Inside This Issue: 10/26/2009

Cover Story

ARC Optimism: Where's the Growth in 2010
VARs are optimistic that security solutions will continue to be a big part of solution providers' businesses in 2010, according to Everything Channel's 2009 Annual Report Card Survey.

Channel Exec of 2009: Cisco's Keith Goodwin
Keith Goodwin is a man who knows how to pick himself up off the pavement after a crash. It's a key trait for a global channel chief tasked with shepherding partners through the tough economic times that have many solution providers wondering how they'll make it out of the turmoil in one piece.

Server Virtualization Software: VMware Is Head And Shoulders Above The Rest
Boosted by strong results in product quality and reliability, VMware grabbed the top spot in the Server Virtualization Software category.

Workgroup Color Printers: Reworked Program Vaults HP Into First Place
In a major upset, Hewlett-Packard took the No. 1 spot away from perennial leader Xerox in the Workgroup Color Printers category.

Network Storage: EMC Takes The Gold With Outstanding Support Scores
EMC continues to be the solution provider favorite with an ARC award win in the Network Storage category for the third year in a row.

Network Security Software: Gains In Support Help Trend Micro Keep The Gold
Trend Micro beat out the competition to take first place in the category of Network Security Software in our 2009 ARC survey. This is a repeat win for the vendor, which came in first in 2008 as well.

Volume Mainstream Business Servers: HP Notches Decisive Victory
Hewlett-Packard easily won the Volume Mainstream Business Servers category, finishing head and shoulders above its competition.

Wireless Infrastructure: Cisco Hits Bull's-Eye Through Quality And Partnership
When Cisco Systems casts its net--in wireless infrastructure, general network infrastructure or just about anywhere else in networking--few areas of the market are left untouched.

Middleware: Oracle, Microsoft End Up With A Tie For First Place
Oracle and Microsoft tied for first in this year's ARC scores in Middleware. That's good news for Oracle, which took first place last year, but better news for Microsoft, which moved up from third.

HP's Channel Challenge
Does Adrian Jones' good fortune leave Hewlett-Packard Co.'s channel partners in uncharted waters? Jones, head of HP's Americas channel organization, leaves that job on Nov. 1 for an even more high-profile position running the computing giant's server business in Asia--leaving HP partners happy for the popular channel chief but wondering what comes next.

Bouncing Back: ARC's Most Improved
It's obvious that one of the worst things that can happen to a vendor is to be ranked poorly by their VAR partners for the Annual Report Card. Low scores indicate that the channel is unhappy, and that means a competitor's product will be top of mind when they provide solutions for their customers.

ARC Insight; Conflict On Horizon
he Annual Report Card is a year in the making, which means we are always working on this massive partner study that captures the ratings of more than 4,000 VARs. The results this year are significant because they captured the mind-set of VARs as many of them were grappling with the devastating effects of the economic downturn.

HP's Jones Had The Toughest Job
Hewlett-Packard Americas Channel Chief Adrian Jones' tight relationship with HP CEO Mark Hurd made him an outstanding advocate for solution provider partners. It also meant he was under Hurd's constant scrutiny, being pushed and prodded every step of the way to make sure the channel was delivering.

Top 5 Things You Should Know About ARC
Which vendor partners are rated tops by VARs--and which need help to bring them up to par? Solution providers rated their VARs in the 2009 Annual Report Card. The results offer up suggestions for which solution providers VARs should have on their dance cards, and which are currently wallflowers.

Helping VARs, Vendors Execute
Our business here at UBM Everything Channel is so different now that I feel a need to tell you about our strategy and how you can leverage it.

Network Security Appliances: Fortinet Steals The Thunder From ARC Rivals
Among the more eye-opening victories in this year's ARC came in the Network Security Appliances category, where in past years the channel has lined up behind SonicWall and Juniper.

Network Infrastructure: Cisco's Size Is A Major Part Of Its Strength
The convergence of networking and the data center is creating battlegrounds for vendors old and new. As VARs seek to capitalize, all eyes will be on who can maintain channel strength even as the battle lines around Network Infrastructure are redrawn, especially at the midmarket and enterprise levels.

Storage Software: Three Times Is Certainly A Charm For EMC
EMC continues to prove that it can be as well known for its storage software offerings as it is for its hardware by winning the ARC award for the third year in a row.

Display Technologies: Samsung's Winning Ways On Display
For the seventh year in a row, Samsung has been crowned the leader among display vendors in the 2009 ARC survey, finishing first in 17 out of 18 criteria.

Midrange High End Servers: ROI, Partner Program Scores Serve Up Success For HP
Hewlett-Packard's success in Midrange Servers is, according to Frank Rauch, the vendor's vice president of Technology Solutions Group channel sales, "all about the channel."

SMB Networking Hardware: Adtran Keeps It Simple, Walks Away With Win
Adtran's victory in the ARC category of SMB Networking Hardware might best be summed up with an adage: Keep it simple.

Notebooks/Mobile Computers: Panasonic Gets Tougher As It Listens And Learns
Panasonic has made giant ARC steps in just its second year of competing for the crown in the Notebook and Mobile Computers category.

External Portable Hard Drives: Western Digital Drives Home Quality
Western Digital's first-place ARC showing along with a good showing by archrival Seagate in External Portable Hard Drives, shows that their competition for channel hearts and minds continues unabated.

Unified Communications/VoIP: Cisco's Top-Notch Portfolio Continues To Evolve
For Richard McLeod, director of unified communications solutions for Cisco's worldwide channels team, there may be no more exciting piece of Cisco's portfolio than the video, unified communications and IP telephony products his team manages through the channel.

Data And Information Management: IBM Garners Channel Support Kudos
Riding on the strength of its high scores for channel support, IBM--for the second year in a row--has taken top ARC honors in Data and Information Management Software.

The Windows 7 Stampede
So it is finally here. It seems like only yesterday the world was bashing Microsoft for constantly blowing it with its Vista operating system almost every step of the way.

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