Michael Vizard

Vendors everywhere are determined to reduce the complexity associated with configuring and deploying IT equipment. The latest example is EMC, which today launched a VSPEX Proven Infrastructure reference architecture that initially consists of 14 configurations that have been tested and pre-integrated by EMC to work with virtualization software from VMware, Microsoft and Citrix, and IT […]

Given the immense amount of scrutiny that IT storage budgets are getting it may come as little surprise that there is an intense amount of infighting going on these days between solution providers representing different storage vendors. But what may come as a surprise is how much easier it’s becoming for customers to switch storage […]

Major advances in IT automation hold both great promise and significant amounts of peril for solution providers in the channel. Both IBM and Hewlett-Packard have moved to significantly reduce the total cost of IT by introducing new system architectures that make extensive use of IT automation. In the case of IBM, the PureSystems the company […]

One of the more frustrating aspects of IT from the perspective of solution providers in channel is the number of potential customers that don’t use their services. Customers complain all the time about how systems are difficult to manage. At the same time, there’s obviously no shortage of solution providers more than willing to help. […]

While EMC enjoys a close relationship with Cisco via their Virtual Computing Environment (VCE) joint venture, there’s nothing that says customers have to use EMC storage alongside Cisco Unified Computing Systems. In fact, competition to attach storage systems to a Cisco UCS server platform that continues to enjoy brisk sales is fierce. And now NetApp wants to […]

Hewlett-Packard is taking the concept of “cloudbursting” a step further starting today with the deployment of software-defined networking technologies that make it much easier for application workloads to dynamically move between data centers. Bethany Mayer, senior vice president and general manager for HP Networking, says new Virtual Application Network (VAN) technology being launched today will […]

To say that IT managers and chief security officers are a little paranoid about anything to do with Dropbox.com these days is more than just an understatement; it also highlights a fundamental IT inability to service a specific end user need. Based on the millions of people using Dropbox on a regular basis, it’s pretty […]

One of the primary ways that most solution providers wind up establishing relationships with customers is by taking on some of the more menial tasks that the internal IT organization often doesn’t want to do. Once the customer gains confidence in the ability of the solution provider can actually manage that process, additional opportunities usually […]

Electronic healthcare records (EHR) are always at the top of the healthcare IT agenda these days. Healthcare organizations of all sizes are trying to figure out how the can qualify for the $19.2 billion the Federal government is making available to fund the development of EHR systems via the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). […]

There’s no doubt that mobile computing represents a huge opportunity for the channel in terms of developing applications. The reason for this is that developing these applications requires skillsets that are in short supply, while demand for these applications is skyrocketing. For example, GlobalLogic, a provider of application development services, has built a practice around […]

There’s still not much clarity when it comes to all things cloud these days, and the confusion surrounding the emergence of so-called cloud operating systems is not helping matters. Much of the debate about cloud computing will be managed can be traced back to emergence of OpenStack, an effort led by Rackspace and NASA to […]

While there is certainly a lot of buzz these days about anything and everything to do with the Apple iPad, the number of business applications that take real advantage of the Apple tablet has been limited. There are a few business intelligence applications that make use of the Apple iPad touch screen to deliver reports […]