Why The iPad Changes Everything For Business Computing

For those of you that have missed how the iPhone is being used to deliver private and public clouds, go right to Wyse Technology and check out the company's PocketCloud for the iPad and the iPhone.

Wyse's $30 app downloadable from the Apple (NSDQ:AAPL) App Store is right now being used on 10,000 Apple smartphones to access cloud applications of all kinds.

Tarken Maner, the hard-driving president and CEO of Wyse, sees that number growing by an order of magnitude with the release of Wyse's iPad PocketCloud application. "We will be on every iPad," boasts Maner. "This is the killer application. This is a Tablet business PC running Windows 7 on a Mac OS! How crazy is that."

Maner says that VARs that don't get on board and start moving customers to thin clients like iPad and smartphone are going to miss out on a major shift in how business is done in corporate America.

Read Full Article Here:
http://www.crn.com/mobile/224201232?cid=nl_crn

RackspaceHosting restructuring cloud apps partner program

Hosting and cloud computig provider RackspaceHosting has announced at its Rackspace Email & Apps Reseller Conference that the cloud-based applications division has plans to restructure its reseller program, which will emphasize the company's commitment to channel partners through increased revenue opportunities, new training and marketing resources, and an expanded product portfolio. The announcement parallels recent updates from Rackspace to boost partner programs for Managed Services and The Rackspace Cloud to aggressively grow the company's presence in the channel.

"We've always had the sense we needed to put more resources into our reseller channel marketing, and now is the time to step up our offerings," said Kirk Averett, Director of Product, Email & Apps Division at Rackspace. "We are seeing increased demand for hosted email applications, from people who didn't think they needed to consider this type of application in the past -- especially as some big names have gotten into the market."

Read Full Article Here:
http://www.echannelline.com/usa/story.cfm?item=25522

Google Launches Online Marketplace For Cloud Applications

Google has launched an online marketplace where third-party suppliers of on-demand applications that supplement Google's own applications can show off their wares.

Taking a page from the strategy books of Apple's App Store and other online software marketplaces, the new Google Apps Marketplace offers cloud-based applications that integrate with Google Apps. At the time of the launch late Tuesday Google said more than 50 companies were participating.

Google Apps today includes the company's email, calendar and Google Docs document, spreadsheet and presentation applications, among others.

"We're often asked when we'll offer a wider variety of business applications " from accounting and project management to travel planning and human resources management," said product manager Chris Vander Mey in a statement. "But we certainly can't and won't do it all, and there are hundreds of business applications for which we have no particular expertise."

Read Full Article Here:
http://www.crn.com/software/223400077?cid=nl_crn

10 Cloud Computing Channel Programs You Need To Know Now

Winning In The Cloud

Whether you're fully enmeshed in cloud computing or just dipping a toe in the cloud waters, in many cases it's going to be up to vendors to get you up to speed. Selling into the cloud is dramatically different than hardware sales and selling software licenses. Solution providers have to be ready to embrace monthly annuity payments and change their business models to accommodate them. They also have to sharpen their services focus to help customers adjust to new computing, storage and application environments.

Here we look at 10 vendors who get it. Ten vendors who have launched cloud-focused channel programs that enable their partners to go out and engage customers while ensuring those solution providers will have success doing so.

These are the ones to beat.

Read Full Article Here:
http://www.crn.com/it-channel/223300132;jsessionid=X1PY4BVZE42PVQE1GHPSKH4ATMY32JVN?pgno=1

Microsoft Targets Cloud Partners With BPOS Incentives

With cloud computing square in its sights, Microsoft (NSDQ:MSFT) Corp. at XChange Solution Provider this week in Los Angeles detailed a new lineup of cash and marketing incentives that the software giant said will help partners sell into cloud environments.

Fred Studer, general manager of Microsoft's Information Worker group, said the new incentives show Microsoft is serious about the cloud and it wants to fuel partner success. The new incentives come after CEO Steve Ballmer last week outlined Microsoft's overall strategy for cloud computing.

To help on-board partners, Microsoft has launched a cloud-focused partner Web site for partners building or extending cloud practices. Dubbed QuickStartOnlineServices.com, the site offers partners access to cloud assets such as marketing plans, marketing templates, call scripts, and other customizable marketing materials. It also offers tools such as an RFP template, business plan building tools, migration tools and tips on how to deliver in cloud environments.

Read Full Article Here:
http://www.crn.com/software/223300057;jsessionid=JR5MBZFACJZBLQE1GHPCKHWATMY32JVN?cid=nl_vi

Competing With The Cloud

A major benefit of cloud computing, according to its proponents, is that it reduces the amount of computer hardware and IT infrastructure companies need to run their businesses. So you would think that cloud computing would be bad news for custom system builders who make their living assembling computer hardware for their customers.

"It's a complete reversal from the traditional custom system builder approach," said Todd Swank, marketing vice president at Nor-Tech, a Burnsville, Minn.-based custom system builder. "We start with the hardware sale and the cloud is all about not having hardware."

"We're trying to figure out how this affects our hardware sales," agreed Joe Toste, sales and marketing vice president at Equus Computer Systems, a Minneapolis-based custom system builder.

But while the growing adoption of cloud computing could spell trouble for custom system builders, Swank is convinced there's a golden opportunity in them thar cloud systems. "It's going to be the wave of the future and how we make money on it is the question I'm trying to figure out," he said.

Read Full Article Here:
http://www.crn.com/managed-services/223100587;jsessionid=RDNEPPL0IRRW3QE1GHPSKH4ATMY32JVN?pgno=1

Google Set To Challenge Microsoft In The Channel

Google (NSDQ:GOOG) and Microsoft (NSDQ:MSFT) compete vigorously in areas like search, mobile devices, and SaaS applications, but when it comes to the channel, there's no comparing the two companies. This week, as Google celebrates the one-year anniversary of its Google Apps Authorized Reseller Program, the notion of Google becoming as synonymous with the channel as Microsoft is doesn't seem as far-fetched as it used to.

That's not to suggest that Google hasn't encountered difficulties along the way. Solution providers tend to regard vendor newcomers to the channel with the cold, appraising eye of a father sizing up his teenage daughter's first boyfriend. So when Google launched its program last February, many VARs that have built businesses around face-to-face interactions were skeptical. And in some early cases, their suspicions were confirmed.

Some VARs that tried to engage with Google were irked by being unable to reach a human company representative, and didn't appreciate being steered instead to Google's Web-based support. Daniel Duffy, CEO of Valley Network Solutions, a solution provider in Fresno, Calif., says that based on what he's seen from Google thus far, the company isn't quite ready to build meaningful channel relationships.

Read full article here:
http://www.crn.com/software/223100778;jsessionid=VLW55XGQBA4YJQE1GHPCKH4ATMY32JVN?cid=nl_crn