CDW survey: Midsize businesses more optimistic about IT spending, but smaller companies back off

Reseller CDW has released its latest CDW IT Monitor, tracking IT spending intentions across all major commercial segments as well as government accounts. The good news is that midsize businesses were growing more confident during the survey period in May. The bad news is that smaller companies grew more skittish during the month. Continued »

More Windows 7 downgrade confusion

Microsoft did a good thing when it amended its planned Windows 7 downgrade rights to give PC buyers 18 months (instead of the original 6) from the October 22 ship date to downgrade to Windows XP or Vista or stick with Win 7.  So that gives you 18 months from Oct 22, or until Service Pack 1  (SP1) debuts, to decide.

But still, given that many shops wait till SP 1 to evaluate any Microsoft OS, there is still an issue.

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Cisco, in sales revamp, to form new Strategic Partner Org

Cisco is forming a new Strategic Partner Organization to manage accounts from both its worldwide channels and strategic alliances groups. The new group will report to Keith Goodwin, Cisco’s senior vice president of worldwide channels, according to a Cisco memo sent to staff late this week.

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Wanted: New McAfee channel chief

Roger King, executive vice president of channels for McAfee is no longer executive vice president of channels for McAfee.  According to a company spokeswoman, he has left the company. Continued »

Oracle prez Phillips gets off good one liner

Charles Phillips, one of the few black high-tech presidents around, kicked off today’s Oracle Fusion middleware launch with an offhand reference to another high-profile black president.

Stepping on stage at the Washington D.C. event, Phillips who is tall and lanky, said: “I know what you’re thinking….and I’m not him.” Continued »

Ingram Micro gets first dibs on IBM Smart Cube

Ingram Micro can now sell IBM’s Smart Cubes, making it the first broadline distributor to lay claim to these appliance-like devices for SMBs. Continued »

Extended lives for notebook translating into growth in replacement battery sales

Did you know that sales of rechargeable batteries reached $36 billion in 2008? Or that some projections call for this figure to hit $51 billion by 2013?

Certainly, you can’t attribute that entire amount to replacement batteries for computers, but businesses all over the world and of every size are rethinking the life expectancies for existing corporate hardware. That means they may be more willing to spring for a new notebook battery than in the past, as the efficiency of older ones takes a nosedive.

That thinking is reflected in Tech Data’s recent decision to sign up Oncore Power Systems, which makes products for leading brands including Apple, Dell, Fujitsu, Gateway, HP-Compaq, IBM-Lenovo, Panasonic, Sony and Toshiba.

I’m sure the margin isn’t mind-boggling or anything, but this could be one more relationship in your arsenal of technologies that underscore your ability to recommend hardware strategies that are more energy efficient and environmentally sound. To get things started, Oncore is offering commercial resellers an instant rebate of 45 on all replacment batteries and power adapters that they buy through July 31; government and education resellers can snag an instant rebate of $10 on these items.

Windows 7 pricing news

Windows 7 pricing was posted on the Windows Team Blog Thursday.

Estimated retail price (ERP) on upgrades is $119.99 for Win 7 Home Premium; $199.99 for Professional; $219.99 for Ultimate. These (U.S.) prices are presumably for users moving from either Windows XP or Vista. Continued »

Microsoft ProPlus SKU

Circling back to the new ProPlus SKU for Office 2010–mentioned this week by SharePoint director Tom Rizzo.

Microsoft last month had confirmed the future SKU and that it will include OneNote and SharePoint Workspace (nee the Groove client) in addition to the usual Office suspects, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Excel etc.

Hospital confirms Jobs’ surgery; Apple still mum

A Memphis hospital confirmed that it did, indeed, perform liver transplant surgery on Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Apple, has yet to mutter a word on the topic. Continued »