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The site:

http://www.videosurf.com/

Is A video search engine. I know most of us think of youtube.com immediately when we think video, but give this video search engine A try when your looking for video on the internet!

As always let me know what you think.

Chris

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is telling everyone that will listen that Windows 7 is selling like crazy -- flying off the shelves, even, like it was some kind of mythical Cabbage Patch Kid/Tickle Me Elmo hybrid. It's been almost a month since the new operating system launched, and Ballmer has stated that this version of Windows has sold twice as many copies over the same period that any other version of Windows.

I find that extremely hard to believe. And here's why:

1) The economy sucks. Whether you think the government stimulus funds worked or not, unemployment is still high and consumer confidence is still low. And Ballmer himself just recently painted an extremely pessimistic picture of the situation when he said that IT spending would never recover to the levels seen earlier in this decade. If that's the case, then Windows 7 must be some kind of amazing, ultra-powerfu, recession-busting product. Look, the OS has gotten positive reviews, but not that positive.

2) We've heard this before. Not to sound like a smarmy Apple advertisement, but we have. Microsoft always says that the latest version of Windows is the biggest and best-selling version yet. Even Vista. And that was before the company essentially ordered retailers to stop selling Windows XP machines.

3) Upgrade issues. Apparently, this is a real hitch for Windows 7. As ChannelWeb previously reported, the upgrade process hasn't been a disaster, but there have enough complaints and frustrated customers to make this an issue for Microsoft.

4) Divided views on increased PC sales. Michael Dell says Windows 7 is going to provide a major boost for new PC sales. But we expect him to say such a thing, especially since his business is hurting right now and he needs all the positive buzz he can get. And yes, NPD Group reports that Windows 7 boxed sales were up a whopping 234 percent over Vista's sales during the first few days since launch. But perspectives differ. Gartner, for example, says Windows 7 won't have a huge effect on new PC sales this year. "Although the buzz surrounding Windows 7 has generally been quite positive, we don't expect the market to significantly deviate from its normal seasonal trends in reaction to its release," said George Shiffler, research director at Gartner. Media outlets are reporting that PC vendors haven't seen a big increase, either. It would help if Microsoft could provide some visibility on Windows 7, which brings us to my last point...

5) Microsoft won't divulge the numbers. Why? If sales of so great, why not just release the sales figures? What's to hide? (Jeez, I sound like Glenn Beck right now). The Wall Street Journal reports that since Windows Vista sold 20 million copies in its first month (during a slightly less horrific economic environment), then Ballmer's claims for Windows 7 would put sales at around 40 million or better.

Again, if Windows 7 business is booming, then it would only make sense for Microsoft to release the figures. But it hasn't, and you have to wonder why. Maybe new PC sales, which is usually the most common way people buy a new OS, aren't that great. But we don't know, and we won't know until Microsoft opens up. Until then, I reserve the right to be extremely skeptical.

I was just looking over Dell’s quarterly numbers and started wondering about Dell’s future in the channel. The previous 24 months (since the EqualLogic acquisition) have been a huge leap in the right direction. Dell has gone from the enemy of the channel to an associate that you still aren’t sure if you are ready to trust yet. The responsibility of this new feeling about Dell should be placed both on channel partners and on Dell.

As channel partners we have a long standing (life long for some) animosity towards Dell. Two years is not long enough to change that entirely and I think as partners we need to see more big wins before we are ready to let our guard down. Personally, I have seen some good wins with Dell, but there have been more hurdles to jump than an HP (or IBM or Lenovo) win. However, as channel partners, we need to be willing to trust Dell a little bit more and give them an opportunity to either reinforce our distrust or prove to us that they have changed and are ready to be a good partner.

On Dell’s side, we need them to understand that they are coming up to bat already having 2 strikes. Their history (while changing) is still carried with them, so they need to not just be an average partner, but an outstanding one. I have spoken to a few other channel partners and asked them if all things were equal for a deal, would they choose Dell or anyone else as their partner. Every single one chose the option "anyone else". I believe that is because Dell is not bringing anything else to the table, other than their product and a few hurdles. Dell needs to add more (pricing, better registration, additional support, easier ordering…) if they want to even reach a level playing field. This may already be in their future plans, but the way it is now, the default is "not Dell".

The reason this all comes to mind are these pesky quarterly numbers. Sales and net income dropped, a lot. The key for me was that large business dropped 23%, small/mid dropped 19%, yet consumer sales increased by 17%. While we have all been effected by the economy over the last year, I’m curious to see what Dell does given this information. Will they see the weakness in business sales and put more effort into their channel strategy, to encourage more sales from more places. Or, will they pull back on that strategy, and try to increase the profit of their business unit by going direct more often?

This week’s blog stems from the community poll question that’s been up asking: How do you primarily bill for your services? (which is still up, so cast you vote!)

So far, I‘m surprised that the response that mentions using all three billing options isn't way ahead of the pack.

One of the things that I have learned from my years of experience in IT is that as a Reseller\Service Provider we have to be flexible. All of us may have a preference of how we like to bill, but it all comes down to how the customer’s business handles budgets and financials. The key is to be flexible, because a happy customer means more business for our companies.

Another solution that most resellers\service providers don’t take advantage of is converting customers from break\fix (hourly), to managed services contracts.

When I first started in this business I struggled with how to approach this topic with my customers. How your customer feels about your business relationship is the key to this conversion. Don’t ruin the relationship by nitpicking billing hours, or not making yourself readily available at critical times (It will cost you in the long run).

Go the extra mile, make improvement suggestions, and generate documentation (documentation is huge because there is a lack of this in just about every IT shop). Once the foundation is set, your sales angle should be that managed services contracts will stabilize a customer’s IT budget, and lower overall costs.

Also, building that relationship that I mentioned will ease a lot of the difficulties associated with billing. You are less likely to be questioned about every billable minute if you’re trusted by the customer.

Let’s share some ideas on how to make this process more successful to benefit our community.

Look, I like Luke Wilson. He's a funny guy. I've been a fan ever since he and his brother Owen showed up in Wes Anderson's indie comedy "Bottle Rocket" in 1996. But he's not exactly a commanding pitch man. And that's just one of the problems with AT&T Wireless' new TV spot, which is a rebuttal to Verizon's catchy, compelling and extremely effective "There's a Map For That" advertising campaign.

AT&T suffered a major setback Wednesday in war with Verizon. AT&T sued its rival earlier this month and sought a restraining order against Verizon to force the company to stop running its 3G map ads. But a judge denied AT&T's request and stated that while Verizon's ad camapign might be a clever and a little tricky, the overall claims were true.

That's what Verizon has been saying all along, too. The company filed a legal brief with the court arguing that AT&T wasn't contesting the facts of the ad -- just the presentation -- and the only reason it was suing Verizon was because "the truth hurts."

Ouch. Well, the judge apparently agreed. So AT&T decided to rebound from that major setback by running new prime time TV spots featuring their own side-by-side comparison with Verizon. The ad, featuring Wilson in what looks like a deserted office building, claims that AT&T has the fastest 3G network. The ad also points out that AT&T's service allows you to surf the Web and talk on the phone at the same time (which I've never done, but hey, I might some day). But then the ad begins to reach a little. The next item on the board is most popular smartphones, which goes to AT&T -- come on, that has little to do with the wireless service carrier. Then the next item touts "access to over a 100,000 apps," which again goes in AT&T's favor.

And the last item? Well, that is a name that starts with the letter "V," which of course he awards to Verizon. It's even less funny when you watch it. And that's the problem here. Verizon's ads work because they riff on Apple's familiar and somewhat annoying "There's An App For That" campaign, which promotes the thousands upon thousands of popular yet nich-focused and even frivolous applications for the iPhone. And better yet, Verizon's ads have clearly struck a nerve with AT&T -- and perhaps consumers as well. AT&T's lawsuit and Verizon's subsequent Round 1 victory have only given more weight and publicity to the ads.

And if this is the best response AT&T can muster, then it's in trouble.

We have each heard the battle cry: “Move to managed services!”

But what does it really take? Turning your existing business model upside down and inside out?

I for one am growing tired of all these so-called MSP experts sprouting up with their Universities, books, lectures, etc.

They all just make me wonder: If they are/were so good at being MSPs, then why are they trying to sell books and monthly tuitions to make a buck?

This is the ugly side of the managed service equation. It is difficult enough to incorporate and move to an MSP model - sorting through the plethora of monitoring and management platforms available – and it sometime makes matters worse having to deal with MSP experts who have been there and done that and will give you their secrets for the low, low price of $99…

But wait, there’s more! Order now and receive my Guide to Happy Customers and a free MSP Toolkit. It’s a $350 value!

It takes planning and patience to move into managed services, and here is something the experts may not tell you. Managed services do not have to be all or nothing! You don’t have to move away from your core business, or drop it all, to become an MSP.

We at powersolution.com were engaged in managed services well before they were called managed services. We weren’t the first. Others came before us. But we made a decision to add a recurring revenue component to our business back in 1998, and we utilized the technology available at the time to streamline and transform our services business. It may not have been perfect or pretty, but we got the job done.

We use managed service components to create efficiencies in our business, allowing us to manage our client’s infrastructures more efficiently. This translated into cost savings for us, and our clients.

Bottom line, you don’t need to spend money on Universities and How-To books. There is plenty of quality information available to you at no cost.

Send me any questions you may have.

It’s not every day you hear one like this. Asustek is rumored to be considering purchasing Toshiba's mobile PC business, in a bid to become one of the world’s largest notebook PC makers.

Asustek, or Asus, is the hardware company kicked out off the netbook craze with its Eee PC-line of mini-notebooks. Toshiba is currently the world’s fourth largest mobile PC maker behind HP, Acer and Dell. Asus, as far as I can tell, isn’t actively engaged with the solution provider channel, which could raise some red flags for long time Toshiba partners.

Toshiba, on the other hand, does have a channel program and engages with solution providers. Of course, some partners raised their eyebrows when Toshiba America Information Systems earlier this year decided to “eliminate a layer of management” and part with channel stalwart Jerry Lumpkin.

I’ve reached out to Asus a few times for information on a reseller channel program as well as for information on forth coming projects. The only responses that have come my way have been about specific products. But I was curious about any potential channel program the computer maker might have, so I perused the open and public job reqs the company has posted.

Right now the open positions are focused primarily on sales reps for retail and e-tail channels. There are a few job postings that include the phrase “Develop and execute resellers channel program.” At the very least that looks like Asus might be pointed in the right direction. Unfortunately for some, those positions were all posted in Spain, Portugal, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t reseller channel development jobs available in the U.S. Instead it just that Asus isn’t looking to fill those positions currently.

But with regard to Toshiba, perhaps Asus would purchase Toshiba America Information Systems and use it as the skeleton of a channel program in this country? Dell had something of a framework of a reseller channel program in place before its 2008 purchase of EqualLogic. But, boy, once it got access to those happy EqualLogic vendors its channel program sure took off, didn’t it?

Maybe Asustek is looking to ape that success.

I had a client back in 1995 who said to me they wanted to pay us a fixed fee each month and for us to handle any technical issues that came from it. At the time I was too scared to take the risk that whatever fee I placed on this service, the client wouldn’t turn around costing me large amounts of money. Oh how I wish that I had the foresight to have made the leap back then to what we now call managed services.

This same customer also offered up the concept of renting the software and hardware from us for a fixed monthly fee, now what we know as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and Hardware-as-a-Service (HaaS).

Today, however, our business covers the monthly payroll bill alone with the money we get from managed services. That’s a nice feeling to have really – to know pretty much that everyone will get paid when you start the month. We are also doing more and more with SaaS/HaaS for our clients.

Why do I mention this? It’s simple really. Most SMB solution providers (like me) are technical people that have learned to be business people. They are techo first and foremost, and entrepreneur second.  As such we are often a little more conservative than “true business people” and we fail to take a risk when maybe we should.  I’ve learned over time to think long and hard about where things are going and how I might be able to take advantage of it.  I’m still not sure that I’m taking full advantage of the ideas my team comes up with, but at least I recognize that fact and seek guidance from others when I think I might be onto a winner.

The next time a customer asks you for something out of the ordinary, take a few moments to consider where this might lead to. You never know - you might be a trend-setter yourself and might be on the crest of the wave even before the wave starts to build.

Have you had a great idea, not taken advantage of it and then regretted it later?

I saw what might be my favorite headline of the year earlier this morning. It came from another publication that I won’t name, but it made me laugh when I saw it. The headline read: “Trojans likely to follow Win 7 activation hack.”

I know there’s a little more to it than just viruses to begin attacking Windows 7 environments. But still, the irony of looking at a headline talking about viruses on PCs made me laugh.

For a company that is constantly issuing patches to fix problems, holes and vulnerabilities, noting that Trojans are likely to follow in the wake of the release of the new OS last month is sort of like worrying about whether or not the sun will rise.

I’d be willing to bet none of you reading this blog is going to have this thought occur to them:

“You know, maybe I should buy some antivirus software to protect my customers’ Windows 7 environment.”

At this point, isn’t virus protection for Windows sort of like taking a drink when you’re thirsty: instinct? I should also point out that Windows isn’t the only environment that’s being targeted. Though Apple isn’t talking about it much, viruses targeting the OS X environment -- and more recently some iPhone worms -- have been proliferating.

Still it's important to remember that Windows 7 may be targeted by malicious code.

Direct X 11 is here, so where’s the new graphics hardware from Nvidia? Nowhere to be seen…

When Nvidia first announced its GT300 series of GPUs, the release date was set to 10/2009. Well, October has come and gone, and no next-gen Nvidia cards showed up – although the release of more GT 200 card models is good for the mid-range system builder. There has been little in official word from the graphics giant. However, during a financial conference call with analysts, Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang said that the GT300 cards would be delayed until Q1 of the 2011 fiscal year, which for Nvidia is January 26 through April 26 in 2010.

If one is to give Nvidia a little elbow room, the delay means we wouldn’t see new hardware until February, or maybe even March. Going with the latter means the GT300 cards (presumably a GTX 380 and GTX 360) would hit the market roughly six months after AMD’s Direct X 11-capable HD 5000 series cards.

Not only does AMD have four high to mid range models available in the 5800 and 5700 series already, but a dual-GPU 5970 is expected within the next few weeks, and 5600 and 5300 series cards should arrive in the next few months.

While no official reason is being given for the delay, the culprit may be the lack of 40nm chips available for use in the GT300 series. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has yet to reach its full manufacturing capacity when it comes to 40nm processors, and everyone involved is feeling the squeeze.

If the GT300 series doesn’t launch until Q1 2010, Nvidia is in real danger of losing some serious market share to their friends over at ATI.

Did you know 38 percent of U.S. travelers will pay more to travel companies that protect the environment?

Hang on, it gets better. Those travelers who'll pay more for green goods and services will pay up to 10 percent more, says the Travel Industry of America.

Flashback to early 2009. A landscape architect named Nick Overall is honored as the Norwalk Tree Alliance's Tree Advocate of the Year. The appreciative Mr. Overall said news of the award immediately attracted new business from conservation-minded customers.

How do I know all this? I read the new Business Transformation Study on the Business Transformation site right here.

It's my reason for two green blogs in a row. Bookmark it real quick. Check it out later.  

Are systems builders the stepchild in the Windows 7 launch? Let’s hope not. Windows 7 is sure to get a quick boost from systems builders anxious to put the new operating system in their gaming PCs. And for small businesses unsure of whether to upgrade, custom systems builders are ready to incorporate features and offer the support necessary for SMBs to take the Windows 7 leap.

Whether it’s a new operating system from Microsoft or new chipsets from Intel or AMD, custom systems builders are the gateway to early adoption of new technology for small business customers. System builders are more nimble and less risk averse than major vendors when it comes incorporating new technologies into their PCs.

More nimble, that is, if they are given equal access and comparable pricing offered to the major systems vendors.  Too often systems builders are an afterthought to manufacturers eager to sell their technology to PC vendors. Take care of HP and Dell and oh by the way get around to the custom system folks.

But vendors taking that attitude do so at their peril. The reasoning has been that the HP and Dell volumes warrant special treatment, while the low-volume custom systems builder gets the dregs.

This divide and conquer market view is wearing thin. When you aggregate custom systems volumes, they rank as one of the top PC vendors in the world. It’s amazing to me that vendors seemingly so brilliant at inventing new technology can’t do this simple math.

When you look at going to a technology conference, what makes or breaks the deal?

Recently I was reading on some tech blogs that organizers have a tough time encouraging women to attend those events. Some suggested that it was because women just don't want to go see another white man give a lecture. (I'm serious.) Others said that since women are primary care givers, they were uncomfortable leaving the home (Again, I am not making this up).

First, the "white man" comment. I think that most women will listen to anyone (within reason) as long as the subject matter is relevant and presented in a fairly interesting manner (at a minimum). If I see a seminar on how to develop a wiki you employees will actually use, for example, I will attend it, regardless of whether the presenter is a man or woman and regardless of "race, creed or color." The reason is simple: I am interested in the subject matter.

Second, child care can be a concern. But I have to think these women have some arrangement in place on a daily basis already, so that they can actually be women in technology. Unless they work with a papoose strapped on.

So, then, if it's true that it's tough to attract women to conferences, the answer must be that the content is not appealing. And guess what, it would be the same answer if we were wondering why an event did not draw male attendees! Therefore, at the crux of it all must be a good, solid foundation of desired content. And that is the puzzle: What is of interest to intelligent women who work in technology?

Some questions for you: What type of content would entice you to go to a day-long event? What about a conference that lasts two or three days? My guess is that in the current environment, one day is preferable to the multi-day extravaganzas of years gone by.

What are your feelings about virtual shows? Everything Channel has done several of those. Do you prefer virtual conferences, or do you like getting out and seeing people face to face? Are there certain topics you want to learn more about? What motivates you to go to a show -- and what repels you?

Everything Channel is putting together a one-day event on Dec. 10 at the Grand Hyatt in New York City. You can see the preliminary agenda or even register here: http://everythingchannelevents.com/wotc_09. It should be a day of learning and networking. But I really want to know what you'd like to see not just at this event, but of those in the future. Of course, they don't have to be related to your gender -- just related to your interests.

Dell is currently making a fairly big push to market their laptop/notebook products to women. Of note is the recent window display at Bergdorf Goodman's flagship store in New York City. From Oct. 23 through Nov. 9, the windows featured artist Douglas Little's Adamo designs in "Tales of Technology" displays. (You can see all the designs here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thedelllounge/sets/72157622645795790/)

Little's style of Edwardian and Asian influences are juxtaposed with the modernity of technology. In Edwardian times -- the early 1900s -- the first zeppelin was being flown and the first nickel-alkaline battery was developed. It seems hard to fathom that anyone alive then would believe the technology that's available today. But, according to PBS, they did: One of the predictions made back at that time was, "Man will see around the world. Persons and things of all kinds will be brought within focus of cameras connected electronically with screens at the opposite ends of circuits, thousands of miles at a span." Internet, anyone?

The idea that somehow technology is more appealing to women when it's "dressed up" is intriguing. Does a laptop with an artistic front drive women to buy it? Or maybe it would appeal to someone regardless of gender. I'm not sure I'd want a pink laptop (I'm using pink symbolically here), if it didn't provide me with any tech innovation. Perhaps companies are trying to market to too large a swath -- women do not purchase in lockstep. For example, I know as many women who might find a designer label on a cell phone desirable as I do who would find it obnoxious.

Almost half of all iPhone users are women, according to Nielsen Mobile Media Marketplace, and women also gravitate toward "feature phones" like the LG Chocolate, LG Rumor, Nokia's 6205 series and Sony Walkman phone. Those all have color screens, multi-megapixel cameras, music players, and functions such as e-mail and simple Web browsing. My thought is this: If the Adamo, and other high-tech products, want to succeed with women, they need to offer features most women use. Touting those capabilites and perhaps refining or modifying them to be even more useful to the target group will win marketshare.

Of course, a pretty face doesn't hurt -- but for many women, it won't seal the deal.

Ideally, in a business you want to save money in certain areas, and spend it in others.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a cookie cutter way of doing this, especially in the IT business.

We solution providers have to learn through trial and error, but here are some things I have done that have helped cut costs.

• Virtual training: Instead of sending 30 sales and technical representatives offsite for product training, why not have a single, virtual training event? This saves the expense of 30 seats, travel expenses, and downtime. And you can split your associates between two days if necessary.
• I’ve also discovered you can cut costs by not trying to sell every product known to man. Nowadays I try to keep my inventory and product line smaller. Doing so doesn’t saddle me with a high COG on the shelf, so I can get better discounts on specific products as those discounts arrive - and I don’t have the added expense of training on tons of technology.
• Another thing is vendor pricing. Look around more. Read blogs, articles, and newsgroups about what other vendors are offering, and discounts they are currently running. This can raise your profit margin.

The money saved with these solutions can be used for marketing and more sales efforts, and who doesn’t want new business?

I would love to hear ideas of what you do to lower costs, and what you use the savings for.