Category: Supplier Report

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Supplier Report: 8/17/2014

IBM:

  1. $2.3B Server Sale to Levovo approved:
    http://www.themalaymailonline.com/money/article/ibm-us2.3b-server-sale-to-lenovo-receives-regulator-approval
  2. Penn State’s usage of IBM software is saving money:
    http://news.psu.edu/story/322984/2014/08/15/research/ibm-software-helps-keep-penn-state-sustainable-while-saving-money
  3. ACQUISITION: IBM purchases Lighthouse Security:
    http://itic-corp.com/blog/2014/08/ibm-fortifies-security-with-lighthouse-security-crossideas-acquisitions/
  4. IBM opens new SoftLayer office in Toronto:
    http://www.telecompaper.com/news/ibm-opens-new-softlayer-data-centre-in-toronto—1030874

HP:

  1. Google and HP are trying to make a strategic partnership of their own:
    http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/08/17/how-hp-could-help-google-take-on-apple-in-enterpri.aspx
  2. HP Senior Software Engineer Posting:
    https://www.linkedin.com/jobs2/view/18676730?trk=biz-overview-job-post
  3. HP taking advantage of IBM’s server sell off and urging customers to switch to HP:
    http://www.crn.com/news/data-center/300073695/hp-urges-customers-to-dump-ibm-jump-to-an-hp-partner.htm

Oracle:

  1. Oracle sales state of Oregon committed “smear campaign”:
    http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/blog/health-care-inc/2014/08/oracle-says-it-was-the-victim-of-a-smear-campaign.html
  2. What Oracle is looking for in a financial controller:
    https://www.linkedin.com/jobs2/view/18516236?trk=jobs_biz_pub

Other:

  1. Microsoft’s Partnership with Salesforce is odd and will likely result in MS competing with SF anyway:
    http://seekingalpha.com/article/2429855-microsoft-partnership-is-likely-to-give-salesforce-com-a-headache

Career:

  1. 7 Ways to make your boss happy:
    https://www.themuse.com/advice/7-ways-to-become-your-boss-dream-employee
  2. How to avoid being a human bottleneck:
    http://blog.sandglaz.com/human-bottleneck/
  3. Free Microsoft training **cough**Visio**cough**
    http://www.microsoftvirtualacademy.com/
Posted on

Supplier Report: 8/10/2014

IBM:

  1. IBM and Apple shares just since partnership news:
    http://news.yahoo.com/video/apple-ibm-shares-jump-off-084556686.html
    This is no surprise, and they are already starting to communicate the “benefits” to customers (like me).  More to come on this.
  2. Lots of negative talk about AI the last few weeks and how it is going to put us all out of business.  I don’t feel that way…  With that being said:
    http://www.delhidailynews.com/news/IBM-develops-microchip-to-mimic-human-brain-function-1407643610/
  3. IBM sees an 86% jump in cloud services ($259M in business, to Amazon’s $954M)
    http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/it-services/Microsoft-IBM-lead-jump-in-cloud-business/articleshow/39947124.cms
  4. SoftLayer introduces e-Learning Module:
    http://www.infotechlead.com/2014/08/07/ibm-softlayer-cloud-now-powers-moodle-e-learning-platform-24683
  5. IBM is mending fences with China via cloud services risk analysis deal!?!
    http://www.itproportal.com/2014/08/07/ibm-mends-bridges-with-china-through-landmark-cloud-security-deal/
  6. This could be very dangerous for mature supply chain organizations:
    http://www.informationweek.com/strategic-cio/enterprise-agility/ibm-click-to-buy-consulting-gimmick-or-growth-engine/a/d-id/1297822
  7. Acquisition: IBM buys CrossIdeas:
    http://www.businesscloudnews.com/2014/08/04/ibm-buys-crossideas-to-bolster-identity-management-and-security-offerings/ 

HP:

  1. HP brings in Dell Exec for server marketing:
    http://www.crn.com/news/data-center/300073647/hp-brings-ex-dell-exec-to-run-server-marketing.htm
  2. HP to pay $32.5M back to USPS in overcharges:
    http://fedscoop.com/hp-pay-usps-32-5-million-overcharges/
  3. HP launching cheaper Infrastructure-as-a-Service (might be something to investigate for sandbox projects…)
    http://www.itproportal.com/2014/08/06/hp-launches-iaas-private-cloud-penny-pinching-enterprises/
  4. More drama around the autonomy purchase.  Interesting commentary on the write-off (could accounting really hide $4B in mis-valuation (did I just make that word up?))
    http://fortune.com/2014/08/06/is-hp-returning-to-its-dramatic-bad-old-days/

Oracle:

  1. Acquisition: Oracle buys TOA Technology:
    http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2014/08/01/oracle-buys-toa-technologies-to-better-compete.html
  2. How to stop hating your oracle sales rep:
    http://www.forbes.com/sites/danwoods/2014/07/28/how-to-stop-hating-your-oracle-sales-rep/

    “When you download and install an Oracle product, you never have to enter a license key, a security code, or anything like that. You just download it and use it.”

    Team: We need to look into this….

Other:

  1. SalesForce and Microsoft getting chummy….
    http://finance.yahoo.com/video/jim-cramer-says-salesforce-microsoft-150544210.html
  2. Is Google Cloud ready for enterprise customers?
    https://gigaom.com/2014/08/04/true-or-false-google-cloud-is-enterprise-ready/

Career:

  1. 6 tips for onboard new “sales” employees
    http://www.business2community.com/sales-management/6-tips-successfully-onboarding-new-inside-sales-reps-0964505#!bAyuLM
    Yes it is sales, but these are good tips that I think as a department we need to start thinking about.
  2. What HP Sales Job entails (understand what they are looking for and the type of person that is selling to you)
    https://www.linkedin.com/jobs2/view/18271930?trk=biz-overview-job-post

    * Listening. Pays attention to customer needs and tailors messages to customer based on their needs and ties-in additional promotional campaigns, upgrades, or extended services.
    *Proactivity. Consistently demonstrates proactive activities within accounts to uncover new business and take ownership for new opportunities.
    *Project Management. Demonstrated ability to coordinate internal and external partners to deliver appropriate solution sale. Adapts easily to clients procurement processes and knows key decision criteria for winning new and / or maintaining existing business
    *Build rapport. Ability to build strong consultative relationships with key client business managers and IT executives with a focus on addressing business needs.
    *Target driven. Consistently meets or exceeds metrics related to inbound calls set by segment management. Consistently meets or exceeds metrics related to outbound calls, open pipeline opportunities, and closed won revenue set by segment management.
  3. Tim Ferriss backs off his anti-email stance (only took him 8 years to see social media is a larger distraction)
    http://fourhourworkweek.com/2014/08/05/timothy-ferriss-email/
Posted on

Supplier Report: 7/27/2014

** IBM **

  1. Plunging iPad sales doesn’t worry Apple thanks to IBM!?!
    http://www.techtimes.com/articles/11134/20140727/ipad-sales-plunge-but-apple-is-not-worried-thanks-to-ibm.htm
    Think Enterprise!

    Yet… blackberry doesn’t seem to be worried… really?

  2. IBM’s Q4 Earnings: IBM is reporting Q4 revenue of $27.7 billion versus an estimate of $28.25 billion
    http://news.yahoo.com/video/ibm-q4-earnings-210800667.html
  3. IBM is struggling to sell off its chip business:
    http://www.bloomberg.com/video/ibm-struggles-to-sell-money-losing-chip-making-unit-pzEecBnOQm~xVATDi5cMeg.html
  4. IBM names “Chief Accessibility Officer” – Frances West:
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/on-it/2014/07/25/a48aa9d4-11d3-11e4-98ee-daea85133bc9_story.html
  5. A little insight into IBM’s cost cutting:
    https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8084665

** HP **

  1. HP is dropping $50M to partner with HortonWorks:
    https://www.valuewalk.com/2014/07/hewlett-packard-invests-50-million-in-hortonworks/
  2. What are HP’s plans for OpenStack?
    http://talkincloud.com/cloud-computing-and-open-source/072214/what-does-hp-have-mind-openstack-next

** Oracle **

  1. Oracle vs. IBM in the investment community:
    http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/07/24/ibm-oracle-apple.aspx

** Career **

  1. If you haven’t seen this already:  Netflix HR policy on developing a highly effective organization:
    http://hbr.org/2014/01/how-netflix-reinvented-hr/ar/pr

** Other **

  1. China getting away from American IT (IBM and Oracle greatly impacted):
    http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Banning-American-IT-30239576.html
    De-IOE is going to pop up more often in the next few months
Posted on

Supplier Report: 7/20/2014

IBM got lots of headlines around their apple deal.  Whitman taking over as chairman got lots of people talking as well.

IBM:

  1. If you haven’t seen this already, IBM and Apple are teaming up to get apple into enterprise mobile space (set pricing from stun to kill):
    http://www.thonline.com/news/technology/article_4d26599d-2ad0-581e-ac5b-57ff8a5f3f2c.html
  2. Another Apple/IBM article focusing on BYOD:
    http://www.cruxialcio.com/sell-mates-ibm-apple-alliance-cure-byod-hangovers-9227
  3. IBM is the poster child for what is wrong with the US Economy: (sales have been flat for 6 years, they keep cutting and using accounting to show profits)
    http://www.seattlepi.com/technology/businessinsider/article/DRUCKENMILLER-IBM-Is-The-Poster-Child-For-4830812.php
  4. IBM joins the cloud pricing wars – dropping their rates [we need to look into what this means for our existing deals and future moves]:
    http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/07/13/ibm-finally-joins-cloud-pricing-wars-what-it-reall.aspx
  5. Reading lots of stories of IBM dropping $3B on r&d for chips and cloud research.  I think there is overlap in the stories, I don’t think IBM is dropping $6B on r&d right now (and I as I type this, I scroll on this article):
    http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-07-09/proof-investors-love-tech-companies-that-skimp-on-r-and-d

HP:

  1. Whitman named HP Chairman as well:
    http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2014/07/17/hp-appoints-ceo-meg-whitman-as-chairman.html

Oracle:

  1. Oracle’s hardware focus:

    Oracle’s SaaS and PaaS subscriptions grew 25% to $322 million, much faster than the company’s overall revenue growth.

    http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/07/18/oracles-improved-systems-are-great-for-business.aspx

  2. Oracle has a social media management platform (should compare against Connections):
    http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/marketwire/1131528.htm
  3. NuoDB looking to take on Oracle (might be worth investigating):
    http://www.forbes.com/sites/petercohan/2014/07/11/can-a-50-person-startup-threaten-oracle-ibm-and-microsoft/

Career and Big Thinking:

  1. Haystack is a parking application looking to fix city parking issues (and like Uber, some cities are not happy about it):
    http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2014/07/20/the-city-needs-haystack-something-like/alD0KEGAeo0UaHPYq6SP7L/story.html
  2. How large deals break down:
    http://digital.vpr.net/post/art-deal-complex-corporate-negotiations

Other:

  1. Microsoft starting to think about a post Windows 7 world (yeah right):
    http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/07/16/microsoft-prepares-to-kill-windows-7.aspx
  2. Cloud computing in China:
    http://www.chinaeconomicreview.com/china-cloud-computing-microsoft-azure-amazon-aws-ibm-aliyun
Posted on

Supplier Report: 7/6/2014

Looks like it was a light week because of the holiday.  IBM’s up and down stock performance has only expanded talks of their demise.  HP continues to redefined their operating model and correct bad acquisitions by write off or sell off.  Oracle continues to get little press.

If you have been reading the last month worth of these reports, a funny side note, RackSpace is now talking about going private since they can’t find a buyer.

On to the report…

HP:

  1. HP Introducing cloud-enabled health centers in India:
    http://www.domain-b.com/companies/companies_h/hewlett_packard/20140704_ehealth_centres.html
  2. HP recruits new enterprise CIO from Clorox:
    http://www.crn.com/news/channel-programs/300073327/hp-goes-to-clorox-for-new-enterprise-group-cio.htm
  3. HP looks to sell off MPhasis stake
    http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/hp-hires-ubs-to-manage-mphasis-stake-sale-114070101452_1.html

IBM:

  1. Looking for confirmation on IBM’s sell off of semi-conductor business:
    http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/news/2014/07/03/ibm-silent-earnings-near/12190903/
  2. IBM selling off DB management system:
    http://www.govconwire.com/2014/07/ibm-sells-database-mgmt-system-to-unicom-corry-hong-comments/
  3. IBM opening SoftLayer datacenter in London:
    http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/news/2352554/ibm-will-open-london-data-centre-in-july-in-softlayer-cloud-computing-expansion
  4. IBM struggling to keep shareholders happy:
    http://seekingalpha.com/article/2296935-ibm-running-out-of-easy-ways-to-keep-the-shareholders-satisfied

    • IBM sales and profits are on a downhill run.
    • The company is masking its problems with happy talk and cost-cutting.
    • This kind of story seldom ends well.

Oracle:

  1. Oracle is estimated to grow:
    http://seekingalpha.com/article/2298395-oracle-well-positioned-to-grow

Other:

  1. SalesForce appoints new CFO:
    http://www.businesscloudnews.com/2014/07/01/salesforce-appoints-enterprise-it-veteran-mark-hawkins-as-cfo/
    NOTE: They seem to be poaching alot of HP talent.