Computer Reseller News Feb 09

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PUBLISHERS: NOTE

Kaunda Chama editor

hether you call it the SMB or SME space, the small and medium business sector,

regardless of its focus, seems to be a big ray of hope for the IT industry.

During this very negative period where project businesses are being reduced

or suspended until sunnier days, there still seems to be a lot of hope that the

SME/B space will remain vibrant.

While the bigger corporates seem to be adopting a lets sweat our assets

approach, the medium and smaller sized guys look poised to do quite a bit ofspending this year.

I have met with many heads of IT companies over the past 30 days and the

one thing that remains constant is their faith in the small and medium-sized

companies as the spenders in 2009.

However, this begs the question as to how much is this space really worth

locally and what if the recovery does not come as quick as most expect it to,

what will we do then?

The good thing is that I have actually spoken to a good number of SME/B

companies and YES, I can confidently say that I am reliably informed that the

space will be spending.

Before anyone pops open any Champaign bottles, the companies did stress

that their spending will be very cautious and that vendors, distis and resellers

should all remain realistically optimistic when they plan to deal with SME/B

companies.

I guess for those that will be lucky enough to have their quotations accepted

there is the blessed 2010 business to look forward to. My only concern is how

many local distis and resellers will actually benefit from all this, I guess we will

have to wait and see.

I assure you I will give the final procurement list a thorough going through

once it is available for public consumption or if it magically lands on my desk

before then.

In addition, it is interesting to see how much focus is being placed on the

SME/B space by companies that previously mostly focused on the large

enterprise and public sector, could this bring about some interesting developments.

Let us wait and see.

Hope in the SME


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CRN Contacts:

Editor:

Kaunda Chama

[email protected]

Journalists:

Portia Shaba

[email protected]

Dominic Khuzwayo

[email protected]

Brand executive:

Hellen Murahwa

[email protected]

Sub-editor:

Jenny Bastomsky

[email protected]

Designer:

Spencer van Graan

[email protected]

Database and subscriptions:

Daisy Mulenga

[email protected]

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Bureau of Circulation

Contents

2 CRN SOUTHERN AFRICA FEBRUARY 20 09

News & Analysis

4 What s News

6 Comings and goings

8 Demand Generator takes a look at how Bytes SI upgrades

PGPs systems

10 Hi Five

14 Microsoft partner changes may cause concern

16 HP advances Adap tive network vision

33 Cover story: 2009 market outlook. By Kaunda Chama and

Stanley Chishala

36 Ten real cost cutting technologies for 2009. By CRN

Staff, ChannelWeb

Features

21 Virtualisation: Virtualisation is a hot topic and

creeping into every layer of the IT stack. Organisations are

investigating the opportunities that exist in virtualising operatingsystems and applications with an aim of consolidating

infrastructure and driving business alignment. By Dudu Shaba

25 Notebooks: The South African notebook market is

expected to be resilient in the face of a slowing local and glob-

al economy as end-users continue to buy into the benefits of

mobile computing. By Dudu Shaba

29 Network ing: The ability to deploy best-of-breed applica-

tions directly into the network infrastructure assists networkingvendors to differentiate themselves and helps their customers

achieve even greater returns on their investment in network-

ing infrastructure. These applications create a more powerful

and intelligent network. By Dudu Shaba

Product and Technology

39 McAfee Total Protection 2009 review

Parting shots

40 Snapshot: Andrew Holden, Bytes Outsource Services

40 Dilbert 39

29

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IBM and SAP AG jo in f or cesIBM and SAP AG have announced the planned release of their first joint

software product in March. The product named Alloy software was

announced at the annual Lotusphere conference. Alloy software

combines IBM Lotus Notes software with SAP Business Suite. We expect

the new Alloy software from IBM and SAP to help us drive down IT man-

agement costs and boost productivity by allowing employees easy access

to SAP reports, procurement data and product lifecycle management

tools directly from their Lotus Notes e-mail, says Tom Greene, CIO,

Colgate-Palmolive.

Saharas latest ImageBookSahara Computers has introduced its latest

notebook based on Intel Centrino 2 processor

technology to the local market. Sahara believes

the sleek piano-black finished offering will add

immense value to users in the business or corpo-rate arena. The mobile professional has the

benefit of a mobile workstation and multimedia

device in one. There is ample storage capacity to

store and digitally manipulate information and

large fi les, says Gary Naidoo, deputy MD at Sahara. Key features of

the Sahara ImageBook 15WS include an Intel 2GHz Core 2 Duo

Mobile Processor, 2GB memory, a built-in 2.0 mega-pixel webcam, a

15-inch TFT LCD display, a 250GB hard-disk drive and a super

multi-DVD writer.

Microsoft protects Office customersMicrosoft has released a program called Office Genuine Advantage(OGA) notifier. OGA is designed for home and business customers,

and partners to test their softwares authenticity. OGA notifier is

downloaded voluntarily and once installed can tell whether

Microsoft Office applications are authentic. People spend thousands

of rands on PC hardware, software and services, so it makes

sense to keep it all virus free and up to date, says Charl Everton, the

anti-piracy manager at Microsoft SA. With that in mind, we have seen

an increase in the amount of counterfeit software in the local market,

he adds.

Tarsus announces new 3GAspi re OneTarsus Technologies has announced a host of

interesting upgrades to Acers Aspire One range.

According to Traci Maynard, Acer business

unit manager at Tarsus, the upgrades comprise

the addition of an integrated 3G modem to

certain of the Windows XP-laden models in the

range, an increase in hard-disk storage

capacity to 160GB and the introduction

of two new colours - coral pink and diamond black. Maynard

says that her team is looking forward to the arrival of the new Aspire

One models, since they have been hugely popular with clients ofevery size and in every sector of the market since their launch a couple

of months ago.

Com m Vault releases Sim pana 8

CommVault Systems has announced that Simpana 8, a major new

release of its enterprise data management software, is now available.

This includes advances in recovery management, data reduction, virtual

server protection and content organisation. Simpana 8 helps companies

to manage larger amounts of data, scale to accommodate an

expanding, globally distributed enterprise, and implement cost-saving

strategies by offering users new snapshot-based data management,

laptop and desktop protection, remote office data management and

advanced copy management features. The new version of Simpana

software continues CommVaults commitment to delivering comprehensive

data protection, backup and recovery, and information management

capabilities that enable companies to meet key business challenges and

transform their enterprise.

Konica Minolta SA launches myFAX

Bidvest Company, Konica Minolta South Africa has launched the myFAXnetwork fax server product in SA. myFAXis designed to meet the needs

of small-to-mid-sized businesses, and allows users to send and receive

faxes from their desktop or browser. Many organisations are becoming

increasingly knowledgeable with high expectations for immediate and

personalised service and support, explains Mohammed Vachiat,

product manager at Konica Minolta South Africa. Expectations are

rising and yet organisations are under pressure to do more with the

same or fewer resources. The myFAXsolution can assist in finding new

ways to optimise operational efficiency, improve productivity and reduce

costs, he says.

New HD displaysPackard Bell has updated its Maestro line of high-performance displays

with two new widescreen, full HD models, the 24-inch Maestro 242 Ws

and 22-inch Maestro 222 Ws. The two new displays are our most

advanced ever, says Emmanuel Fromont, sales and marketing VP,

Packard Bell. Not only is their design unique, with their signature seam-

less edge-to-edge glass enclosure, they also feature the latest LCD tech-

nologies, including 16:9 full HD, 2-ms response time and 40000:1

DCR. Both Packard Bell Maestro displays have the same thin-case

design and elegant stand. Behind the seamless glass enclosure, the

glossy, widescreen display provides an immersive viewing experience.

Nort el users get bon usEnterasys Networks SA has announced an unprecedented 100%

trade-in credit offer to users of Nortel Networks switching products

should they replace them with the Enterasys equivalent. This limited

period offer comes in the wake of news that Nortel Networks has filed

voluntary petitions under Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code and

has received approval from the United States Bankruptcy Court for a

number of motions requesting relief from creditors. Martin May, country

manager for Enterasys Networks SA, has taken advantage of apparent

marketplace uncertainty over Nortels future as highlighted in the

global media to encourage local Nortel customers to look at

alternative solutions. May says the move will also facilitate free upgradesin future, allowing them to take advantage of imminent innovations in

switch technology, particularly in data security.


WHATS NEWS

Traci Maynard

Gary Naidoo


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New M anhat t an USB RadioManhattan has announced its new USB Internet Radio that receives and

records radio broadcasts on personal computers. Through Internet

access and a USB port, the Manhattan USB Internet Radio delivers more

than 14 000 radio stations from around the world to desktop and note-

book computers, whether youre under a palm in Rio or in an Internet

caf in Miami. You can connect, listen to and enjoy favourite sports, talk,

music and news broadcasts without subscriptions, user restrictions or

costly upgrades. Its multi-function on-screen control panel provides

access to intuitive search, sort, audio controls and settings.

HP t akes tech t o v arsit iesHP recently announced the successful implementation of the Technology

for Teaching Grant programme at the University of the Free State. HPs

Higher Education Technology for Teaching Grant initiative creates an

opportunity for new models of success on campus by integrating mobile

technology into the classroom setting. This initiative is aimed at

improving teaching and learning experiences through the innovative andeffective application of mobile technologies. According to Oliver Fortuin,

HP South Africa managing director, HP South Africa has always

been committed to promoting empowerment and ascribes to the

underlying principles of broad-based black economic empowerment ini-

tiatives as the key to realising our full potential as a company and as a

business imperative.

Alvarions new move

Alvarion, an international wireless broadband

pioneer, has launched a new distribution model to

address vertical market requirements and expecta-

tions. The Alvarion distribution strategy currently

being rolled-out as part of its partner programme,

has seen the appointment of Duxbury Networking

as the master distributor of Alvarion products in

southern Africa. Duxbury Networking offers turnkey

wireless solutions to its partners, including feasibility studies, pre and

post-sales, and technical support. As a distributor of the Alvarion product

range in southern Africa, the company is now able to complement itsexisting range of wireless networking solutions in the licence-free bands.


COMINGS GOINGS

WHATS NEWS

Avaya appoin t s head ofEMEA Dist rib ut ion

Avaya has appointed Thomas Veit as director of

Avaya Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA)

distribution. He will lead the distribution strategy

for Avayas products and solutions across its

business and channel partners in EMEA. Veit

brings more than 17 years of experience

and success in building pan-EMEA distribution

programmes. Most recently, Veit worked

at SonicWALL as senior director, EMEA sales operation &emerging markets, where he was responsible for the restructuring

and rationalisation of distribution and reseller channel

relationships. Thomas brings a legacy of solid expertise in

distribution strategies, and will help Avaya to expand its channel

relevance and responsiveness, says Jeremy Butt, VP, worldwide

Channels, Avaya.

Int el Capit al appo int s Sam M ensah

Intel Capital has appointed Sam Mensah as its director for South

and sub-Saharan Africa. Mensah has been with Intel Corporation

for the past six years, he previously worked in London at Deutsche

Bank and tech consulting firm Gresham Financial Systems. Intel

Capital will seek out and make strategic invest-

ments, allowing innovative home-grown tech-

nology companies not just access to our capital

but also to our technological expertise and

global network, says Mensah. The move into

Africa illustrates Intels view that Africa as an

emerging market will continue to unearth great

business opportunities for us he adds.

Peter Watt join s It ec

Former Business Connexion (BCX) CEO PeterWatt has been appointed deputy chairman of

Itec Distribution, bringing with him extensive

strategic and leadership skills. Having been

with large public companies most of my life, I

look forward to helping the management team

of this growing business to achieve its

objectives and roll-out key projects designed

to enhance Itecs market position, says Watt. His primary function

at Itec will be the development of business strategy, executive

development, and mentoring and assisting in the establishment of

governance committees. He will also watch over and guide the

companys expansion into the overseas market.

Thomas Veit Sam Mensah

Peter Watt

&

Graham Duxbury

Thomas Veit


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ytes Systems Integration (SI), a division of

Bytes Technology Group, assisted Pam

Golding Properties (PGP) to upgrade its IT

systems and introduced services orientated

architecture (SOA) element.

After 32 years in the property market PGP

has become a trusted name when it comes

to real estate. However, to gain a lead in a

market that is suffering a slump, PGP turned

to technology to get its systems runningproperly, better serve its customers and to

create an efficient working environment for

its staff.

We were struggling with our online

systems because they were not integrating

efficiently, says Henry Potgieter, infrastructure

manager, PGP.

We needed to link our Web services with

our database and various applications but

soon realised that our systems were very

disjointed and were linked by an array of

applications that just didnt make sense,

adds Potgieter

Bytes SI was chosen to make sense of the

various applications and document the

existing applications to allow all the systems

to integrate seamlessly.The project, which started in March 2008,

was successfully completed five months later

and achieved the integration and logical

links between the database, various applications

and Web services that PGP needed. Bytes SI

met the requirements of the real estate giant

by building an application that logically

grouped the Web services and created an

SOA layer that sits above the database and

dynamically controls the links between the

various applications and the database.

When we started at PGP in the beginning

of 2008, its application business logic resided

in many systems and was tightly integrated

into those systems. As a result, its IT systems

were difficult to use, slow and expensive to

grow with the business needs, says Willem

Odendaal, senior architect at Bytes SI.

One of the main goals of the solution was

to document how PGPs current IT systems

are built so that future systems can be easily

built to this standard. The SOA layer we

implemented achieved this level of standards

and will dictate the management principles

for the future. In this way the collectiveteams have led the way and implemented a

solution that creates a benchmark and

standard for all future applications to be built

on within PGP.

We set out with a small team to start

implementing the SOA at PGP. As with any

SOA it is critical to have a successful pilot

project, so for our pilot project we focused

on providing services to be used by PGPs

intranet site, explains Odendaal.

Potgieter says: Our IT services havealready seen marked benefits since having

the SOA layer in place. It has allowed

us to hide complexity, simplify project

deliverables and reduce costs. The SOA

enables us to integrate solutions without

having to be concerned with the underlying

technology of the solutions.

The intranet site is used daily by

hundredsof PGP offices around the

country. During the pilot project we followed

agile development practices like SCRUM and

continuous integration with great success,

says Odendaal.

In addition, albeit an uncomplicated

solution, the application implemented by

Bytes SI satisfies the needs of PGPby providing

an integration layer that effectively links the

database to the various Web services. The

solution itself is built on a .Net platform and

makes use of Web services, factories, cruise

control for continuous integration and an

NUnit testing application, and uses SOA as

the management principle.

Odendaal adds: SOA is a long-term

goal, it was important for the business and IT

department to understand and support

what we were doing. As such, education of

business and IT staff was an important part

of the project.

The pilot project is only the beginning,

and we trust that it will serve as the foundation

for future SOA growth at PGP and will

ultimately make its systems more agile and

business focused, and cheaper to maintain.

Do you have demand generator stories to

share with us, please e-mail DominicKhuzwayo at [email protected]


DEMAND GENERATOR: BYTES SISOLUTION PROVIDERS

BYDOMINICKHUZWAYO

Implementing IT solutions.

Bytes SI upgrades PGPs IT systems

When we started at PGP in the beginning of 2008, its

application business logic resided in many systems and was

tightly integrated into those systems. As a result, its IT systems

were difficult to use, slow and expensive to grow with the

business needs. Willem Odendaal , Bytes SI.

Willem Odendaal, Bytes SI

B


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igital business its your future or youre history, this is according to

Henno Marais MD of ImproWEB. Marais claims the online solutions

offered by improWEB are supreme and unrivalled in the South African

market, which has made improWEB one of the leading Web-based

solutions companies today. In this months High Five, CRN chats to

Marais, an industrial engineer and consultant, to find out what digital

business has to offer the IT channel.

CRN: Tell us more about ImproWEB?HM: Founded in 2005, ImproWEB develops high-technology solu-

tions specific to the IT industry. Driven by a strong business back-

ground, development skills and a passion to help smaller businesses

like resellers ImproWEB was born. ImproWEB has re-engineered the IT

channel in SA so that the sales chain can be completely automated.

This means that the reseller can now sell to its customer, and have the

product delivered to the customer without knowing about it.

ImproWEB can do for the IT industry what Internet banking has done

for the banking industry.

CRN: How is digital business in SA?

HM: We are fortunate in that we can see the future for our own

country by observing what has happened in other countries. In SA a

large portion of online sales activity is driven by rewards programmes.

There is still room for improvement because there is no way that a

physical store can compete with a properly integrated Web store. This

comparison is both on price and service levels. Digital business needs

to be done correctly before it really works, if somebody can do it

correctly they will fly in 2009. By using the ImproWEB software

correctly with my knowledge and experience distributors will stand out

above the rest.

CRN: How does it help distributors?

HM:

I Cheaper for the distributor or bank

I Improves customer-reseller experience

I Improves customer-reseller relationship

I Develops loyalty towards the distributor or bank

I Creates customer-reseller expectations

CRN: How does it help resellers?

HM: With resellers being able to generate orders

and have those orders delivered without them lifting

a finger, I cannot see why resellers would buy from

a distributor without a system like this. It also makes

life easy and cuts costs for resellers.

CRN: How does it help vendors?

HM: By making it easy for the reseller to get

vendors products out there while having all

the product specifications and pictures available

sends a strong brand message. Vendors will benefitfrom both distributors and resellers if everything is

done well.

HIGH FIVE: IMPROWEBSOLUTION PROVIDERS

BYDOMINICKHUZWAYO

ImproWEB improves the IT channel


Digital business is the future.

ImproWEB can do for the IT industry

what internet Banking has done for the

Banking industry. Henno Mar ais

MD, Im pr oWEB.

D


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icrosoft is poised to make some sweeping

changes to its channel programs, ushering in

more opportunities for VARs seemingly at the

expense of direct marketers and large-account

resellers, according to channel sources.

Microsoft plans to dramatically reduce

funding to DMRs and LARs and give VARsmore equal footing with those larger partners

on opportunities of more than 250 seats,

sources say.

This is real, real positive for the channel.

Its a more level playing field, says one distri-

bution executive who asked not to be named.

Microsoft informed its DMRs and LARs of

its intentions at a meeting last week,

according to sources. It was very poorly

received by the LARs, according to the

distribution executive.

Microsoft reportedly feels that those large

partners are fulfilling demand but not doing

an adequate job of driving it and wants to

provide more incentives to solution providers

to do so, according to the executive.

Soon after the meeting, direct marketer

Insight Enterprises said that changes to

vendor incentive programs would negatively

impact its earnings for 2009. On a conference

call with analysts, Insight CEO Rich Fennessy

said the direct marketer expects to earn

$10 million to $15 million less this year in

incentives from its largest software partner,

although he did not mention it by name.

The changes come as Microsoft alsorevealed plans to open its own retail locations.

Microsoft has yet to inform solution

providers about the changes, and executives

at Microsoft declined to comment. A

spokesperson issued a statement that read

Microsoft regularly evaluates its partner

programs and incentives with the goal of

rewarding partners for driving revenuegrowth and delivering value-added solutions

and services.

A channel executive briefed on the matter

said VARs will be pleased with the changes.

Microsoft has always given a very unfair

advantage to their LARs and the Dells and

Insights of the world. Theyve really done a

180. Theyre investing dramatically more

into the channel, through distributors and

VARs, says the executive.

A second distribution executive who asked

not to be named said Microsoft hasnt

detailed the changes to distributors either but

he noted that that could happen as early as

next week. That executive said the strategy

will be implemented on a worldwide basis.

The move could have a dramatic impact

on the LARlandscape, said the second

distribution executive.

Those [LARs] that are financially and

operationally minded, I think youll see them

make cuts. O thers might be in a position to

grow. Theyll all start to look at consolidation

opportunities. Well see that this year, said

the executive.

Its believed Microsoft is hoping thechanges could foster partnerships between

VARs and LARs, but the second distribution

executive is not so sure. I dont see a VAR

doing business with a LAR. Thats like letting

the fox into the hen house, he said.

In these tough economic times, Microsoft

is making changes it believes necessary to

drive more demand, said the first distributionexecutive. Theyre reducing investment on

those [partners] that are just fulfilling

demand. Anyone that is good at driving

demand, that can increase the average

invoice of a customer, should benefit, said

the executive.

Some Microsoft solution providers lauded

the news, saying moves to help SMB partners

are overdue.

Theyve had the same pricing structure

for a long time. Times have changed, with

netbooks and Linux taking hold. Its good for

them to re-evaluate this, said Todd Swank,

vice president of marketing at Nor-Tech,

Burnsville, Minn. All we ask for is an equal

playing field. Were good at taking care of

customers, delivering innovative solutions.

But certain people can take advantage of

different programs not available to the rest of

us. Thats not fair.

Tim Howard, president of Rmon Networks

Inc. Danville, N.H., said back-end incentives

from Microsoft to large partners have been a

sticking point for a long time.

Those larger companies, they live by

those and pad their earnings by hitting those

volumes. As smaller VARs, we dont have that

volume because were constantly competing

with the Insights and CDWs, he said.

However, some customers still turn to

VARs to implement the Microsoft applications

even after the end user buys them from a

LAR. We make our money in services, but if

they can make it an even playing field, or at

least lessen the gap between the larger

and smaller VARs, it will be better for the

industry, Howard said.Kevin Mclaughlin contributed to this story.


ANALYSIS: M ICROSOFTSOLUTION PROVIDERS

BYSCOTTCAM PBELL, CHANNELWEB

M

We make our money in services, but if they can make it

an even playing field, or at least lessen the gap betweenthe larger and smaller VARs, it will be better for the

industry. Tim Howard, Rmon Networks Inc

Microsoft program changes:VARs will be happy, LARs less so


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HP advances adaptive network vision

ast month HP ProCurve announced a

dramatic change in the way it will engage its

current and future technology partners, and

also announced some new products for

data centres.

The networking vendor has made a con-

certed effort to expand its Adaptive Networks

vision by announcing two initiatives thatenable customers to address rapidly changing

enterprise data centre needs and improve the

efficiency of their network applications.

At the same time, the company added to

its extensive technology portfolio by unveiling

data centre switches and management soft-

ware designed to help customers lower costs,

mitigate risks and drive business growth.

HP ProCurves new Open Network

Ecosystem (HP ProCurve ONE) is a multi-

vendor alliance program that optimises the

performance of enterprise-class applications

with HP ProCurve infrastructure.

Participating in this program are technology

leaders such as Microsoft, Avaya, McAfee,

F5 and Riverbed. Adaptive Networks is HP

ProCurves vision for the future in which

networks adapt to users, applications and an

organisations needs.

To help customers address the increasing

pace of change within their businesses, HP

ProCurve is combining its own technology with

some of the most innovative, respected and

visionary companies in the world, says Marius

Haas, senior VPand GM, HP ProCurve.

Establishing partnerships with major technology

companies to deliver open-standards choices

delivers business value by increasing the

efficiency of network applications.

The ecosystems

Using HP ProCurves open networks platform

as its foundation, HP ProCurve ONE allows

customers to securely integrate a wide choice

of network applications and services from

alliance partners that integrate directly with

HP ProCurve infrastructure.Partner applications are rigorously tested

and certified to ensure interoperability with

the new HP ProCurve ONE Services zl

Module. The module is an HP blade for the

HP ProCurve Switch 5400zl and 8200zl

series that consolidates many partner

applications onto one common platform,

thereby eliminating redundant operational

costs while optimising rack space.

Meanwhile, the partners are collaborating

with HPProCurve to help customers strengthen

security, reduce complexity of network

management, increase network and data

centre performance, deploy new VoIP

services and improve manageability.

New data cent re solut ions

The new HP ProCurve Data Center

Connection Manager is designed to stream-

line operations in next-generation data centres.

This software enables automated provisioning

of server and network resources in virtualised

and traditional environments to help reduce

operating expenses in data centres.The HP ProCurve 6600 switch series adds

five new top-of-rack server edge switches to

the HP data centre portfolio, simplifying

management and maintenance enabled by

consistent firmware across HP ProCurve

5400, 8200 and new 6600 series switches.

The switches are all based on the fourth

generation of HPProCurves internally developed

ProVision ASIC network chipset, which drives

the functionality of the network switches.

By turning off unused ports and employing

a front-to-back reversible airflow system, the

HP ProCurve 6600 switches help to reduce

energy consumption and allow customers to

effectively manage the cooling layout of their

data centres.

Through the HP ProCurve ONE initiative,

HPProCurve is helping customers to accelerate

their adoption of next-generation data centres

by teaming with F5 to provide application

delivery technology, and with Riverbed for

WAN acceleration and optimisation.

Speaking at last months event to officially

announce the new initiative, Alberto Soto, VPand GM for HP ProCurve EMEA mentioned

ANALYSIS: HPSOLUTION PROVIDERS


BYKAUNDA CHAMA

Technology vendor launches multi-vendor program and data centre solutions.

Marius Haas, HP ProCurve

L


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ANALYSIS: SAHARA COMPUTERS

SOLUTION PROVIDERS

nology and longer battery life, he explains.

According to Naidoo, key features of the

Sahara ImageBook 15WS include an Intel

2GHz Core 2 Duo Mobile Processor, 2GB

memory, a built-in 2.0 mega-pixel webcam,

a 15-inch TFT LCD display, a 250GB hard

disk drive and a super multi-DVD writer.

He says that it also includes Quick

Switching Speed, a feature that automatically

switches the CPU to hurry up and idle mode.

Naidoo says there is an increasing need

for affordable, robust and feature-rich wire-

less technology within the home network and

home business space.

This is a thriving area of the market

where the rate of technology adoption isincreasing to keep up with global skills set

requirements. This solution combines the

very best in processor and chipset technolo-

gy for quick connectivity and also offers a

high memory and storage capacity for effec-

tive management of multimedia files.

The value in this offering lies in the fact

that it can be tailored to suit the needs of the

user and customised to fulfil all require-

ments. This is an exciting new solution that

we believe will make a difference to peoples

digital lifestyle, Naidoo comments.

He continues to say that next month

Sahara will introduce a next-generation net-

book, a fully functional device that will allow

resellers to tap into the new market.

He also comments that Sahara is operat-

ing extremely efficiently with regard to its dis-

tribution model that is based on cash on

delivery. We do not expose ourselves to

bad debt, he remarks.

Given the current economic challenges in

the market, Naidoo says Sahara will not fallas it has the strong backing of the Gupta

family that has always maintained high prof-

itability within the Sahara Group.

Even though the market is the other way

round, we remain a very strong company.

We are still hiring people, and our sales team

and reseller programme have expanded,

therefore the economic decline does not affect

the growth of our company, says Naidoo.

Analysing the market in terms of IT use,

Naidoo states that large corporations and

businesses are expected to be tighter and

more controlled, at the same time he is

expecting more growth in terms of IT use in

the government sector.

The household market is also showing

growth with regard to computing and skills,

while the FIFA World Cup will enable small

businesses and resellers to grow their busi-

nesses, he comments.

Naidoo comments how Sahara remains

consistent in keeping its business. Getting

the basics right and achieving operationalefficiency is very important. Sahara continues

to provide its resellers with good training

and putting the right tools in place, because

we know that when they grow, we will

grow with them. Always ensure that when

you lay a foundation you sustain its growth,

Naidoo concludes.


22/44

he economic downturn may be hammering

many small businesses,but it is not impacting

the growth of their data storage require-

ments. In fact, opportunities abound for solu-

tion providers to help small-business clientsbetter manage their storage and save money

in the process. All it takes is a few key tech-

nologies and policies.

Three trends are driving the fast-growing

need for small-business storage, said

Stephen Allen, president of Integrated

Technology Systems, a New York solution

provider.The first is the fact that customers do

not delete e-mails. Second is that they

are scanning more documents into reposito-

ries that are not deleted.Third is that they are

using applications that generate more and

more .PDF and Word document files.

A few years ago, a business figured it

might need triple or quadruple its capacity

over the next two to three years, Allen said.

But in 2007 and 2008, when we designed

an upgradable network, we used a factor of

eight. So if the customer has 100 Gbytes of

storage today, we figure 800 Gbytes over

the next two to three years.

Small businesses are burning through stor-

age capacity with things like downloading

photos and putting files on the network

without regard to the cost of managing that

data, said Fred Moore, managing partner at

Moore Computing, St. Louis.

For example, a construction company

might be storing 600 site photos at maxi-

mum resolution, Moore said. Theres noreason to store all those photos, or at that

resolution. O r they may be using a multi-

function printer to scan documents at 300

dpi with color. I suggest 200 dpi with black

and white.

Technologies that help better managestorage and cut the need to buy new hard-

ware are key, solution providers said. Server

virtualisation, for instance, simultaneously

increases the need for storage while making

it easier to manage. Combined with iSCSI, it

allows solution providers to build low-cost,

disaster-resistant infrastructures for small

businesses, said Mitch Kleinman, president

of Ryjac Computer Solutions, Irvine, Calif.

Customers can use the VMotion capability

of VMware to connect two physical host

servers and 3 TB to 5 TB of shared disk stor-

age to allow the sharing of multiple virtual

servers to build a high-availability infrastruc-

ture, Kleinman said.

Another important technology is e-mail

management.

Kleinman expects to see more e-mail

management solutions combined with dedu-

plication technologies to handle the growing

volume of information that does not need to

be stored in multiple copies. A lot of com-

panies in this space need to put best prac-

tices in place, he said.

Small businesses are also likely to be

scanning and storing more documents for

search and archive purposes and to

decrease the physical and compliance risk of

storing them in paper versions.

Small businesses can take advantage ofwhat used to be called HSM, or hierarchical

storage management, to scan a document

and store it with e-mails into an archive that

can be backed up to disk or tape and then

secured in an offsite location, Kleinman said.

Only dont call it HSM, Kleinman said.Thats a big word for a small business, he

said.When you walk into a company that

sells stools to restaurants, they dont want to

hear about HSM.They want to hear what the

solution will do for them.

A lot of small businesses are also looking

to tiered storage, said Jeanne Wilson, presi-

dent of Condor Storage, Sedona, Ariz.

They want to start moving data from prima-

ry storage because they have no budget for

adding new capacity, she said. One cus-

tomer said he cant get rid of the music files

users keep. Managers tell me they cant get

people to delete things.

They want to clear out files so they dont

need to back them up, but theyve had little

success. Small businesses also like tradition-

al NAS appliances because of the cost, the

ease of hooking them to the LAN and the

fact that they eliminate the need for a dedi-

cated file server, said Brian Lisse, owner of

Madison Computer Works, a Madison,Wis.-

based solution provider. Plug it in, and turn

it on, he said.

Just dont forget to back up the data. A

lot of small businesses buy two and use the

second one for backups.

Allen said his small-business customers

prefer to move away from tape to a NAS or

SAN appliance like Hewlett-Packard Co.s

All-in-One or SonicWall Inc.s continuous

data protection, which handles version con-

trol and replication.

Another opportunity is customers who

work with brand-name vendors like EMC

Corp. or HP but are becoming more open

to working with lower-cost second-tier ven-dors,Wilson said.


ANALYSIS: TRENDS

SOLUTION PROVIDERS

BYJOSEPH F. KOVAR, CHANNELWEB

Pack Rats

Just dont forget to back up the data. A lot of small businesses

buy two and use the second one for backups.

Small businesses save too much, too often. How can you help them deal?

T


23/44

VIRTUALISATION TRAINING

SOLUTION PROVIDERS

BYDUDUSHABA

V

Virtualisation:a very hot topic

CRN SOUTHERN AFRICA FEBRUARY 200 9 21

irtualisation is currently a hot topic and creep-

ing into every layer of the IT stack.

Organisations are investigating the opportuni-

ties that exist in virtualising operating systems

and applications, with an aim to consolidate

infrastructure and drive business alignment.

Gartner predicts that virtualisation will be

the highest-impact trend in the infrastructure

and operations market through 2012.

Raymond Watt, MD, REO Consulting (an

EOH company), backs this prediction saying

that the current global economic situation is

driving companies to lower costs, show better

returns on existing hardware, and do more

with less.

Virtualisation is all about the numbers. It

is about reducing the number of physical

servers in an environment while increasing

availability stats, and at the same time

decreasing complexity and administration

overheads. There is no need to stick to the

one-to-one application to server ratio any-

more, he comments.

Pressure on limited resources requires us

to increase our awareness of the impact we

have on the environment and to consider our

carbon foot print, our energy consumption,

etc. This is further compounded by the global

financial crisis, resulting in many companies

looking for ways to improve the way they

utilise technology, without sacrificing the

number of machines that do the work. In

short virtualisation is the do more with less

solution, Richard Sutherland, Portfolio

Manager, Dynamic Infrastructures, Fujitsu

Siemens Computers says.

Virtualisation is enabling one of the fastestgrowing trends in the technology space

today, and this is cloud computing. This is

according to Nick Keene, Country Manager,

Citrix Systems, SA.

Cloud Computing has been around for

a number of years in a few guises, initially,

Application Service Providing (ASP) was a very

popular movement at the turn of the century

but failed to deliver possibly due to the con-

ceptual idea being 10 years too soon.

Software as a Service (SaaS) and Web 2.0

took the lead in providing software to enter-

prises with infrastructure without requiring too

much bandwidth to connect to environments

hosting such facilities.

However, this is very much limited to Web

type applications. Although 80% of applica-

tion development is done for Web format

today, organisations still have to grapple with

legacy 16 and 32 bit client server applications

coupled with the need to centralise desktops

and deliver these as a service, he explains.

According to Keene, moving IT infrastructure

into the Cloud offers an organisation many

benefits including a flexible and agile

platform to access their information while

reducing the total cost of ownership compared

to owning the infrastructure.

In his view, the South African adoptionrate of cloud computing has been slower

Virtualisation is enabling one of the fastest growing

trends in the technology space today, and this is cloud

computing Nick Keene, Citrix Systems, SA

Nick Keene, Citrix Systems, SA

Most IT organisations are implementing the virtualised environments.


24/44


than that of Europe and United States,

primarily because South African organisa-

tions are taking a more cautious look at the

concept and waiting for more success stories

in the form of references and case studies.

The adoption rate is also constrained byconcerns such as bandwidth costs and the

reliability of the connections into the cloud.

There will also be a natural trust issue that

will have to be overcome, as many local

organisations fear their vital information is

no longer on their own infrastructure and in

their direct control, but rather managed by

the cloud service provider, he comments.

Manfred Gramlich, storage leader for Sun

Microsystems SA, believes that Storage virtu-

alisation is a more mature methodology and

is now being supported with innovative

hardware and software solutions that have

the ability to unlock great value. Gramlich

says that storage virtualisation has much to

offer businesses in reducing complexity and

consolidating hardware, along with often

overlooked advantages in data migration.

Andrea Lodolo, CA Africa Manager,

Technical Sales is also bullish about

virtualisation, He says that it is gaining

momentum and most IT organisations are

either investigating, implementing or

already using virtualised environments.

Most of these business know why they are

doing it, to save costs, sweat their assets, and

deploy new solutions quicker, he comments.

The market

Looking at the current state of the virtualisation

market, Steve Buck, MD, Edgetec, says that

virtualisation is becoming a top priority because

of the specific pressures that companies and

their IT departments are facing.

According to the Worldwide Virtual

Machine Software 2006-2010 Forecast, it is

predicted that the already strong x86 servervirtualisation software market will expand to

more than $1,8 billion in 2009.

O ne of the main drivers of server

virtualisation is the green issue. Using fewer

servers drives the effective utilisation of server

capacity, and from a green perspective it

helps reduce electricity consumption as less

power is needed to cool the consolidated

servers, he comments.

Another factor that Sutherland raises is

that the management of servers is becoming

increasingly more costly.

Virtualisation gives us a 1 to 7 physical

to virtual ratio on average and often a lot

more. This means that 6 out of every 7

servers are not seen, which makes managing

them more difficult. More importantly is thefact that there isnt the obvious red light that

comes on when a component fails.

There needs to be visibility and manage-

ability to the virtual environment to enable

more effective capacity planning and control

on VM server sprawl, he says.

Meanwhile, Gramlich adds that the market,

however, has not been educated enough in

the advantages of effective provisioning.

Virtualisation means simplification. And if

organisations can simplify they must begin to

take steps to do so immediately. The gap

between management, deployment and the

amount of data to be managed continues to

widen. This is why virtualisation is currently

on the front page of nearly every trade

journal, he remarks.

Benefits

According to Watt, these are the six major benefits,

which are driving server virtualisation in SA:

1. Qualit y of service

One of the beauties of virtualisation is the

ability to shrink or grow the virtual machines

resource utilization, allowing business

processes to become more agile.

2. Opt imi sation

Most data centres have a lot more servers

than are strictly required, with administrators

preferring to keep critical systems separate.

This same methodology can be followed by

using virtual machines which are configured

with exactly the right amount of resources

required, instead of server typically being

underutilized by as much as 90 percent.


SOLUTION PROVIDERS

Manfred Gramlich, Sun Microsystems.

Organisations are investigating the opportunities that exist

in virtualising operating systems and applications, with an

aim to consolidate infrastructure and drive business alignment

Manfr ed Graml ich, Sun Microsystems.


25/44

3. Standardisation

Most companies have a list of standard soft-

ware and patches that need to be installed

on every machine they roll out. In a virtualised

setup, one machine can be installed with all

the correct software and this can then be

backed up and used as an install template

for all future server rollouts.

4. High availabil i t y

Many virtual machines can be created to run

a single application with dynamic fail over

based on the applications clustering

capabilities ensuring little or no downtime.

5. Backup

Virtualisation also simplifies backup strategiesas virtual machines can be backed up as a

flat file or a simple partition at any time. At

critical stages, the virtual machine can be

backed up in its entirety and restored if any

issues are encountered.

6. Disast er Recovery

This is also simplified as the entire virtual

machine can be backed up and restored on

similar hardware, or each individual machine

can be backed up and restored as required

on any host.

The latest technologies

Keene says that, Citrix, launched the Citrix

Cloud Center product family at the end of

2008, a solution that brings together the

service delivery infrastructure building blocks

that have been proven in the worlds largest

clouds and enterprise data centres, enabling

massively scalable architectures that support

rapid innovation and cost reduction.

Known as C3, the Citrix Cloud Center

allows next-generation cloud providers to

take advantage of the most widely-adopted

virtual infrastructure platform for hosted

cloud services, as well as the most proven

infrastructure to deliver those services reliably

and securely to both cloud consumers and

enterprise data centres.

The Citrix strategy focuses on equipping

both new and existing cloud providers with

the infrastructure needed to deliver successful

clouds to their customers, he says.

He adds that the Desktop virtualisation

solutions from Citrix, Citrix XenDesktop,

which is co-marketed with Microsoft, is agroundbreaking desktop delivery solution

that allows companies to virtualise Windows

desktops in the data centre and deliver them

on-demand to office workers at any location.

Unlike first-generation virtual desktop

infrastructure (VDI) technologies, XenDesktop

is a comprehensive end-to-end desktop

delivery system that offers an improved

end-user experience, dramatically simplifies

desktop management and reduces the cost

of traditional desktop computing by up to

40 percent, Keene says.

Buck notes that virtualisation will continue

to become a top priority because of the

specific pressures that companies and their IT

departments are facing.

He cites the Worldwide Virtual MachineSoftware 2006-2010 Forecast, stating that it

predicts that the x86 server virtualisation

software market will expand to more than

$1,8 billion in 2009.

One of the main drivers of server virtuali-

sation is the green issue. Using fewer servers

drives the effective utilisation of server

capacity, and from a green perspective it

helps reduce electricity consumption as less

power is needed to cool the consolidated

servers, he says.

He goes on to say that VMware continues

to dominate the market it has created.

When EMC bought the company in

2003, VMware revenues were around

US$100 million a year. But at the end of

2007 the company hit $1,5 billion. Most

enterprise data centres today contain at least

one or two x86 servers running VMware

virtualisation software.

VMware is pushing server virtualisation by

opening up its code so that partners, such as

application vendors, can integrate better with

its virtualisation software. It is also pushingfor virtualisation standards, he remarks.



SOLUTION PROVIDERS

Virtualisation is all about the numbers. It is about

reducing the number of physical servers in an environment

while increasing availability stats, and at the same time

decreasing complexity and administration overheads.

Raymond Watt , REO Consul ti ng

Raymond Watt, REO Consulting


26/44


St orage Virtualisati on

Deriving value from data storage, however,

relies on effective optimisation in the form of

thin or dynamic provisioning of virtualised

storage that can provide an immediate ROI.

Gramlich points out that storage

virtualisation is possible via four methodologies

that share common advantages.

Virtualisation of storage improves device

utilisation levels, reduces storage management

complexity and overall costs while facilitating

interoperability and driving open storage

systems. Other advantages include resource

consolidation and the enablement

of applications to more fully leverage

virtualised storage, thanks to the tight

integration of operating systems and

virtualisation technology, he says.

He emphasises that one of the greatest

advantages of storage virtualisation is in

data migration.

This is not often perceived in the market,

where the likes of consolidation and the

resulting reduction in complexity tend to take

a front seat, he adds.

Moving data from one storage system

to another is essential, yet most end-users

dont have a strategy aside from letting

their storage vendors move their data for

them, explains Gramlich. The problem

with this approach is that it is a reflex

action rather than something that should

be considered as an important project in

and of itself. Additionally, there are more

reasons to move data between storage

systems beyond upgrades, such as intelligent

tiered storage; something that everyone

thinks about doing, but rarely implements,

he explains.

He says that data migration drivers

include upgrading to new storage systems

for next generation upgrades, storageconsolidations, test and development, and

intelligent tiered storage. Power, cooling

and floor space consumption will drive

even further data migrations to consolidate

storage systems to an even greater degree,

he continues.

Server virtualisation increases storage

capacity and new storage system acquisitions,

which are catalysts for data migration

projects as well.

One time moves are valuable and

necessary, but you must also begin to

consider implementing an intelligent tiered

storage environment along with the day-to-

day migrations it necessitates. This will

provide a great deal of value in your

data-centre. Consider the implications of a

long term relationship and not just a onetime project, advises Gramlich.

But Gramlich says that virtualised storage

should be accompanied with effective

provisioning to drive rapid ROI and offer

real value to business. The most effective

technique of doing this is in thin or dynamic

provisioning, he comments.

Resellers

For resellers this sounds to be a great

opportunity for partnering and making

good revenue for themselves. There are

estimates that by 2012, 10% of the worlds

desktops will be hosted and virtualised

rather than being deployed traditionally,

says Keene.

According to him, as customers are

challenged with reducing operational costs,

such as desktop deployment, they will be

looking for partners who understand and

can assist them in successful desktop

virtualisation projects.

For the reseller this equates to revenue

streams from not only providing the solution

but also maintaining this on behalf of the

customer, he says. Resellers need to

understand the when and where it fits,

what kinds of applications are ideal for

virtualisation, then consult with the customer.

A good understanding of virtualisation,

storage and physical server infrastructures is

required, he comments.

According to Buck, indications are that

the market is taking the direction of server

virtualisation and that in two or three

years time most companies will have

adopted the technology to improve theiroverall efficiency.


SOLUTION PROVIDERS

Manfred Gramlich, Sun Microsystems.

Management of servers is becoming increasingly more

costly. Virtualisation gives us a 1 to 7 physical to virtual

ratio on average and often a lot more RichardSutherland, Fujitsu Siemens Computers.


27/44


28/44

notebooks with 13.3-inch screens

are finding favour with people who travel

often and want a compact notebook that

allows them to connect to the Internet easily

and do their work. At the other extreme, he

states that netbooks are driving massive

growth for vendors such as Acer by allowing

them to address new markets with affordable

Internet access devices.

Geypen says netbooks are low-cost

communication devices that are designed toprovide true mobile and wireless access to

the Web, email, instant messaging and

other Internet and communications tools,

no matter where the user is. Acer regards

netbooks as a discrete and separate market

from notebooks. Innovations such as Intels

Atom processor have enabled us to bring

affordable entry-level devices such as the

Aspire O ne to market, says Geypen.

Although some industry observers expectedthese products to cannibalise sales from the

entry-level notebook market, this has not

been the case. Instead, were reaching many

users who couldnt afford a notebook in the

past, he adds.

Chame says that 2009 will see continued

strong growth in notebook sales as

consumers and corporate clients benefit

from better performance, lower cost and

more environmentally friendly products.

He says that one of the key drivers in the

notebook market in 2009 will be the ongoing

development of CPUs from makers such as

Intel and AMD. New-generation

processors will give users the

power they are used to on the

desktop, but in notebook form,

while at the same time being moreenvironmentally friendly through

lower power consumption, he says.

Imi Mosaheb, country manager,

AMD SA, believes that notebooks are

becoming thinner and lighter, and also that

there are higher battery life expectations.

For 2009, he says that users should look

out for AMDs latest and upcoming

platforms offering superior multimedia

experiences in high definition across price

segments ranging from R3 999 up, which

take full advantage of Microsoft Vistas

multimedia options and the future Windows 7.

AMD-based notebooks, based on open

standards, offer a faster wireless experience

saving users both time and money.

We have launched a new line of thin

notebooks as well as netbooks in SA and

more choices will be introduced throughout

2009. These netbook platforms are robust

enough to run Microsofts Vista operating

system, he remarks.

While todays high-end notebooks

typically ship with dual-core processors,

Chame predicts that the quad-core processors

will become increasingly common in note-

books in the coming year. He adds that new

technologies such as RGB-based LCDs will

offer users better colour performance as they

become more mainstream.

He goes on to say that multi-touch screen

capabilities will also become more main-

stream in the coming year rather than being

limited to tablet PCs as in the past.

One of the drivers for multi-touch panels

in late 2009 and early 2010 will be the

release of Windows 7 which has these featuresbuilt-in and as its release draws closer, increasing

NOTEBOOKS FEATURE


SOLUTION PROVIDERS

Netbooks will continue to be popular in 2009 as the

move towards ultra-portable notebooks continues.

Ultra-portable netbooks have seen significant uptake in

the consumer market and still needs to increase in the

coming year. Llewell yn Cha me, Dell SA


29/44

numbers of notebooks will be engineered to

provide these capabilities, he predicts.

According to Chame, connectivity will

continue to be an important part of notebooks

in 2009, increasingly so as WiFi, WiMax and

3G networks mature around the globe.

As these technologies matures they will

begin to be included in notebooks as

standard features. While it is clear that

connectivity will be a key factor in notebook

uptake over the coming year and beyond,

Dell South Africa will build its notebook

range incorporating 3G and HSDPA to cater

for this market, says Chame.

Embedded WiMax and 3G modules tend

to be relatively expensive because of limited

suppliers at this time, and because of thiscost, the USB-dongle connectivity option will

remain dominant in the short term, particularly

in the netbook sector where cost is a signifi-

cant factor. In the longer term, however, as

suppliers become more abundant and prices

begin to decrease, embedded connectivity will

become increasingly common, he adds.

New products

Tarsus Technologies has announced

upgrades to Acers Aspire One, the netbook

range thats taken the market by storm.

Traci Maynard, Acer business unit manager,

Tarsus, says that the upgrades comprise the

addition of an integrated 3G modem to certain

of the Windows XPmodels in the range, an

increase in hard-disk storage capacityto 160GB

and the introduction of two new colours coral

pink and diamond black.

Maynard, says her team is looking forward

to the arrival of the new Aspire One models,

since they have been hugely popular with clients

of every size, in every sector of the market

since their launch a couple of months ago.

We are particularly excited about the

availability of a model with integrated 3G,

since the majority of current Aspire One users

find that using an external peripheral that

accomplishes the same task cumbersome.

With an integrated module, all the hassle

is removed and users can connect to the

Internet or their VPN whenever the need

arises. It extends the usability of the netbook

substantially, she says.

Maynard comments that the addition of

the 3G module not only makes life more

convenient for users, but can also extend theunits battery life.

Computer designers have traditionally

struggled to regulate the power consumption

of external USB-driven peripherals, she explains.

However, by adding the 3G functionality

into the mix as an on-board component, the

Aspire Ones power-saving features

come into effect and extend

the units battery life,

she says.

Maynard also

believes that the

availability of a 3G-

equipped Aspire One will boost

sales of the 8GB flash storage unit.

Thats because cloud-computing

practises that allow users to store all of their

data online rely heavily on a fast andubiquitous Internet connection.

The Aspire One now makes that a reality

and the need for users to carry a massive

volume of storage around with them is

starting to disappear. The Aspire One and

netbook concepts are changing what our

future demands on technology will look like,

she comments.

Sahara Computers has announced the

release of the Intel 2GB Centrino 2

Montevina notebook to the local market.

The company says it has expanded its

range of digital lifestyle solutions and is targeting

the mid-level market, more specifically users

that require a feature-rich mobile solution that

offers high-speed, on-the-go computing.

The mobile professional has the benefit

of a mobile workstation and multimedia

device in one. There is ample capacity to

store and digitally manipulate information

and large files. It can be used as a central

workstation to expand and consolidate the

home network, says Naidoo.

Naidoo explains that critical communication

resources such as e-mail and the Internet are

centralised which reduces cost and enhances

control to maximise output and lower total

cost of ownership over the infrastructure.It has sufficient battery power to be used

extensively should there be an interruption in

power supply. This eliminates the risk ofdowntime to the business.

The Intel Centrino processor technology

enables high performance, multi-tasking,

high-definition multimedia, latest WiFi

technology and longer battery life, he explains.

Naidoo adds that there is an increasing

need for affordable, robust and feature-rich

wireless technology within the home network

and home business space.

This is a thriving area of the market

where the rate of technology adoption is

increasing to keep up with global skills set

requirements. This solution combines

the very best in processor and chipset

technology for quick connectivity and also

offers high memory and storage capacity for

effective management of multimedia files,

says Naidoo.

Green compu tin g

According to Chame, one of the overriding

trends for all technology in the coming year

is green computing, and confirms that Dell

has made a firm commitment to it.

In August last year we announced that

we had achieved our goal of becoming

carbon-neutral five months ahead of

schedule. Dell has achieved this with awide-ranging multi-pronged approach that


This will be the year when a number of technologies

such as notebooks with Blu-Ray drives and screens with

16:9 aspect ratios start moving into the mainstream.

John Geypen , Acer SA

SOLUTION PROVIDERS

NOTEBOOKS FEATURE


30/44

includes purchasing renewable resources,

eliminating toxic substances in our products,

creating a recycling chain for all of our products

and reducing the power consumption of

manufacturing processes as well as on our

products, he says.

Chame adds that one way to make

computers more environmentally friendly is

to reduce power consumption.

Some of these power savings are achieved

by the new generation of processors and

solid-state drives that are reducing the

demand on resources, he says.

But creating products that are truly green

is about more than reducing power usage. It

requires making improvements in the design,

manufacture and reclamation of productsthroughout their lifetimes. We proactively

eliminate environmentally sensitive substances

from our products wherever viable alternatives

are available, and we design products that

are easily recyclable, he adds.

Green computing is another area where

Acer is seeing a lot of innovation. Geypen

says processor vendors are investing

substantial parts of their R&D budgets in

creating processors that need less power

and generate less heat.

LED screens that use 30 per cent less

power than the TFT screens used in most note-

books today are also likely to become more

common in 2009 and 2010. This not only

addresses the need to create products that are

environment-friendly, but also helps to extend

battery life for mobile users. An Atom-based

netbook can deliver up to six hours of battery

life with a six-cell battery, he says.

Customisation

Chame says customers are demanding

customisation when buying notebooks.

He says that for Dell, customisation is a

cornerstone of the success of the business.

We have always offered customers

products customised to their needs rather

than simply providing one-size-fits-all

products. In 2009 we expect to see greater

demand for customised products, particularly

in the notebook sector, he says.

He goes on to say that users are increasingly

seeing their notebook as a personal product

that needs to reflect their style.

For consumers, this means being able to

select form factors, colours and styles thatthey want, and Dells customisation options

make this possible. To date,

this has largely been limited to

the consumer sector but as

consumerisation takes hold in

the corporate sector we

expect to see similar

demands, he comments.

AMDs vision

Mosaheb says AMD continues

to fulfil its vision of a relatively

cheap notebook to

further help propel

PC growth and penetration in SA. AMD

continues to make strides with O ne Laptop

Per Child to offer low-cost options in SA.

The OLCP OLPC AMD laptop costs around

R1 599, he says.

In addition, Mosaheb says AMD is inte-

grating the graphics and the CPU to reduce

notebook sizes and costs while driving more

performance and higher visual experiences.

Since AMD owns the ATI products, the

integration of two world-class technologies is

expected to yield APUs that will redefine

and establish higher computing performance

and improved battery life in the mobile

segment, he comments. Mosaheb says that

AMD continues to adhere to its customer-centric

culture of listening to its customers needs and

defining products for future implementation.

Our customers vision of advancing their prod-

ucts to offer more for better value to end-users

is what defines the AMD CPU/chipsets and ATI

Graphics roadmaps at AMD, says Mosaheb.

The fut ure of not ebooks

Mosaheb predicts notebooks will find theirway into becoming more touch-panel

tablet-like devices and become more

pervasive in business, entertainment and

home environments.

For example, the self-ticketing for movie

theatres take up valuable floor space and

will easily be migrated to wall-mounted

touch screens when replacement cycles

come around.

Notebooks are being integrated into

home appliances and this trend will continue

to show itself more and more in SA. Business,

home security and home automation are

other areas where notebooks are of great

use due to their mobility, he says. As cloud

computing becomes more prevalent towards

the end of 2009, Mosaheb foresees the

mobile thin client category growing.

This category will require more graphical

performance than CPU performance since

computation will be done in the Web 2.0

environment. AMD is well positioned

in this segment both with its very low-power

processors and its ATI graphics products

for mobile platforms and handhelds,he concludes.


There is an increasing need for affordable, robust

and feature-rich wireless technology within the home

network and home business space. Gary Na idoo,

Sahara Computers.

NOTEBOOKS FEATURE

SOLUTION PROVIDERS


31/44

NETWORKING FEATURE

SOLUTION PROVIDERS

Enabling flexibility without sacrificing productivity.

BYDUDUSHABA

T

Convergence:the

hottest issue in networking today


he ability to deploy best-of-breed applications

directly into the network infrastructure assists

networking vendors to differentiate them-selves and helps their customers achieve

even greater returns on their investment in

networking infrastructure. These applications

create a more powerful and intelligent

network. This is according to Derek Wiggill,

regional sales director, 3Com Africa.

He says that the convergence of open

standards and an economic downturn

prompt people to be more selective in their

choice of networking components.

Open standards means that they are no

longer locked into proprietary solutions and

can hand-pick products that will deliver

value, he says.

Richard Sutherland, portfolio manager,

Dynamic Infrastructure also believes that

convergence, mobility and security are the

hottest issues in networking today.

Convergence brings together voice,

video and data which is critical to ensure

communication among people and organi-

sations, mobility eliminates dependence on a

wired connection, while offering the user the

ability to connect from a place of their choice,

while security with convergence and mobility

is becoming more prevalent, he says.

Sutherland believes that convergence in

the office environment is critical for business

as it offers people the flexibility to live a more

balanced life without sacrificing productivity.

Convergence offers the critical advantage

of working from anywhere in the connected

world as if you are in the office, he says.

Wynand Moller, regional manager, D-Link

Africa, Western Cape, states that new applications

like Wi-Fi VoIP require the ability to roam

seamlessly and securely. For example,wireless switches provide a simple,

centralised, iron-clad solution, with management

tools, policy enforcement and built-in security.

They make wireless LANs as secure as theirwired counterparts. With todays technology

Richard Sutherland, DynamicInfrastructure


32/44


you can overlay WLAN switches without

compromising the integrity of the original

wired infrastructure, he says.

Unlike traditional wireless networks,

Moller says that wireless switching offers a

user-based approach to administration

policy as opposed to policy tied to ports

and addresses.

This puts the network administrator back

in charge, with a centralised console for

managing and troubleshooting any contingency.

Network administrators centrally control

authentication and encryption, manage

VLAN groups, enforce roaming policies and

maintain tight control over quality-of-service

traffic. Each client is tracked by user identity,

rather than by port, device or approximate

location, making the environment more

secure and intruders much more visible.

Policies that govern who can do what and

where while roaming wirelessly can be easily

implemented. Centralised WLAN systems

follow users and know who they are, so it is

much easier to locate rogues when they

appear on the scene, Moller explains.

The adop t ion rate

Wiggill says that WiFi is continuing to

become more and more prevalent throughout

the marketplace. With new WiFi standards

such as 802.11n, he outlines that WiFi

continues to improve as a technology.

Security remains a challenge facing WiFi

networks in both large and small compa-

nies, and unless implemented correctly, it

leaves them vulnerable to bandwidth theft

and makes company resources vulnerable tounauthorised external access.

WiMax would have a ready market if it

werent bogged down by the ICASA

licensing process and the shortage of

spectrum. This may improve by year end,

Wiggill comments.

According to Sutherland, globally WiFi

and Wimax are being adopted at a

rapid pace.

In emerging markets, the adoption is

delayed and, in some instances, restricted by

regulatory policy and limited backhaul

infrastructure. With Intels release of its new

chipsets that will support WiMax in the early

part of 2009, Wimax will be fast tracked in

many parts of the world, he comments.

Broadband fuell ingAre networking vendors fuelling broadband

to consumers in the home and office

environments?

According to Wiggill, bandwidth

acceleration technologies and WAN

optimisation remain extremely high priorities.

He says the availability and price of broad-

band to businesses and consumers alike

creates a compelling case for such technologies

to grow exponentially as the return on investment

is irrefutable.

Sutherland, says that network vendors,

telcos and ISVs are working together to

make connectivity more accessible through

subsidisation of the components needed to

get connected.

The deregulation of markets has

assisted greatly with fuelling broadband to

consumers by providing access to uncon-

nected areas, he says.

Moller says that D-Link continues to fuel

broadband to consumers by developing and

marketing products that thrive on bandwidth.

He says that new draft 802.11n wireless

technology improves bandwidth speeds

while enabling next-generation Internet

applications like VoIP.

Small businesses that are considering

wireless to expand network coverage, and add

connectivity and flexibility need to consider

new draft 802.11n wireless equipment.

New draft 802.11n products enable

faster performance and longer connectivity

range. They are perfectly suited to small

organisations needing a more robust

wireless solution. Draft 802.11n wireless

solutions are much faster than traditional802.11g, 802.11b and 802.11a equipment.

NETWORKING FEATURE

SOLUTION PROVIDERS

WiFi and Wimax are being adopted at a rapid pace. In

emerging markets, the adoption is delayed and, in some

instances, restricted by regulatory policy and limited

backhaul infrastructure. With Intels release of its new

chipsets that will support WiMax in the early part of

2009, Wimax will be fast tracked in many parts of the

world. Richa rd Sutherlan d, Dynamic

Infrastructure

Derek Wiggill, 3Com Africa


33/44

Draft 802.11n technology also expands

coverage much further than previous 802.11

technologies, he says.

The implications for small businesses and

home offices are clear. VoIP telephony, large

file sharing and streaming, and numerous

other performance-dependent applications are

now much easier to maintain without delays or

network traffic hiccups, explains Moller.

Convergence

Organisations of all kinds are taking advan-

tage of IP network convergence solutions to

integrate applications, boost productivity, save

on network management and maintenance,

and lower the cost of communication. Moller

believes that these new solutions bringpeople together more efficiently to connect

with customers, solve problems and make

better decisions.

IP convergence does not require rip-and-

replace modifications. Converged IP services,

software and equipment can be added as

necessary and infrastructure can be improved

incrementally. IP networks already exist at

most organisations, he says.

He goes on to say that most IT depart-

ments have been addressing the silos of

information issue for some time. Now, as

more and more business resources use the IP

infrastructure that has evolved from networking

implementations and Internet applications,

the silo metaphor is being extended to

people, processes and projects.

Organisations want to leverage their IP

infrastructures to bring workers closer together,

help them work more productively, and

allow them to share information more freely

and flexibly.

Network convergence includes both

software solutions and the hardware that

accompany them. A robust physical network

is needed to support presence-aware

applications, he comments.

The benefits of convergence

According to Moller, the following are the

benefits of IP convergence:

Dramatic hardware, software, space utili-

sation, maintenance and support costsavings

Increased employee productivity and mobility

Videoconferencing reduces travel costs

Seamless communication improves

decision-making

Memorising of multiple phone numbers,

screen names and email addresseseliminated

Single, unified, open IP platform requires

only one skill set for maintenance and support

Easy to train users and support staff

Applications and functionality available

anywhere in the world

He adds that the benefits and advantages

of convergence are also compelling from an

IT perspective.

The beauty of the architecture is that

presence and connectivity rely on infrastructure

that is often already in place, he remarks.

Securit y managementMoller comments that D-Link demonstrated

its commitment to the latest in advanced

security technology by announcing the

integration of Microsoft Network Access

Protection (NAP) technology in its family of

xStack switches.

He explains that Microsoft NAP is a new

platform that controls access to network

resources based on a client computers

identity and its adherence to a companys

corporate governance policy.

Providing enterprise-level security and

advanced network interoperability, NAP is

one of the most desired and highly anticipated

features of Windows Server 2008.

With the support of Microsoft NAP, D-Link

xStack switches ensure that each hosts

access to the network is only possible if they

comply with IT security policies as well as the

update of anti-virus signatures and patches

from the operating system. D-Link and

Microsofts main objective is for users to

secure their network systems against possible

infected computers and implement more

effective security policies on computernetworks, he says.

Microsoft NAP is a policy enforcement

technology built into the Windows Vista and

Windows Server 2008 operating systems that

allows cust

Documents

Computer Reseller News Feb 09