Guest Post by Contributing Author Ken Presti

The IT industry has long debated the benefits of single-vendor networks vs. multi-vendor networks. We sometimes act as though this discussion were unique or somehow surprising. But that’s not really true. After all, the people at Coke never asked you to drink Pepsi. And the folks at General Motors were never really all that taken with the idea of you tooling around in a Ford or a Lexus. So every time I hear about the benefits of single-vendor, a part of my brain thinks, “This just in!…… A sales guy thinks you should buy his products!”

But another part of my brain also recognizes that IT systems are different from cars. You buy your car from a single vendor. With the possible exception of hobbyists and other gear-headed types, nobody buys or designs cars that are part Chevy, part Toyota, and part Lamborghini. A Chevyoghini? Never mind.

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Tags: channel partners, IT, multi vendor, single vendor, small business

I realized a few years ago that all Data Center challenges can be solved with the sufficient application of money.

Need more computing capability?  Buy new hardware.  Struggling with hot spots?  Purchase supplemental cooling infrastructure.  Don’t have enough physical space?  Pay to expand the Data Center or lease additional space.

More performance means greater cost, though.  Some energy saving technologies buck that trend when compared to conventional facilities, but generally the more capability you want from a Data Center the more it will cost to build and operate.

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Tags: capital costs, Cisco, coc-data-center, cost per square foot, data center, datacenterdeconstructed, design, IT

Guest Post by Contributing Author Ken Presti

Certain things in life are absolutes. You can’t be sort of pregnant, for example.

But Information Technology is not one of those absolutes. You can have a little or a lot. You can use it for all it’s worth, or you can just use the basics. You can have everything optimized to your specific circumstances, or you can make do with things as they come out of the box. You can buy the products that best meet your needs, or you can decide not to buy them and just use the next best thing.

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Tags: channel partners, IT, small business

I’m here in Las Vegas and aside from enjoying a frosty beverage or two by the pool and betting my next paycheck at the Black Jack tables, I’m attending Cisco Live 2011. This annual education and training event is like the World Cup of networking events, where IT, networking, and communications professionals join Cisco experts and partners to learn, connect, and collaborate.

There are so many different sessions and keynotes taking place at Cisco Live this week, but don’t worry if you can’t attend every event. I’ll be posting daily recaps here on the Channels blog, talking to partners at the conference, covering the big news, as well as sending out live tweets.

Cisco Live 2011 officially kicks off tomorrow with a keynote and welcome address from Chairman and CEO John Chambers. John is slated to discuss the future of networking and communication technology, and the ways it will transform business practices, education, and social relationships.

What else is taking place at Cisco Live this week? Read More »

Tags: carlos dominguez, Cisco, Cisco Live 2011, Cloud Partner Pavilion, Collaboration Partner Pavilion, communications, education, IT, john chambers, las vegas, networking, padmasree warrior, partners, Rebecca Jacoby, training, William Shatner

Guest Post by Contributing Author Ken Presti

There are times when budgets are relatively flush, and the decision to invest in the business comes relatively easily. Then there are times like we’ve seen recently. “Do we really need to buy this box of paper clips? Hmm. Better call a meeting.”

And with plenty of speculation about the direction of economic things to come, IT purchase decisions are being made as carefully as ever. To a certain extent, pent-up demand has loosened the flood gates. But sales and refresh cycles are still a bit long in certain circles, and the emphasis is constantly upon how the recommended investments will either pump up the revenues or trim back the expenses. That’s not a bad thing. That’s just good business in the post-bubble world.

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Tags: Cisco, investment, IT, small business