Only in Seattle would a Cloud candidate run for political office!

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Folks - I'll get more details later but this was just shared with me by MSFT. SMS&P VP Birger Steen has just resigned to join Seattle-based hot shot ISV Parallels as its new PRESIDENT!

You may recall we interviewed Birger recently on the Microsoft SMB Economic Study.

Here is what Microsoft just isued and I'll get some comments from Parallels tomorrow.

(full disclosure - both ISVs are part of the SMB Nation)  Parallels is known for its Macintosh virtualization products and its software/cloud distribution framework.

“Our small and mid-market business (SMB) leadership group, and specifically Birger Steen, has played an instrumental role in bridging the gap between the SMBs and technology through their leadership in the past year.  Microsoft remains committed to investing in small and mid-market businesses and our partners who serve them.   The list of products and offerings that we launched last year specifically for the SMBs is a great testament to the priority and focus we have with this customer segment.  I am even more excited with the opportunities that cloud computing can bring to SMBs now and in the near future.  We appreciate all that Birger has done and wish him well.” 

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Our friend of the family and SMB PC cover model, Grace Schroeder, has done it again. You may recall that Grace wrote the “Clown Services” article HERE.

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Welcome to the fast, wild and gonza world of mergers and acquisitions. Sure – you might have images of drug crazed day traders moving in and out of deals at light speed but that is a flawed visual Polaroid.  The reality is that M&A activity is always occurring, often slowly in stealth mode. Tonight selected guests, invited by All Covered, will have a chance to witness this business process first hand at a toni Denver restaurant.

We’ve

from Denver-area SMB Nation tribal members who have commented that All Covered is putting on a full court press to roll-up SBSers and the like into its nationwide service organization. For the lifestyle consultant seeking an exit, this might be it. For the ambitious go-and-grow channel partner, I’d recommend you proceed with caution. Think of the old international diplomatic axiom of “Trust but Verify” strategy

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Did you know…that we have a strong voice conversation occurring at our sister site, Telephonation? We’ve been driving the SMB VoIP/Telephony/UC conversation since 2007 at this site, capitalizing on the voice+data convergence trend in the SMB channel.

• Active Forums! We enjoy robust participation with daily posts.
• Town Hall Meetings. We host a monthly town hall meeting to educate and motivate you!
• Content. Check out our video vault for a range of educational resources.
• Events. Learn more about our SMB VoIP workshops and other relevant events.
• More. There are many more resources at Telephonation – you’ll just have to click HERE and discover for yourself.

Happy SMB Voicing!

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Yes – it’s true. Next week we are throwing a Texas-sized BeerFest at CompTIA’s breakaway in San Antonio, TX. But did you know that we’re throwing an Alaskan-sized picnic at my house on Bainbridge Island next Friday as well?

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Last week it was Chelsa Cllinton. This weekend it is Jenny Hall marrying Craig. Instead of New York, it's Poulsbo Washignton. Jenny Hallis our long-time events manager at SMB Nation. 

Kindly wish Jenny well!

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We love being part of the community and the friendly conversations that far outweigh the “rants and raves” you can find here.

• Phone+ Magazine and the Intel Hybrid Server story 
• Redmond Channel Partner and it’s great Zombie article 
• CMIT’s Deb Bush tipping her hat to me on my recent Denver visit. 
• VarGuy acknowledgment of SMB Nation’s vision in his pre-Breakaway missive 
• VarGuy mentions our Pocket MBA program 

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First the whispers started at WPC in Washington DC in mid-July. Intermedia, arguably the largest Hosted Exchange provider in like, the world, was gonna make a voice play. It’s a story that is much bigger than the standard press release below.

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