Manufacturers' inside sales versus Channel Partners; the good, the bad and the ugly
I received a call from a CIO this weekend while playing golf, the call started on the 11th hole and went to the 17th hole. He has been working with a good channel partner but received a quote from the manufacturer inside sales group on a renewal purchase. First he was confused as to why they would have inside sales agents working with customer when they have channel partners and why would the cost be less than the channel partners cost. He was confused of whom to go with and asked me if this was a trend that I was seeing where manufacturers would be going with more inside sales and moving away from the channel partners, just using them for warranty work if needed.
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I was really not looking forward to this when Cisco starting moving engineers and account managers away from the SMB channel and moving in Linksys teams to those positions. First hand I can tell you it has not been a great start, the new Linksys people who are taking over the current SMB roles from Cisco teams are not really up to date and do not really answer emails. This is not just one person but more than a few that I have sent emails to in different areas and never received an email back when asking for help or asking questions.
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I received this email from Cisco today offering a free retake on exams if you don’t pass. Seems they are hurting from the bad economy and need to generate business. My questions to our readers are is in the last year how many Cisco exams have you taken and have many times did you need to retake a test? Do you think that tests are too expensive and the prices should be reduced? How about $125 for a CCNP and that would include all tests? What would Cisco do if everyone just stopped taking the test? Would that get us out of this certification problem we seem to have and bring real world experience back into play more?
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Well what can I say? We have written about this before and it seems no one listens. A company that works with the TSA and registers customer for the VIP (Verified Identity Pass) travel program lost a laptop. This contained 33,000 records of people who were on the VIP program. The laptop had two layers of password protection they say, it was in a locked office with security cameras. The laptop contained customer names, addresses, birth dates, and in some cases driver's license numbers, passport numbers or alien registration numbers. The laptop did not contain credit card or Social Security numbers, or biometric information such as fingerprints the company said.
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Riverbed Technologies announces and have updated their web site with the next evolution of the Steelhead Appliance the 50 Series. Riverbed has gone to a more upgradable appliance for customers within the offices sizes. These are separated by small, mid and large size offices, these would be the 250, 550, 1050 and 2050 series steelheads. Within each series you can go with a low, medium or high configuration depending on your needs.
The older models are still available and the 3xxx-6xxx models are still used for larger customers.
What do you think of this move by Riverbed? Are they trying to stay ahead of the game with the Cisco\Microsoft Server coming out?
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Thinking of buying the Iphone 3G for your Business, don’t!! At least not yet, Apple has problems with Outlook For some reason, appointments added in the iPhone are "hidden" in the day/week/month view of Outlook. If you switch to an "all appointments" view, they are there. A similar problem is occurring with appointments added directly to Outlook disappearing once the time has passed after you have sync your iPhone.
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I got this information today and wanted to pass it along to everyone. I have a question for everyone also, will you take it and do you think it should have been a free beta test?
Now Available! Cisco Certified Design Expert (CCDE) Practical Exam Beta
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Weigh in about Your Acceleration Vendor:
I wanted to make sure everyone got a chance to post on this blog below, please take a few and post.
Bigger is not always better and this is especially true when it comes to Telepresence systems for the SMB markets. As is always the case, major companies like Cisco and Polycom always look at the big companies first. Case in point -- you did not see Cisco come out with the small 500 system until the last few months and it is way over priced for the market.
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Bad news for SMB customers, Cisco stops 0% financing for potential UC500 Customers
Cisco has been running a promotion for a while for SMB customers. It gave 0% financing through Cisco Capital with a $1 buy out at the end of the lease. Yes I was shaking my head and mumbling to myself at this latest move also by Cisco. With the economy the way it is and companies not spending money, this was the one true way to get them to move to a UC500 Series. Many customers who are on the same yearly calendar as Cisco have expressed their disappointment since they can not commit or spend money until the second half of the year.
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Horrible economy, companies trying to save money and Cisco adds three new certifications (head shake and mumbling to myself)Well since I did not make the trip to Orlando since I had customer to help, a friend called me to give me the updates on the new certifications. Also Wendell did a nice write up on it also which I linked to at the bottom. I will ask him to post his thoughts on my story. But here we go; now we all know what my last story was about, I am sure no one at Cisco read it. Now they decide to add three more certifications.
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Have you been using your Iphone for business and now want to upgrade to 3G?
If you are like many small business users you have been using your Iphone for business, of which I cannot blame you. But now the 3G version will be here soon and you want to upgrade, what will you do with the old Iphone? We have found a little video you should watch before doing anything with it; it will help you understand how you can get most of your data off your Iphone. This is without hacking into your Iphone through SSH and getting into the secure shell. Right now this is the best way we have found without hacking, but we will keep looking.
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The Top 10 List of what to look for and ask when hiring a VAR
This is one question that I do get asked allot by people in both the SMB Market and the Mid Range Market. Most companies will just drink the Kool Aid of the VAR trying to sell them equipment or services and make the purchase. So I have written some questions down below along with some other pieces of information to help you spot those VAR's who really don't have it all together.
10. Always ask for references
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Security concerns arise for home workers allowed to VPN into company networks
I was recently brought in by a company who had a security breach due to a home user who was allowed to create a VPN tunnel back to the home office. This was done by creating an end point to end point connection from the users home wlan router which has a vpn option on it to the home office vpn router. Normally this would not be an issue but the user set up different ssid's for home and work, the only ssid that had any type of WEP on it was the one used for the company laptop. The other ssid's created for home users and children did not have a WEP settings created.
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Full HD Video Conferencing in your backpack?
It is really hard to believe that you can have full high definition video conferencing in your backpack and traveling every day. But it is true with the LifeSize Express and LifeSize Focus system that viewed at Interop, this system comes with everything you need to connect on the road to your customers and company. Below are what come with each system:
LifeSize Express with Camera
LifeSize Express with Focus
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Back from a Small Business Summit, Virtual Office and Video were big winners
During my vacation last week I took time to speak at a Small Business Summit, my conversation to the audience was how to save money and trust your employees. With the price of travel going up, small businesses are going to suffer more than larger businesses. They need to think and act smarter than the other guy, one way to do this it to cut your travel cost. Cutting travel cost is not just business travel but it is also the travel time to the office. Small Business Owners are starting to get the message that they need to go virtual with if not some but all employees.
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Missing laptop at Interop, not encrypted? What are these people thinking?
So this morning I am having some coffee in theHotel and a person sitting next to me is telling is friends sitting with him that he had his laptop stolen last night while he was drinking at the bar. I looked over and asked him if he had his entire hard disk encrypted? He said no his company goes not offer that as of yet to its employees, I gave him my card and told him to have his CIO call me and I would help out. Then that got me to think, with everything that Interop shows there were only two vendors who offer this product and they are in the last row, in a far back corner of Interop.
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Who had the best presentation of a product?
You really have to take your hat off to any CEO and President that shows up to Interop to talk to the partners and customers. Michelle Dickman of TriGeo is just that person, not only does she come and talk to everyone at the booth. But she does every presentation, every day, during all of Interop. That to me shows someone who cares about the company, wants to be on the front line and hearing what people have to say. If you have not had a chance to make it by the TriGeo booth, stop by and talk to the only CEO and President I know of on the floor doing every presentation.
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How boring are the session at Interop?
Well let me tell you that they are pretty boring, I have moved around and sat through three days of different sessions and moderators. I have not found one yet that has kept people in the room, seems like after 15 minutes people are up and out looking for something better. I was hoping for some interesting talk between vendors in different areas. But it seems like none of the vendors really want to be in the same room as the competition.
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While other people are going to the free meals and executive talks with the big companies, I was spending my time looking at the companies we don't know. Looking for that one company who I thought could make a difference and, I think I might have found it. In the little row called Startup where other members of the press came by and gave companies five minutes, paid no attention and left. I spent 45 minutes asking every question. I am very sure I overwhelmed the staff of the 6 foot booth but sometimes you have to ask the hard questions.
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Many customers have asked me when looking at network switching manufacturers, who has the best security solution for my network? Rather than posting a very long story and having everyone bash me for my views, I took it to the people who build the switches. That's right, we sent each major manufacturer a list of 10 questions that customer ask me on a consistent basis. Below are the companies who replied to me and will be part of this multi post story:
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It is time for an old fashion throw down between Cisco, Riverbed, Juniper and Blue Coat
The challenge: Bring your "A" game to Interop and compete against other vendors in the WAN Acceleration Arena, the Applications Acceleration Arena, the Disaster Recovery Arena and the Mobile Accelerations Arena.
The Place: The Big Show and that would be Interop in Las Vegas for all to see.
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Many customers have asked me when looking at network switching manufacturers, who has the best security solution for my network? Rather than posting a very long story and having everyone bash me for my views, I took it to the people who build the switches. That's right, we sent each major manufacturer a list of 10 questions that customer ask me on a consistent basis. Below are the companies who replied to me and will be part of this multi post story:
HP ProCurve, Enterasys Networks, Juniper Networks, Foundry Networks (See Part 1: Entersys, and Part 2 Juniper Networks.)
A few companies did not give us a reply those companies were:
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Many customers have asked me when looking at network switching manufacturers, who has the best security solution for my network? Rather than posting a very long story and having everyone bash me for my views, I took it to the people who build the switches. That's right, we sent each major manufacturer a list of 10 questions that customer ask me on a consistent basis. Below are the companies who replied to me and will be part of this multi post story:
HP ProCurve, Enterasys Networks, Juniper Networks, Foundry Networks (See Part 1: Entersys)
A few companies did not give us a reply those companies were:
Cisco, Nortel, 3Com, Force 10, Extreme Networks
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Many customers have asked me when looking at network switching manufacturers, who has the best security solution for my network? Rather than posting a very long story and having everyone bash me for my views, I took it to the people who build the switches. That's right, we sent each major manufacturer a list of 10 questions that customer ask me on a consistent basis. Below are the companies who replied to me and will be part of this multi post story:
HP ProCurve, Enterasys Networks , Juniper Networks , Foundry Networks
A few companies did not give us a reply those companies were:
Cisco, Nortel, 3Com, Force 10, Extreme Networks
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Is Doom and Gloom ahead for Microsoft?
Below is a link to the story; surprise, surprise Cisco and Microsoft have no idea when this will be out. But my questions is what is Microsoft going to do when they figure out that the solution they are going to push to Server 2008 customers using the WAAS is not that good. Cisco WAAS is not even the best in the industry; do they read Gartner and Forrester Reports? I wonder if this is a last ditch effort from Cisco to salvage the WAAS by using Microsoft to push it on customers? I think this is the only way Cisco could get any kind of market share with the WAAS. What is Microsoft thinking?
The only thing that I hope Microsoft includes in this new Server 2008 with WAAS is a shut off button for the WAAS.
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Last week I had a chance to chat with Tom Mock the SVP of Strategic Planning for Ciena. I am sure you are now asking who is Ciena and why should I care? Well this company is making great stride in the carrier backbone arena, Ciena provides network equipment to those carriers. With the ever expanding need for bandwidth Ciena is allowing companies to get the needed bandwidth from their carriers. Ciena has had positive sales and growth with double digit earning from last year's totals. I am sure you are asking why do I need to know this? This shows that there is growth and spending in carrier networks, this is good news for all companies.
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What changes to Cisco would you make if John Chambers hired you as a consultant for a year?
This is a great question that a customer asked me, it really made me think as to what I would do. Now I am assuming that I could make changes and would have full control to make them. So I have come up with a small list and I am hoping everyone will post your own list. I would really like to see what others are thinking.
1. I would fix the Cisco Certification Problem
a. Every test would be hands on with a proctor; this would stop Gold Partners from using sales people, secretaries and others to take tests so they can keep their certification. Every certification from CCIE to account rep or sales training would be included.
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Mobile Applications Acceleration
Today my Verizon phone running windows mobile was running really slow, it made me think of my last Cisco-Riverbed article and wonder. I made mention that I had told the CTO of Riverbed that they really need a mobile phone client. With that I wanted to put questions out there to everyone and ask; who will come out with a mobile phone client for applications acceleration? Do you think there is a market for the product in the enterprise space or the mid to small business market? What kind of performance do you think we will see in data reduction?
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Larry Chaffin is the CEO/chairman and founder of Pluto Networks, a consulting company specializing in VoIP, WLAN and security. Pluto is a channel partner for Cisco, Qualys, Riverbed, Guardianedge, TriGeo and Linksys.
Larry is an accomplished author; co-authoring Managing Cisco Secure Networks, Skype Me, Practical VOIP Security, Configuring Check Point NGX VPN-1/Firewall-1, Configuring Juniper Networks NetScreen & SSG Firewalls, Essential Computer Security: Everyone's Guide to Email, Internet, and Wireless Security, How to Cheat at Microsoft Vista Administration, Microsoft Vista for IT Security Professionals, Asterisk Hacking, 2008 VoIP and Video Conferencing, Infosecurity 2008 Threat Analysis and author of Building a VOIP Network with Nortel's MS5100, along with co-authoring/ghost writing eleven other technology books for VIOP, WLAN, security and optical technologies.
Larry has more than 29 vendor certifications from companies such as Nortel, Cisco Avaya, Juniper, PMI, isc2, Microsoft, IBM, VMware and HP. Larry has been a principal architect around the world in 22 countries for many Fortune 100 companies designing VoIP, security, wireless and optical networks. Larry is currently working on a follow up to Building a VoIP network with Nortel's MCS 5100 Book as well as new books on Cisco Telepresence Networks, Practical VoIP case studies and WAN Acceleration with Riverbed.
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