Enterprise applications

Google reseller program on the way?

A Google reseller program seems to be in the works, according to this video posted Friday on YouTube.

The 14-second video features Dave Girouard, Google Enterprise president, and 10 Google employees standing behind him. Girouard says, “On behalf of the Google Apps reseller team, I want to say thank you for taking the time to learn about this exciting new program.”

The employees then yell, “Go Apps resellers!”

Google Apps Education Edition, which offers email, word processing, instant messaging and other programs for college students and faculty, is already gaining some traction in the channel. But there’s also concern that Google’s focus on Web-based applications could take away on-premise sales opportunities for solutions providers. Maybe this “Google Apps reseller team” will help address those issues.

UPDATE (7:04 p.m. Eastern): The owner of the video has removed it from YouTube. 

Tech Data extends data center virtualization play

Hmmmm. First, virtualization management software, now a play in storage virtualization.

Distributor Tech Data has signed up DataCore Software, which provides a series of enterprise applications that can be used to manage and provision storage devices attached to a SAN. So, instead of requiring a one-to-one relationship between servers and different storage devices, virtual disks can be created that serve multiple masters. Tech Data says the DataCore products address the following areas:

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Business Objects CEO reaffirms commitment to VARs

VARs could have a bigger role in the SAP channel, if Business Objects CEO John Schwarz has his way.
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Microsoft exposes open source’s ‘hidden costs’

Microsoft has spent a surprising amount of time, effort and money on open source initiatives this year.

At Interop back in April, Bob Muglia spent nearly an entire keynote discussing Microsoft’s interoperability with non-Windows environments. In August, the company invested $100 million in Novell support certificates for customers moving to enterprise-class Linux. Microsoft and Novell unveiled a joint virtualization product in September, and just last month they launched a SUSE Linux management pack.

But don’t let all that fool you into thinking that Microsoft is all lovey-dovey with the open source world. In light of a report that Windows’ market share has dropped below 90%, the company went back on the attack today with a press release titled “Microsoft Gives Businesses Lower TCO Versus Hidden Costs of Open Source.”

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Microsoft: 0% financing helps partners

Microsoft’s new 0% financing offer for its Dynamics line of business software is a direct response to partners, the company’s sales chief says in a new interview.

Robert Youngjohns, president of North American sales and marketing, recently talked to Joseph Tartakoff from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. And in his Microsoft Blog today, Tartakoff posts this excerpt from the interview:

Most of our Dynamics products (are sold) through a web of business partners. They said, “Look we don’t have the credit terms we used to have, it would be really helpful if you could help us with credit terms and offer attractive financing.” We’ve had a Microsoft finance organization, which is essentially a leasing company within Microsoft, and we are using them pretty aggressively to help in those situations where customers want to modify payment terms to more suit their business needs and help fund products over a longer period of time.

Microsoft announced earlier this month that it will offer 0% financing for new, qualified customers that purchase Microsoft Dynamics CRM and ERP software. It’s the product line’s first 0% financing offer in more than three years.

Cisco VARs consolidate: INX acquires NetTeks

INX Inc. snapped up Cisco VAR NetTeks Technology Consultants this week, continuing a trend in VAR consolidation.

The acquisition went for an initial $1.35 million in cash and 30,770 shares, with a potential payout of $2.8 million if NetTeks hits performance targets. NetTeks saw revenue of approximately $12.7 million for the 12 months ending September 30, 2008. Continued »

Microsoft-hosted ERP: Still a mystery

Microsoft has been all over the map about whether it will offer self-hosted ERP.

Company CEO Steve Ballmer some years ago told solution provider partners that the vendor would offer self hosted ERP and CRM applications as needed. It was all about customer choice, he said.

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Ripped from the headlines: Virtual adultery leads to real divorce

By Elaine Hom, Associate Features Editor

Just when you thought people couldn’t be any dumber about their avatars, Second-Life-being-someone’s-only-life makes the news again. A UK couple recently filed for divorce after the wife, Amy Taylor, discovered that her husband, David Pollard, was having a virtual affair. How scandalous!

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Microsoft Dynamics offers 0% financing

Saaaaaaved byyyyyy zeeee-rooooooo.

Surely you’ve heard that cheesy song ad nauseam this fall on Toyota commercials for a 0% financing offer. Well, Microsoft is now getting in on the act (the 0% financing offer, not the annoying song).

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Whoa! Wookey lives on at SAP

John Wookey, the former Oracle exec credited with integrating a diverse patchwork of acquired applications into something almost rational (at least on paper),  is back in the business. At SAP!!!

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