Our list of the most innovative executives of the year spotlights the people that are pushing the envelope with new products and channel programs to bring solution providers to new heights.
Find out which executives made the grade and held their own, despite the great IT downturn of 2009.
Most everyone loves Thanksgiving turkeys. But IT industry turkeys? Not so much. We look at 10 examples of 'turkeys' that have disappointed the tech industry this year.
Inside This Issue: February 2008
Cover Story; Alternatives Drill Down Feature: Storage Tech Advantage
Attack Of The Alternatives
Alternative vendors are in the ring fighting for your business--and they're often able to deliver that knockout punch to their competitors. This year's Alternatives Study reveals that alternatives are growing faster that the big vendors, and there are more of them that at any time in the history of the industry. Read on for a who's who of those making a name for themselves and why.
>> Slide Show: Alternatives Study
NWN: Local VAR Makes Good
Massachusetts VAR NWN won out--and capped off an impressive growth year--when Welch's Foods decided a local option to manage its help desk would be a better fit than outsourcing.
100,000 Rooms Can't Be Wrong
VARs, if you're willing to be dogged in pursuit of your client, then the proof is in the pudding. Hear how one savvy solution provider--with a little help from distributor Tech Data--outfitted a national hotel chain with in-room tech solutions and made an SMB killing.
Joe Mertens Is Getting Sirius
VARBusiness catches up with Joe Mertens, the new president of Sirius Computer Solutions, to hear how the $622 million VAR--IBM's largest solution provider partner--manages its resources and readies for an economic downturn.
Astoundry Wants To Do Your Heavy Lifting
Astoundry CEO Kevin Hanratty took a look at the state of IT services consulting, shook his head and built a customer-friendly alternative--whose behind-the-scenes work is done 7,000 miles away.
All The Right Moves
Consiliant Technologies might not be the most flashy VAR on the block, but its vendor contacts--and skill in leveraging those contacts--allowed it to succeed in a disaster-recovery project where other solution providers failed.
Hosted, And Multi- Tasking
Hosted MSPs are in, heavy infrastructures are out and VARs have learned that they can't promote their infrastructures as a service differentiator the way they did 10 years ago. What's required is adaptable solutions in line with greater data transparency.
These articles were mentioned in the current issue of VARBusiness.
• Go Phishing
• SharePoint Support Issues
• Slide Show: Hacking Your iPhone
• 20 Demos 2008 Products That Matter To VARs
• Vista SP1 Coming Sooner
• NetSeminar: MSP Fundamentals: Programs, Pricing And Practical Advice
VARBUSINESS VOICES
The Channel Man:
Robert DeMarzo
Midmarket: The Holy Grail
During a recession, VARs that serve the midmarket could prove to be the IT industry's salvation. Heavyweight vendors worried about their bottom lines in an uncertain climate have read the SMB tea leaves--and know they need the channel to make it work.
