Channel Research

Six Emerging Technology Trends for Managed Services Providers

• May 6, 2011

At the 2011 Brocade Technology Summit this week, WIRED Magazine Co-Founder and “Senior Maverick” Kevin Kelly outlined six trends in the technology industry that are expected to gain steam in the coming years. Here’s a breakdown of those trends and the potential implications for managed services providers. The trends include: 1. Screening: People will continue […]

Google, NetSuite Set to Rally Cloud Partners and Developers

• May 5, 2011

Still skeptical about cloud computing channel partner programs? Open your eyes and keep them focused on San Francisco the week of May 8. Indeed, thousands of software developers and hundreds of channel partners are set to attend Google I/O (May 10-11) and NetSuite SuiteWorld (May 8-12), respectively. So what’s in it for channel partners that are […]

Brocade Unveils Cloudplex for Virtualized Cloud Networks

• May 4, 2011

Brocade Communication Systems Inc. has introduced a the Brocade Cloudplex Architecture for Virtualization and Cloud-Optimized Networks. Cloudplex is comprised of three new data center fabric solutions: Brocade DCX 85 10 Backbone, Brocade 6510 Switch and Brocade 1860 Fabric Adapter. The announcement was made this week at the Brocade Technology Day Summit in San Jose, California. According to Brocade Chief […]

VMware Cloud Foundry Experiences Its Own Cloud Outage

• May 3, 2011

Welcome to the cloud outage club, VMware. The company’s fledgling Cloud Foundry PaaS offering, which had only begun to position itself as an alternative to Microsoft Windows Azure dominance, is back online after a short outage. The outage itself lasted from April 24-25, but VMware has only begun to explain what happened. Why are some […]

Sony PlayStation Network: Gaming Cloud Remains Dark

• April 22, 2011

For cloud computing this week represents the worst of times — and the best of times. On the downside, the Sony PlayStation Network cloud has been down since April 20 and the outages could stretch into this weekend. Amazon Web Services (AWS) also suffered a cloud outage this week. But don’t weep for the cloud: […]

Top 11 Questions MSPs Ask About Cloud Partner Programs

• April 19, 2011

Sure, the cloud computing industry is getting pretty darn sophisticated. But if you sit down and really listen to MSPs, you’ll hear them asking some very basic — but very important — questions about cloud computing channel partner programs. For example, here are the 11 top cloud computing questions I heard VARs and MSPs raise […]

Zoho: Biggest Developer In Google Apps Marketplace?

• April 13, 2011

The Google Apps Marketplace has generated a lot of business for cloud integrators and SaaS developers who can connect their applications to the search giant’s productivity platform. And Zoho, which has built its business around providing SaaS enterprise tools like CRM and bug tracking, was one of the first companies to participate. And with the […]

Juniper: The Network Meets the Cloud

• April 13, 2011

Juniper Networks is best known in the IT channel for its networking and security solutions. But here at this week’s Juniper Networks Americas Partner Conference, the theme is “It’s Time For a New Network,” and the cloud and mobile Internet are the two major topics of conversation. Specifically, Juniper is talking up the opportunity for partners […]

IBM Cloud Partners Gain Billing, Financial Options

• April 11, 2011

IBM is building on last week’s SmartCloud enterprise service platform with dual  announcements for Big Blue cloud partners: ISVs can leverage cheaper IBM cloud middleware rental pricing, and service providers can use IBM technology to build out their platform with as low as 0% financing. IBM touts the moves as a sign of absolute confidence […]

IBM Reaches Out To Partners With Cloud Deployment Tool

• April 8, 2011

This week’s IBM SmartCloud launch grabbed headlines. But take a closer look and you’ll also spot an IBM software tool revealed this week. The mystery offering — I don’t know if it has a name yet — is designed to help cloud service providers quickly, easily, and automatically deploy applications and migrate workloads to the […]

SMBs Continue to Accelerate Cloud, Virtualization Spending

• April 7, 2011

OS33 Helps Florida MSP Launch Its Cloud Business

• March 30, 2011

Rewind to December, 2010: IT delivery automation specialist OS33 announced the Quick Start Program, designed to give MSPs an on-ramp to developing a cloud business. Fast forward to today, and OS33 is ready to announce its first success story, with Florida-based service provider Nerds Support going from demo to on-boarding cloud customers in just under […]

HP CloudSystem Partner Program: Hits and Misses

• March 29, 2011

Hewlett-Packard, as expected, launched the HP CloudSystem Partner Program today at the HP Americas Partner Conference in Las Vegas. HP Channel Chief Stephen DiFranco (pictured) also shared some key channel milestones with roughly 1,000 VARs at the conference. But I have to concede: Other than reselling HP hardware, I’m still a little confused about how […]

New Workday Integration Cloud Platform Helps ISVs Keep It Together

• March 29, 2011

How can MSPs and cloud integrators plug customers’ existing IT infrastructure into cloud services? Perhaps HR and financial SaaS provider Workday, launched by PeopleSoft’s founder, has the answer. It’s called Workday Integration Cloud Platform, designed to give developers and channel partners a way to plug existing business applications into the Workday cloud ecosystem. The benefits […]

Cloud Technology Partners Buys Sustainability Consultant

• March 22, 2011

Cloud Technology Partners Inc., a cloud consulting firm that formally launched earlier this year, sometime this week will announce the acquisition of Global Green Consulting Group. Indeed, Global Green Consulting Group’s Web site already indicates that the company has been acquired by Cloud Technology Partners, which goes by cloudTP. Global Green Consulting Group focuses on […]