Update: Haven't got time to read this week's Computer Reseller News or MicroScope? Don't worry, we've read 'em for you. Here's our round-up of some of the channel weeklies' best stories. Computer Reseller News
- Ingram has launched an online auction for surplus stock. The distributor will primarily use the service to sell return-to-vendor stock to resellers. It said it may extend it to offloading products with damaged packaging. The distributor has also appointed GTE president Kent Foster as its CEO.
- Thousands of resellers have had their credit cut as a result of Landis buying ilion. Landis has only transferred 1500 of the 9000 credit histories held at it former competitor.
- InterX has rejected a management buy-out (MB0) bid from Ideal Hardware. James Wickes, InterX CEO, said the MBO didn't offer enough value to shareholders.
- RBR Networks has changed its name to Comstor, Datatec's existing US Cisco distributor brand. MicroScope
- Turning its back on the channel altogether, MicroScope's Web site is carrying an item on Freeserve's shares taking a "battering" thanks to free Net access announcements from AltaVista and NTL. Over here at Vulchester Towers, we're still struggling to work out what that's got to do with the channel…
- Compaq has postponed its Internet-based single pricing plan for resellers and consumers alike. The vendor said the policy would not kick off in Europe until 2001, rather than the planned third quarter.
- Management at remaining CHS Electronics subsidiaries look set to re-launch in Europe under a new name. The company, which claims it will be the fourth largest distributor in Europe, will not have a presence in the UK or Germany.
- Microsoft has admitted that Windows 2000 is not up to scratch. MS management told a recent Inside Track conference "it would not take many upgrades to get the OS right".
- ICL has confirmed it is close to selling off its spare-parts logistics operation. One offer is from an MBO team, while another is rumoured to be from Unipart.
- Getronics has denied it is in talks to buy GE Capital IT Solutions.
- Lucent is to spin off its structured cabling and LAN-based data businesses into a separate company. The move followed disappointing results for the first quarter ended 31 December as the network giant lost sales to rival Nortel. ®