Chris Talbot

HP (NYSE:HPQ) is tying together existing, new and future products into a new networking architecture the company is called FlexNetwork, and pricing it lower than comparable products from Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO). During the press conference for the launch of FlexNetwork, HP had some tough words for networking giant Cisco, which positioned its own networking architectures recently […]

Iomega is launching new line of performance network storage products in mid-May with the release of three flagship products —  two desktop storage systems and a 1U rackmount product – designed with the flexibility requested by channel partners. Iomega is positioning its StorCenter PX Series of network storage products as its top-of-the-line network storage solutions. […]

Cisco Systems is targeting public and private sector organizations with its new transportable data center unit – a containerized and modular data center system that will feature 44RU of mountable rack space. The modular data center container system is built in the United States as a weatherized outdoor container, but it can also be installed […]

Distributors are working to help businesses build their services business, whether it’s cloud or managed services, but when a solutions provider has already built out their own services practice, how does a managed services suite from distribution affect their business and relationships? Following Synnex’s (www.synnex.com) announcement of its partnership with Level Platforms earlier during the […]

Although cloud overshadowed all other IT topics at Synnex’s first Varnex community conference of the year, the company also gave solution providers and managed service providers new tools with the launch of suite of managed services through its Technology Solutions Division. The division’s OnDemand IT group is now providing a suite of managed services aimed […]

Cisco Systems is introducing new architecture specializations that will have a direct impact on the requirements needed to attain and maintain Gold and Silver partner level designations. The new specializations will also affect Premier partners but to a lesser extent. Going forward, Gold and Silver partner levels within the Cisco Channel Partner Program will be […]

Vendor support of professional services has changed in recent years, and there are two tactics they are taking today – sell services through the channel or enable the channel to build their own service practices. No matter the strategy vendors take, the relationship related to professional services between vendors and channel partners is changing. Some […]

Cisco Systems’ channel partners are being asked to think beyond selling solutions in much the same way they were asked not so many years ago to think beyond selling point products. The move towards selling what Cisco calls business architectures is meant to create a level of integration across systems that will improve the applications […]

Cisco Systems partner CSC is adding telepresence as a service to its offerings with Cisco’s line of high-definition telepresence systems. CSC’s roll out of TAAS comes after a pilot of the service with a few customers.   CSC’s TAAS is a fully managed and fully hosted telepresence offering that is billed to clients on a […]

Avaya is filling two gaps in its Aura unified communications product line versions for mid-size enterprises and for branch offices. Mid-sized enterprises and branch offices need collaboration solutions with smaller footprints than what is available from Avaya Aura Core, as well as easier management, said Ingrid Tremblay, director of unified communications product marketing for Avaya […]

Cisco is working to make video and unified communications a more attractive proposition for small businesses, predicting that in just a few years 90 percent of network load will come from video applications. That means a big opportunity for partners, who now have the option to resell technology such as WebEx, rather than just refer […]

As usual, Cisco Systems’ (NASDAQ:CSCO) annual partner conference was a busy, information-packed week that included new program and product announcements, as well as much guidance on the company’s road map and strategies for the coming year. The theme for this year was “impact.” “Impact is really all about making a difference, first and foremost, about […]