Apple Reseller Gets Creative with Channel Conflict; FBI Raid on Counterfeit Cisco Gear

How do you compete when your top vendor opens up a company store right next to you? Well, Tech Superpowers is both putting the whammy on Apple and also refocusing its business to concentrate on more professional services. See the Boston Globe story here.

Meanwhile, ChannelWeb is reporting that Cisco channel partners are at the center of an FBI raid on counterfeit gear sold to the federal government. The report says that the FBI has found $3.5 million in fake Cisco products that originated in China. Law enforcement got involved because of concerns that the equipment could pose a security threat.

Microsoft says its Windows Essential Server Solutions will offer greater efficiency for SMBs, but if you want to buy them it’s going to cost you,

target=”_blank”>according to eWEEK. (and you are going to

target=”_blank”>have to wait.)The solutions package technologies that companies previously would have bought separately and offer them at a single price.

Windows Small Business Server 2008 comes in Standard and Premium editions. Both include such products as Windows Server 2008, Windows SharePoint Services, Exchange Server 2007 and Forefront Security for Exchange. The Premium Edition also includes a second server running Windows Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008 Standard Edition, eWEEK says.

Windows Essential Business Server 2008 also comes in two editions, with both a management server, a messaging server and a security server. The Premium Edition also offers a database server that includes Windows Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008 Standard Edition.

Customers will see price jumps in some of the products, particularly in the Client Access License fees. For example, the CAL for the Small Business Server 2008 Premium Edition is $189 each, up from about $90 currently.