Brian Sherman Posts

Regardless of their industry experience and knowledge of the topic, it’s not easy for channel executives to navigate the world of cloud services. The business prospects for and obstacles facing the industry here are as vast as the number of solutions available. While the delivery model and basic value propositions are fairly straightforward, deciding what types of cloud services to offer and which suppliers to choose can be a dizzying exercise for most solution providers. For example, should the ...

The trending workplace story last week originated with an internal memo sent to Yahoo employees by Marissa Mayer. In her message, the CEO basically eliminated her company’s remote workforce policy and questioned the value of letting employees work from home. The outcry from those inside and outside the high-tech community has been quite animated, with many suggesting that increased face-to-face interaction will not be the magic bullet that solves Yahoo’s problems. The telecommuting ...

To business owners, the companies that help design, implement and support their technology needs may not seem that different. Most of those organizations employ a variety of talented engineers, sales people and other operational team members who ensure their systems are properly assembled and running effectively at all times. To the user, it doesn’t matter if those individuals are supporting their company’s servers, workstations, printers or communication infrastructure; as long as e ...

Demand for cloud computing-based solutions continues to climb, with Gartner Research predicting that trend to continue for the next several years, taking an even larger share of the total IT market. Gartner expects annual revenue for the Web delivery model to top $207 billion by 2016, as detailed in CompTIA’s Third Annual Trends in Cloud Computing study, which equates to almost 10 percent of overall IT spending. While cloud experts continue to focus on the benefits from mainstreaming Web-based a ...

It was only a decade ago that many of my friends who owned businesses carried two cell phones and rarely travelled without a laptop weighing at least seven pounds. The inconvenience of using multiple devices, especially those without web-connectivity, was assumed to be balanced by the separation of their business and personal communications. Professional acquaintances were typically given the company phone number and email contact information, while their friends and family were granted access t ...

The human body is quite miraculous. Consider how an assortment of bones, tissues and organs can come together in a machine capable of performing such intricate operations. On top of that, the body employs its own defense systems to protect itself from pathogens and other dangers, from multiple layers of skin to a variety of protective antibodies. While not quite as miraculous as the human anatomy, a business computer system is similarly complex and also employs several layers of defense to pro ...

Every few months, a new technology offering or industry opportunity comes along, seemingly from out of nowhere, and myriad pundits and researchers espouse its merits to the entire channel. From the latest vertical market practice to a new solution delivery method, each undergoes months of close examination and experimentation before it gains traction with the greater provider audience. That process has been instrumental in vetting and promoting the opportunities in cloud and managed services, bu ...

When Alexander Graham Bell got together with two other investors to form AT&T in 1875, it signaled the beginning of a communications revolution. His invention, the telephone, was a major improvement over previous forms of communication such as the letter and telegraph, allowing voice communication between individuals in their own homes and businesses. No longer did they have to wait for others to deliver messages and place orders, so the risk of misplaced or lost information was significantl ...

While many may not have switched their calendars yet, 2013 is officially here. Before all the New Year’s resolutions have either been forgotten or broken, make sure to take time to review what went well in 2012 and what needs to change to make the next year more successful. What challenges and opportunities do you foresee? In reviewing a similar blog post I wrote around this same time last year, it’s interesting to note the similarities between 2012 and 2013. While technology conti ...

The IT community is rich with career opportunities, despite dismal overall job growth projections and many companies continuing to struggle with economic challenges. There seems to be no shortage of open positions in IT for the properly prepared individual, whether their skills are more technology-oriented or focused on the business side. As the business community relies more and more on IT to run and improve their operations, demand for qualified and trainable professionals will continue to gro ...