10 How-To Tips For VAR Entrepreneurs

A How-To For Solution Providers

CRN's How-To community is full of information for the VAR entrepreneur. Check out these 10 tips from the experts on setting up disaster recovery solutions, using social media to your business' benefit, preventing security breaches and more.

Also, looking to expand your offerings? We’ve got advice on selling managed print services as well as cloud deployment and much, much more.

How To Set Up A Comprehensive Disaster Recovery Solution

Data backup methods are evolving. In How to Set Up a Comprehensive Disaster Recovery Solution, Scott DesBles, Director of Technical Solutions, Compellent, discusses a number of technologies that can ensure business operations can get back up and running after any disruption or data loss. Using traditional backup tape as a primary method of backup and recovery may not be an optimal solution. Disk-to-disk-based disaster recovery may be a more reliable option that’s faster and easier to recover from disasters.

How To Protect Linux Servers From Root Password-Guessing Attacks

The bad guys are constantly attempting root and other usernames to attempt to log in to your server using SSH or some other protocol. If your customers are using a simple password, it's only a matter of time before the server is compromised by a password-guessing attack. What can you do? Soundtraining.net's Don Crawley, author of The Accidental Administrator: Linux Server Step-by-Step Configuration Guide, offers some recommendations to protect systems in How To Protect Linux Servers From Root Password-Guessing Attacks.

How To Sell Records Management In 3 Easy Steps

Compliance issues face an increasing number of companies, and one of the most pesky is that of electronic records management. What to keep and when to purge are thorny decisions. In How To Sell Records Management In 3 Easy Steps, Laserfiche's Chris Wacker, a three-time CRN Channel Chief, offers advice on how solution providers can successfully promote and sell records management systems.

How To Recognize Security Vulnerabilities

As IT systems continue to extend across multiple environments, IT security threats and vulnerabilities have likewise continued to evolve. Whether from the growing insider threat of rogue and unauthorized internal sources, or from the ever-increasing number of external attacks, organizations are more susceptible than ever to crippling attacks. In How To Recognize Security Vulnerabilities, Cyber-Ark Software's Adam Bosnian explains why it’s almost become simply a matter of ’when network security attacks will happen’ rather than ’if it will happen.’

How To Network Globally For Local Results

One great way to expose your business to more profitable opportunities is to participate in online communities, such as CRN.com, or ones run by particular vendors. Such communities can increase resellers' know-how, and can expand connections -- so they can ultimately beef up their bottom lines. In How to Network Globally For Local Results, Saba's Mercedes Ellison discusses the many positives to networking online.

How To Make Social Technologies Relevant To Your Business

Is there more to having a social media strategy than having a presence on Twitter and Facebook? And, if so, how does a company build that presence to, in turn, build its bottom line? Scott Klososky, a former CEO and author of Enterprise Social Technology, offers a handful of social tech concepts that are mandatory for every organization today in How to Make Social Technologies Relevant to Your Business.

How To Sell Managed Print Services

Looking for a way to expand your reseller business by offering a new service? Consider managed print services. Jim Rise, president, North American Reseller Sales, Xerox, explains in How To Sell Managed Print Services that the MPS market is booming. Rise offers a quick look at the space, and how it not only can help customers save money, but how it can also increase productivity and cut energy costs.

How To Help Customers Get a Handle On Security Threats

The focus of security attacks is evolving. Added to worries about a server attack, or hackers, or viruses are concerns about where software applications are coming from -- and how secure they may (or may not) be. Veracode's Evan Fromberg, Senior Director of Worldwide Channel Sales and Business Development, discusses how solution providers can help customers address and increase application security in How To Help Customers Get a Handle On Security Threats To Their Applications.

How To Derive Maximum Value From Cloud Deployment

For solution providers that specialize in application development, the cloud is growing in relevance. For solution providers offering cloud services, the market has only just begun to boom. Bryan Doerr, Savvis' Chief Technology Officer, discusses how to help customers see the value in moving to the cloud, and looks at strategies for partnering with cloud service providers in How To Derive Maximum Value From Cloud Deployment.

How To Use Social Media To Increase E-Mail Productivity

In case you are inclined to dismiss social communication and its tools as only for younger generations (or to use when not at work), Tom Gibson, principal trainer for Slipstream Advantage Group, challenges you to consider that our interactions at work couldn't be more social. E-mail is often awkward and too formal in our social world of business. That these emerging social tools better handle it outside of e-mail, and in a complementary way to e-mail, is now a re-defining opportunity for e-mail, and for you. Read How To Use Social Media To Increase Email Productivity to learn how.