March 3, 2011
Microsoft plans June Windows 8 tablet tease?
The Register
Gavin Clarke writes about Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 8 tablet release.
“Microsoft is planning a mid-year show-and-tell of its planned Windows 8 design for tablets, according to a report citing sources inside the company. Business Insider reports that Microsoft will show off the new tablet-happy Windows by the end of its fiscal year in June. Window 8 for tablets will use concepts from the Windows Phone 7 interface, meaning you’ll be able to poke and fondle the screen. Microsoft would not comment on the news, saying it has nothing to share at the moment.”
Siemens Pushing OpenScape Cloud Services Through the Channel
The VAR Guy
Charlene OHanlon writes about Siemens Enterprise Communications’ OpenScape UC platform, which the company plans to offer exclusively through its channel partners.
“Siemens Enterprise Communications is making available its OpenScape unified communications platform and associated offerings as a cloud service, giving end users the full breadth and depth of the solution without having to invest in the necessary hardware. What’s more, the company plans to offer the cloud service only through its channel partners, in an effort to balance its percentage indirect vs. direct sales. ‘This is our formal entry into the cloud business, and the focus is on SMB and smaller enterprise space,’ said Mark Straton, senior vice-president of Global Solutions Marketing at Siemens. ‘We are taking the OpenScape UC suite and providing it as a cloud service exclusively through our indirect channel,’ which right now accounts for only about 25 percent of the company’s annual sales.”
MSPs: Don’t Let Cloud Computing Distract You
MSPmentor
Ingram Micro North America’s Renee Bergeron, advises partners on how to get into the cloud services market .
“As an MSP, the fastest and smartest way to get started with cloud is by offering cloud-based services around what you already know. What core technologies and competencies do you bring to the table for your customers today? That’s where you want to focus your efforts – at least initially. If you specialize in on-premise telephony, the next, most natural step would be to offer unified communications as a cloud service. If your expertise lies in building on premise infrastructure and security solutions, you might consider offering a cloud-based storage and back-up/recovery solution, as well as an on-demand managed end-point security solution.”
