Healthy Competition

By George L. Koroneos
Windows 8 is coming. The king of operating systems is getting an upgrade and, as usual, solution providers are watching cautiously to see if this generation spurs clients to upgrade their existing systems, or possibly ditch their old computers in favor of a modern fleet of PCs designed specifically for the new OS.

With Windows 8 RT (a new flavor of Windows for the mobile market), Microsoft is gunning for tablet fans, springing for an ARM process architecture that will be loaded on any mobile, multi-touch device and features a built-in version of Microsoft Office. It will be very interesting to see whether the Big M can knock Google’s Android from its market lead or if Microsoft’s new Surface tablet can give Apple a run for the money.

Either way, this is all good news for solution providers. Competition always leads to greater innovation and exciting new products for everyone involved in technology. For the past few years, Apple has owned the mobile market and we’ve watched as everyone scattered to catch up and create lackluster “Me Too” products. That’s really changed in the past year as new mobile tools and operating systems have made their way onto into the Channel.

At this year’s ScanSource partner conference, mobility took center stage and the general conversation was about better educating clients about the tools that make the most sense for their companies—not necessarily what is the hottest technology. Sure, your customers might crave a new iPad POS, but does it make sense in the long run? In some cases the answer is yes, but in other situations, a rugged solution might make more sense. Instead of spurring a war between Channel-friendly and consumer technology, the distributor is calling for partners to simply use common sense. I couldn’t agree more. Check out our interview with ScanSource CEO Mike Baur on page 38.

Speaking of POS solutions, please make sure you check out VSR’s inaugural Point of Sale Study available online at verticalsystemsreseller.com (click reports). That was one of  the most exciting studies I’ve ever worked on, and the data collected should provide a wealth of information for solution providers. As always, if you want to talk to shop or wax philosophical about tech, e-mail me at gkoroneos@edgellmail.com.