CES as a Venue for Business Products

CES as a Venue for Business ProductsSure, you got a chance to see the latest 3D television at CES and the newest amazing computer game for your Wii console. But this electronics-industry trade show for consumer electronics has also replaced Comdex as the de facto place vendors to showcase new technology for all end-user markets, including businesses and those who sell to businesses. Here are some of the products channel partners may want to take note of coming out of this year’s CES.

Microsoft Arc KeyboardPeripherals a ho-hum add-on to the sales of a new PC? Not anymore, now that Microsoft has introduced its Microsoft Arc Keyboard. The swoopy-doopy design in sports-car black will make your end-customer user the envy of his office mates or fellow coffee house patrons.The wireless keyboard offers a warning light to show when the battery is low, plus a stowable transceiver that can either be left in your PC or stowed in the keyboard for when you are on the move. It features 2.4 GHz wireless.

Windows Media CenterLooking for that final straw that will finally get an end-user company executive to upgrade to a new laptop and Windows 7? Think Windows Media Center. Incorporated into Windows 7, this feature allows users to access a variety of entertainment on their PCs – something that traveling executives can unwind to at the end of a long day on the road meeting with clients. Windows Media Center offers a streamlined user interface and electronic program guide that automatically is populated with Internet TV content when a broadband connection is available. Perfect for today’s road warrior.

HP Compaq 8000f business PCHP’s most environmentally-friendly business desktop PC is good-looking too. The computer offers an 87 percent efficient power supply and is EPEAT Gold certified and Energy Star qualified. Available starting Feb. 1, the PC is equipped with Intel Core 2 Duo processors and Intel Q45 chipset supporting vPro technology.

HP EliteBook 8540w mobile workstation This 15-inch laptop from HP features USB 3.0 and support for up to four DIMM slots, plus Intel Core and i7 processors. The PC is ready for whatever your end-customer will throw at it, literally, meeting durability tests under military standards and environmental reliability. Plus it comes with HP SkyRoom — HD video conferencing software from HP. The laptop is available starting this month.

NComputing USB-connected virtual desktopMany analysts and VARs alike are calling 2010 the year of desktop virtualization. This $100 thin client from NComputing creates many computer desktops from a single PC. The U170 plugs into a standard PC’s USB port and with NComputing’s vSpace virtualization software allows another user to share the PC with his or her own virtual desktop.

Lenovo’s new ThinkPad Edge Lenovo’s new ThinkPad Edge laptops are specifically designed for small and midsized business customers and sold through the PC maker’s channel partners. Available in 13-, 14- and 15-inch models, the laptops are priced for your budget-conscious end customers but feature the style that users today are looking for. Offering battery life of over eight hours, and wireless connectivity technologies including WiFi, 3G and WiMAX, the PCs also feature low light sensitivity cameras and Skype software preinstalled.

BlockMaster’s Security SafeStick 4.0Billed as a laptop replacement because it enables users to securely take data with them on a secure USB drive, the SafeStick 4.0 is the salve for the headaches IT administrators have suffered since USB drives came into wide use. When plugged into a USB drive, it prompts the user to enter a strong password before the drive can be unlocked. The drive also times out, requiring users to re-enter the password after time spent idle. Lost USB drives cannot be compromised. Systems integrators may also want to add an RSA token to the drive. BlockMaster sells through distributor Bell Micro in North America.