Product Categories and Descriptions - ' Server Operating System to ' (
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SERVER OPERATING SYSTEM
With no qualifying product in this category from Microsoft, the field was clear for VMware and Novell, which tied for top honors, though Red Hat came in a close third place. The real test in this category may come in 2007 or 2008 depending on whether Microsoft actually ships the next Longhorn upgrade for Windows Server. In the meantime, open-source products made a strong showing that should put the folks in Redmond on notice about how much momentum open source has in the channel. (Click here to view the reader survey data for server operating systems.)
SOFTWARE-AS-A-SERVICE
As a relatively nascent technology, the channel is still trying to find its role within this computing model. But its clear that despite all the hype surrounding companies such as Salesforce.com, the channel sees a lot of diversity among vendors offering services that can be resold by the channel. But while Adobe, Salesforce.com and Oracle all showed familiarity with their products in the channel that was as good or better, it was McAfee that managed to win the overall category be a nose thanks to solution providers seeing real promise in aftermarket and associated sales based on Total Protection. (Click here to view the reader survey data for SAAS offerings.)
STORAGE MANAGEMENT
This is another category where Hewlett-Packard once dominated but lost some ground in recent years. Now apparently back on top, HP won handily in terms of overall score—but second place was pretty much a battle royal between Diskeeper, Quantum, Symantec, IBM, EMC and NetApp, each of which showed its own strengths in channel presence, profit potential or the aftermarket. Microsoft curiously lags here. (Click here to view the reader survey data for storage management software products.)
SYSTEM AND NETWORK MANAGEMENT
It might surprise some that Microsoft emerged triumphant in this category. But voting was close, and no vendor in this category is really winning the hearts and minds of the channel, which is especially true when you look at how low scoring was here by comparison to the other categories. (Click here to view the reader survey data for system and network management products.)
VOICE-OVER-IP
Another win for Cisco in terms of overall score, but once again we see pretty close competition, suggesting that Cisco may not have as easy a time dominating this space as it did network infrastructure. Each of the top four, Cisco, Linksys, 3Com and Avaya, shows particular strengths, whether channel awareness or perception of sales possibilities, making this a race to watch. (Click here to view the reader survey data for VOIP offerings.)
WIRELESS NETWORKS
Linksys won this category on the basis of optimistic sales expectations from solutions providers, though interestingly the greater enthusiasm for Cisco in these same measures, while not enough to propel Cisco into first place, does highlight the growing conflict in the channel between Linksys and its parent company. (Click here to view the reader survey data for wireless network products.)
