloud storage pricing both economical and profitable

  Cutting cloud storage pricing without eliminating profit margins isn't easy, but solving pricing problems could entice more enterprises into cloudsourcing critical applications.  Continue Reading

• Boosting customers’ vital services protection with OS HA

  Using VM high availability in your customer’s environment is good, but their vital services may call for more protection and that’s where operating system HA comes into play. Offering customers OS HA can ensure minimal downtime in case of a service ...  Continue Reading

• CSP security: Penetration testing public cloud service providers

  Pen testing is vital for customers who entrust their applications to a cloud. Dave Shackleford explains how to test public cloud service providers.  Continue Reading

• How to diagnose disk array controller performance problems

  Learn about the components in a disk array controller and find out how to determine whether a customer’s performance problem originates with the controller as well as what’s causing the problem.  Continue Reading

• How VARs can find their niche with the consumerization of IT

  VARs may find it difficult to sell mobile or tablet devices, but they can still make money off the consumerization of IT by offering security services to consumer customers.  Continue Reading

• Cloud storage solutions present four points of entry with customers

  Storage solution providers can find four customer conversation starters in cloud storage solutions and cloud computing. Find out how they can help you open the door to new business.  Continue Reading

• IT solution providers look for electronic waste management opportunities

  IT solution providers look at stepping up to customers facing electronic waste disposal needs by promoting end-of-lifecycle services as a good value-add.  Continue Reading

• Using ConfigMgr for Windows 7 deployment

  ConfigMgr is a valuable tool for VARs and customers. It includes the ability to remotely do a push or refresh deployment of Windows 7 on a PC.  Continue Reading

• Deploy network forensics tools and services for incident response

  For incident response, solution providers may resell forensics tools or offer forensics as a managed service. Lisa Phifer compares the options.  Continue Reading

• Providing customers value with JBoss managed services

  While there are more well-known middleware products out there, VARs can help their customers save money by offering JBoss managed services and moving applications to JBoss.  Continue Reading