CRN Thought Leadership Series: eZines For Solution Providers

CRN's Thought Leadership Series explores the IT channel, examining the issues facing solution providers and the technology needs of channel customers. Each eZine in the Thought Leadership Series focuses on a specific niche in the IT market, from storage and security to custom systems and health care IT.

Check out the eZines below for an in-depth look at how the happenings in the IT industry impact the channel and what opportunities solution providers have to expand their product offerings and better serve their customers.

CRN Thought Leadership – 2011 Products Of The Year

This special edition CRN Thought Leadership Series eZine explores the 2011 Products of the Year. From processors to tablets, from PCs to laptops, check out the winners in the following categories:

CRN Thought Leadership – Digital Security and Surveillance

This CRN Thought Leadership Series eZine focuses on the opportunities arising for solution providers to extend their IP expertise into new areas:

• Customer demand for digital security and surveillance solutions is growing, especially given the development of open standards and technologies such as Video Content Analysis (VCA).
• IP trends in the video surveillance market are extending past software, firewalls and other basic security offerings to hybrid solutions that combine networks, storage, cameras and similar technologies.

CRN Thought Leadership –Security

This CRN Thought Leadership Series eZine focuses on the opportunities the cloud, mobility and social media are creating for solution providers in the IT security world.

• In its 2011 Global Information Security Survey, Ernst & Young found that more than half of its respondents have not implemented controls to mitigate new risks related to the cloud, creating an opportunity for security providers to step in.
• While limiting the use of tablets and smartphones will put enterprises at a competitive disadvantage, failure to secure those devices will put the entire business at risk. VARs who base their strategies to protect their customers will be in the best position to capitalize on the mobile trend.

CRN Thought Leadership – VAR Opportunities In The Financial Sector

This CRN Thought Leadership Series eZine explores the market gaps and opportunities for solution providers to fill a void in the Financial Sector:

• SMBs are presenting potential business opportunities for VARs in the Financial Sector who can provide remote deposit capture (RDC) technology as check scanning needs rise.
• With restrictions on the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) expected to tighten in 2012, solution providers offering knowledge and compliance maintenance tools can prosper as hefty fines for non-compliance rise.

CRN Thought Leadership – 2011's 100 Top Executives

This special edition CRN Thought Leadership Series eZine salutes The Top 100 Executives of 2011. The top 100 Executives in this eZine are broken down into 10 individual categories, each group representing the leading executives in a key component of the overall Channel.

CRN Thought Leadership – Cloud

This CRN Thought Leadership Series eZine examines the cloud computing space and the issues that are affecting cloud providers:

• Mergers and acquisitions in the cloud space have been happening at a rapid clip. Not only are major telcom and cable companies getting in on the M&A action, cloud solution providers themselves are contributing to the industry consolidation.
• While data ownership concerns are still hindering many customers from moving to the cloud. For cloud providers, stating in the terms of service what exactly it has access to and what happens in the event that data is unavailable will be crucial for driving business.

CRN Thought Leadership – Health Care

Now that HIPPA is enforceable and with audits on the rise, this CRN Thought Leadership Series eZine examines the growing opportunities for solution providers in the health care space:

• HIPPA compliance needs the channel. With the HITECH act driving incentives for practices to transfer sensitive patient data to EHRs, solution providers that specialize in health care compliance are flourishing.
• By combing networking, blade servers, storage, routing and switching, security and VoIP into a single architecture, Cisco's UCS platform is the perfect solution for multi-network hospitals and is opening the door for Cisco partners to get into the health care space.

CRN Thought Leadership – Data Center

This CRN Thought Leadership Series eZine examines data center technologies and the issues facing solution providers and their customers in this space:

• As customers try to decrease power consumption by cramming processing and storage into smaller spaces, they're reducing efficiency and will ultimately use more power down the line. VARs equipped for the latest transitions in data center design will be better positioned to deliver value to customers.
• The move to adopt converged infrastructure as a platform for building a data center is gaining traction. We'll debate the benefits of a converged infrastructure approach when compared to best-of-breed solutions.

CRN Thought Leadership – Storage

This CRN Thought Leadership Series eZine examines the data storage space and how solution providers are impacted by various storage technology trends:

• The impact virtualized and cloud environments are having on converged environments like Fibre Channel over Ethernet.
• With the amount of data businesses store expected to increase by 50 times by 2020, there is increasing opportunity for solution providers to help customers plan and manage data their growth.

CRN Thought Leadership – Custom Systems

This CRN Thought Leadership Series eZine explores the state of the custom systems market and the technology issues solution providers and system builders are facing in this space:

• Tablet PCs are changing the game, and it's not just OEMs reaping rewards in this space – custom system builders and boutique PC makers are also making their presence known in the tablet game.
• The CRN Test Center takes you through two main paths for upgrading your customers machines from Windows XP to Windows 7.

CRN Thought Leadership – Digital Signage

This CRN Thought Leadership Series eZine explores the digital signage market and the issues facing and opportunities arising for solution providers in this space:

• New intelligent digital signage offerings are giving VARs new business in delivering smart, measurable and manageable solutions.
• The ability to leverage an extensive ecosystem, emerging industry standards and new powerful tools are giving solution providers just what they need to capitalize on in the digital signage market.

CRN Thought Leadership – Mobility

This CRN Thought Leadership Series eZine examines the trends in the mobility space and where opportunistic solution providers can benefit the most:

• Smartphones and tablets are redefining corporate computing and opening the door for solution providers to make big sales from client/desktop virtualization to the data center.
• Check out the top vendors in the mobility space that everyone in the channel needs to know.

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