When Your Project Is DoomedWere you ever sure a project you were working on was destined to fail? Were you afraid to share that information with your boss? According to VitalSmarts, a corporate training company, if you answered 'yes' to either, you're in a very big crowd: "Among the project managers polled, 92 percent said they currently work on projects that are unlikely to be successful, and 81 percent have already concluded that they won't be able to convince key decision-makers to take the steps required to bring their projects back on course. More than three-quarters of the project managers admit they won't even try to convince those decision-makers." It's quite a wake up call. The article includes tips for both project managers and senior executives to take to avert project failures and build an environment more suited for success. Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:55 AM, June 28, 2007 As iPhone Looms, Some Early LessonsOver at The Big Picture, Barry Ritholtz is already learning from the iPhone: "While most of corporate America is slashing R&D budgets (and buying back stock), the handful of companies who have plowed cash back into R&D are the clear market leaders this cycle: Think Apple, Google (Maps, Search), Toyota (Hybrid), Nintendo (Wii). A well designed, innovative product can create -- or upend -- an entire market. Even Microsoft did it with the X-box." Posted by Joe Caponi at 02:04 PM, June 27, 2007 36 Top System BuildersThis week's Custom Systems Special Report includes a directory of system builders; a look at the renewed interest in PC recycling; a slide show of 10 white-hot system builders; and lots more. "For system builders, though, the question of whether Intel's retooled whitebook program will enable the channel to compete in the category looms large. And, here, the survey indicated the answer may be yes." Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:11 AM, June 26, 2007 More Vista PeripheralsThe second installment in our TechBuilder recipe on Vista-Friendly Peripherals delves into external storage (hard drives, flash and optical storage), game controllers and speakers, and spells out five tips on choosing peripherals that won't make you regret upgrading your PCs. Posted by Joe Caponi at 11:55 AM, June 25, 2007 2007 CRN Hall of FameCheckPoint's Gil Shwed, Xerox's Anne Mulchay, and Avnet's Roy Vallee joined the CRN Hall of Fame this year. The three were honored for their contributions to the technology business and join the likes of Gates, Chambers and Jobs. Today's CRN cover story details how they made it to the top. Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:49 AM, June 25, 2007 Freakonomics Strikes At The VARBusiness 500Freakonomics, (both the best-selling book, and the popular website) takes on issues such as crime, childrearing, and education by applying traditional economic models to analyze human behavior--rational and irrational. Stephen Dubner, co-author of Freakonomics, spoke at last week's VARBusiness 500 awards dinner. You'll find my coverage of the event at Dubner Brings Freakonomics To The VARBusiness 500. Posted by Joe Caponi at 11:21 AM, June 21, 2007 iPhone, The PlatformIt's not about the phone... at least not much. Ed Moltzen looks at how Apple is already expanding the footprint of the iPhone: "By integrating tightly with Youtube video, and by making Safari stretch across Macintosh and Windows and iPhone, Apple is making a statement: the new device from Cupertino will be anywhere multimedia and network content will be." This morning, sports host Mike Francesa and Charles McCord, hosting the no-longer-Imus-radio show, spent a half hour gushing over how cool the iPhone is. It's definitely got the public's attention. Posted by Joe Caponi at 04:21 PM, June 20, 2007 Select The Right Peripherals For VistaWhen building a new Vista system, and especially when upgrading an XP one, finding supported peripherals and getting them to work properly can be a challenge. Chuck Miller explains the ins and outs of what "Certified for Vista" and "Works with Vista" really mean, as well as recommending keyboards, mice, and other system extras that will get the job done. Plug in to the first of a two-part series on Vista-Friendly Peripherals at TechBuilder now. Posted by Joe Caponi at 11:21 AM, June 18, 2007 Developers Take A Shine To SilverlightStacey Cowley was at Microsoft's TechEd conference and found plenty of enthusiasm for Silverlight, the company's new technology that aims to give Adobe Flash a run for it's money: "'I'm itching to get started,' said Jon Nowick, a systems engineer with logistics software maker Coyote Logistics in Lake Forest, Ill. A self-described "old-school Flash programmer," Nowick would prefer to never deal with Flash again. From what he's seen of Silverlight tool and programming model, he expects it to be easier to use than Flash's." At the CRN Test Center, Mario Morejon has tried it out for himself and says Silverlight may do just that: "Microsoft's new Silverlight technology will engage the average corporate Web developer more than ever before when it comes to creating rich, animated online content and applications, the CRN Test Center believes. Silverlight sports a simple framework, built purely on XML and .Net, that stands to significantly ease Web design and development." Meanwhile, Adobe has not been complacent. The company is hard at work on their Adobe Integrated Runtime, formerly called 'Apollo', which aims to combine web app simplicity with desktop-based applications rich functionality and persistence. "AIR's distinguishing point is its emphasis on harmonizing online and offline application development." Posted by Joe Caponi at 03:55 PM, June 15, 2007 The 2007 VARBusiness 500Business is brisk for the top solution providers in North America. In the past year, the VARBusiness 500 -- announced today -- pulled in $344 billion dollars in revenue, a new record. Likewise, the online VARBusiness 500 special report is our biggest ever, with tools and analysis to show what it means to become one of the industry's elite, and what it takes to stay there. Continue reading "The 2007 VARBusiness 500" Posted by Joe Caponi at 11:59 AM, June 11, 2007 Don't Stop Believing: Powerline EthernetSometimes we ignore simple solutions to problem in favor of flashy ones. In a wireless world, why bother running Ethernet over powerlines? But in many cases, it's easier, more secure and less expensive. I'm a believer in powerline Ethernet, and I've used it to network my basement. But your needs may be more elaborate. The latest TechBuilder recipe, Powerline Network Adapters: The Next Generation surveys the latest hardware and offers tips on making the best use of this simple, yet capable technology. Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:53 AM, June 11, 2007 CRN's All Time Top TechCRN has put together a slide show of the Top Technology Breakthroughs Of All Time. Now, I can be a bit of a traditionalist, so I'd have put in Eniac and the HP-35, and possibly fire, but if you've got some suggestions, let them know what you'd add. Posted by Joe Caponi at 03:53 PM, June 8, 2007 Private Equity Makes Its Channel MarkLawrence Walsh says "Private equity is washing over the channel, and that's good news: "Private equity, CEOs say, provides funding for acquisitions and expansion, as well as management experience and leadership for business growth.... Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:40 AM, June 7, 2007 Women In The Channel--Sign Up NowVARBusiness is hard at work on this year's Women of the Channel special report, and is on the lookout for women making a difference at solution provider, distributor and vendor companies. If you know someone like that, or if you are someone like that, sign up now and you may be included among the channel's elite. Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:33 AM, June 7, 2007 Speed Vista In A FlashPlugging in a spare flash drive may be just the ticket to enhanced Microsoft Vista performance, thanks to some new technology. On TechBuilder, Ed Tittel explains what's required to Boost Vista Performance with ReadyBoost: "The OS or system cache is invariably the biggest consumer of RAM on any Windows system. (If you don't believe this, just look in the Physical Memory pane in Task Manager at any given moment.) As a result, by deploying ReadyBoost, you can measurably boost the performance of Vista." Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:39 AM, June 5, 2007 Emerging Tech 2007Dynamic new tech vendors offer innovative technology, healthy margins and rich support options, and solution providers are increasingly taking them up on the deal. CRN's Emerging Tech 2007 reveals that VARs are engaging more vendors, for more strategic solutions, than ever before. Craig Zarley and Steven Burke report: Continue reading "Emerging Tech 2007" Posted by Joe Caponi at 11:13 AM, June 4, 2007 Google As A Security (and) Desktop CompanyContinuing our inadvertent Google theme this week, don't miss this illumninating look by Lawrence Walsh at a little noticed Google acquisition, and it's implications for web security and web security vendors: "Imagine being able to search the Web carefree of security risks. Google could incorporate GreenBorder's technology to scan sites before allowing search engine users access (or at least warn them of the security risk). Likewise, Google could integrate GreenBorder in the Google Web browser toolbar, giving users an easy to use tool that provides a certain degree of insulation from malicious Web sites. Either way, Google enhances its value proposition to its paying customers and makes it increasingly more attractive to users than rivals, such as Microsoft and Yahoo." Meanwhile, Carolyn April examines Google Gears--new technology to run web applications off-line: "Google's own products will get the Gears treatment, which means eventually the company's word processor, spreadsheet and other business apps will work offline, better positioning them against Microsoft Office... Long run, this could become a competitive challenge for the Redmond, Wash., market leader." Posted by Joe Caponi at 02:34 PM, June 1, 2007 |
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