IBM names Mark Hennessy as new channel chief according to the company and channel sources, as CEO Virginia Rometty takes over as CEO from Jan. 1. 

Hennessy is a 30-year IBM veteran who served as IBM CIO between July 2007 and September 2009, as well as in a number of sales, marketing and GM posts. Most recently he was in charge of strategy and transformation for IBM sales and distribution. 

He replaces Rich Hume (officially GM of IBM global business partners), who will be moving to Madrid to manage IBM's European operations. 

Go IBM

Apple opens its massive wallet and buys Israeli flash memory maker Anobit for $500M, according to Reuters and the Calcalist financial daily.

While no official statement is yet available from the typically secretive Apple, further confirmation comes from an unlikely source-- the twitter account of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Natenyahu, who says: "Welcome to Israel, Apple Inc. on your 1st acquisition here. I'm certain that you'll benefit from the fruit of the Israeli knowledge."

In addition to the purchase, Reuters says Apple is going to open Read more...

VARs can now check the Cisco Services Rules of Engagement-- a document outlining the Cisco approach to partner services strategies, available to all badged Cisco partners. 

It outlines pretty much everything a partner or VAR would want to know, from how Cisco wants to package services within solution bundles to how it qualifies partners for services opportunities and the escalation process for partners with a Cisco services conflict. 

Cisco has around 11000 Services employees, in a segment representing 40% of Cisco revenues. 

Midmarket and SMB customers Read more...

Rivals will be rivals-- while Intel blames the recent Thailand floods for slashing Q4 2011 forecasts, AMD CE Rory Read claims HDD supply in the channel is actually "going pretty well."

Such statements leave no doubt that tensions are still high on the PC making front.

Intel says “the worldwide PC supply chain is reducing inventories and microprocessor purchases,” predicting HDD shortages will continue until Q1 2012 before supplies recover sometime around H2 2012.

As a result, Intel reduces Q4 2011 earnings forecasts by $1 billion to $13.7BN. Read more...