Supplier News

61. Profit From Installing Wireless Networks For Utilities 11/16/2007
    Mandate-driven technology installations are an upward trend in the utility vertical. One example of an EPA (environmental protection agency) mandate that requires utility companies to make changes concerns the elimination of discharges from combined sewer overflows (CSOs). In fact, a requirement of this mandate is for a utility to provide real-time updates (aka public notifications) to a public utility Web site regarding CSO levels in a geographic region. A CSO is a discharge of waste or untreated storm water from a water sewage plant into the environment. An overflow typically occurs during heavy rainfall, when the excess wastewater is sometimes bypassed directly to surface water bodies via flow diversion structures (e.g. canals leading to nearby rivers). The mandate improves the general safety of the public in regard to water conditions. Used with permission from Business Solutions magazine
62. VAR Installs 1,800 Mobile Printers And Handhelds For Snack Foods Manufacturer 11/16/2007
    Direct store delivery (DSD) installations abound. If you’re one of the lucky VARs already landing these sales, you know how lucrative a market this is. If you’re not, perhaps you should consider investigating how your company can offer DSD solutions. For a good example of a successful DSD implementation, look no further than a recent installation at Snyder’s of Hanover. Snyder’s of Hanover, one of the largest manufacturers of pretzels and salted snacks in the United States, uses JD Edwards (JDE) as its ERP (enterprise resource planning) system. In the past, Snyder’s delivery drivers used MS-DOS-based handheld terminals to keep track of units sold. The terminals had no bar code scanners, which meant that drivers had to key in all product information and quantities using a keypad. Used with permission from Business Solutions magazine
63. VAR Secures $40,000 Storage Systems Sale With Telecommunications Company 11/16/2007
    Fluidity in the data storage marketplace isn’t a matter of physics — it’s a matter of fact. How do you survive in such a competitive and changing environment while keeping your profit margins above the industry standard? Streamlining your operations and providing ‘out- of-the-box’ customization is a starting point, according to Bill Riggins, owner of Adjile Systems. As an integrator and reseller of storage and tape backup solutions for UNIX, Linux, and Windows environments, Adjile Systems has bobbed and weaved its way to a consistent 20% profit margin year over year. This VAR has stayed competitive for more than 15 years. People know Adjile Systems in the industry, and that’s important — mainly because that is what translates into long-term survival. Used with permission from Business Solutions magazine
64. Reinvent Your POS Sales Process 11/16/2007
    Everyone’s sales strategy is different, and it could be argued no one strategy is right or wrong. Still, in following the direction of the Business Solutions tagline, “Growth Strategies For The IT Channel,” I recently sought out some successful sales strategies that we could pass on to our readers. It didn’t take me long to find Chuck Twesten, owner of Hospitality Data Systems (HDS). Whereas many VARs muddle through a collection of haphazard, unclear sales processes, Twesten has a clearly defined five-step/five-meeting process that’s been yielding surprising results. In fact, he closes an impressive 70% of prospects via his five-step program. Thankfully, the VAR was willing to sit down with me, share the steps, and outline what happens at each of the meetings. Used with permission from Business Solutions magazine
65. Accelerate Networking Sales 11/15/2007
    Network performance, infrastructure, and security are boring. Networking technologies are too hard to understand. There’s little chance of making any money selling them. They’re not worth the effort. Those misperceptions are keeping many VARs and integrators from selling technologies such as switches, routers, firewalls, and application acceleration appliances. On the other hand, a positive perception of that same market is helping igxglobal, Inc. experience explosive levels of sales growth. By focusing on selling networking and security technologies, igxglobal has experienced 800% revenue growth over the last five years. In order to understand how igxglobal is achieving this growth, it is important to clearly identify the technology and industry trends that led to this growth and identify those things that igxglobal is doing to differentiate itself from the competition. Used with permission from Business Solutions magazine
66. Create New Mobile Computing Revenue Opportunities 11/15/2007
    There’s a popular saying in business, “If you can measure it, you can improve it.' That saying has become the motto for VAR Bizco Technologies, a company that offers the gamut of IT solutions, from network analysis and design to wireless mobile computing, VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol), disaster recovery, application hosting, and managed services. The facts that this 26-employee company generated $15 million in sales revenue last year and is projecting $2 million revenue growth this year are two good reasons to believe that Bizco has advice worth heeding. Used with permission from Business Solutions magazine
67. New Orleans Citybusiness Names Readsoft As One Of The Best Places To Work For 2007 11/11/2007
    ReadSoft has been selected as one of the best places to work by New Orleans CityBusiness, a business newspaper based in the largest city in Louisiana.
68. Digi-Data Rewards Resellers With New “Fly Away!” Travel Promotion 10/16/2007
    Digi-Data Corporation, announces its new “Fly Away!” reseller travel promotion starting recently and running through January 31, 2008. The program, fueled by a variety of trips, is open to all storage reseller sales representatives, and highlights Digi-Data’s T-3000 and the new T-3548 set of solutions.
69. Question And Answer: Linksys' New SMB Channel Program With Nigel Williams, Linksys 10/15/2007
    You might think of Linksys, a division of Cisco, as only a consumer networking vendor. Linksys is taking several steps to change that impression, however. At a recent press event, the vendor detailed its move into the SMB market segment (i.e. companies with 100 or fewer employees are Linksys’ target market) with a new program called the Linksys Partner Connection (LPC). Nigel Williams, VP of worldwide channels at Linksys, shared the following specifics about the LPC program, which went into effect Aug. 1, 2007. Used with permission from Business Solutions magazine
70. Look Beyond Hospitality Touch Screen Solutions 10/15/2007
    Whether you realize it or not, touch technology quickly is becoming the intuitive input delivery method of choice. Look no further than self-service food ordering at the gas pump, ATMs, gambling, and kiosks at nearly every department store. Depending on the situation, a good touch screen application can be a cheap way of improving the customer experience or making someone’s job easier. Used with permission from Business Solutions magazine