Jessica Davis

Cisco Capital will be simplifying lease financing for small and midsize businesses through a joint financing program offered with distributor Ingram Micro. The program will allow VARs to access the financing for end users directly from Ingram Micro at the same time they purchase product. The distributor has dedicated a small team to work with […]

With a handful of blockbuster new products recently making their premiere, plus several other market drivers on their way down from the enterprise into the small and midsize business space, 2007 looks to be a strong year for SMBs. That’s the forecast from D&H Distributing, a Harrisburg, Pa.-based distributor catering to the SMB VAR market. […]

Adding digital signage to its portfolio of digital media products, Cisco Systems has announced plans to acquire Tivella. The acquisition will enable Cisco to extend its digital media system, launched in September, to work with plasma and LCD televisions and other displays not attached to PCs. Cisco’s initial digital media system product enables video on […]

Some VARs looking for a quick entry into the fast-growing managed services space may be considering the purchase of a franchise. That’s the idea behind TeamLogic IT, a franchisor launched two years ago after founding company Franchise Services concluded, based on commissioned market research, that virtually all SMBs (small to midsize businesses) are struggling with […]

Microsoft has increased channel partner incentives and broadened the eligible deals for its four-month-old Security Software Advisor program. The Redmond, Wash., software company said it will pay advisory fees of up to 30 percent of the retail price to eligible security channel partners, up from 20 percent plus bonuses, and expand the program to cover […]

Data protection solution vendor EVault has revamped its partner Web portal with an eye to improving communication with and providing new marketing tools to its channel partners. The Emeryville, Calif. vendor’s portal offers easier navigation, a place to register opportunities, collect and track leads, sales tools, and marketing collateral. Partners can also use the site […]

Cisco Capital has expanded its short-term inventory financing for emerging regions to $2 billion through agreements with financial partners Citibank, General Electric’s GE Capital Solutions and Standard Chartered Bank. The new funds will offer short-term financing to Cisco channel partners in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent states, and […]

While Hewlett-Packard and Dell may garner the big attention, PC maker Acer has quietly become a channel favorite over the years with a strategy that has steadily gained the company VAR loyalty and market share. The Taipei-based company ranks fourth among the top PC brands worldwide, after HP, Dell and Lenovo, according to October numbers […]

Intrusion protection system vendor Reflex Security is shifting its sales strategy to move 100 percent of its North America business through the channel. The move comes six months after hiring a new channel chief, Bob Darabant, a 25-year channel veteran. Darabant has been working to shift to an indirect sales strategy from what was previously […]

CA the week of Dec. 4 is introducing a technology bundle that aims to make backup and recovery an easy sell for channel partners. The bundle integrates continuous application-availability technology from XOsoft, which CA acquired in July, with the vendor’s own products. According to CA, it enables a full range of recovery management best practices, […]

Web security and filtering software vendor Websense is integrating its technology with Citrix System’s Presentation Server to give customers more granular access controls and Web site monitoring. The integration of Websense Enterprise and Websense Web Security Suite version 6.3 with Citrix Presentation Server is available to channel partners immediately. Websense has a strategy to move […]

Distributor Tech Data has teamed with IBM Global financing to give VARs better access to large deals for small and midsize businesses without the accompanying cash flow crunch. The program leverages IBM’s Flexible Credit, which IGF (IBM Global Financing) launched in November. IBM wants to give VARs in the United States access to credit lines […]