Pepper
Pepper Pad 3: $699
www.pepper.com

Between rolling out laptops, cell phones, and PDAs, asset tracking and management can be a real hassle for small and medium businesses. The Pepper Pad 3 seeks to consolidate some of that technology sprawl by integrating a lot of PC-like functionality into a handheld form factor. The onboard AMD LX800 processor and 256MB of DDR SDRAM are more than ample for Pepper's Linux operating system. An internal 20GB hard drive, 802.11g wireless controller, Bluetooth connection, and AC'97 audio codec replicate a lot of PC functionality, as well. Further, a built-in mic, VGA camera, scroll wheel, and split QWERTY keyboard help keep seasoned laptop veterans comfortable.

But the Pepper Pad is all about portability too, weighing just 2.1 pounds and measuring less than a foot across. It takes care of business through a POP3/IMAP4 email client, AOL IM, Adobe PDF Reader 7, and Firefox 1.5. Though not fully ruggedized, the Pad also resists moisture in harsh environments.

INTEL
PRO/1000 PT Dual-Port Server Adapter: $209
www.intel.com

It doesn't take a gaming graphics card to demonstrate the performance of PCI Express to your customer. Intel's PRO/1000 PT Dual-Port Server Adapter shows that it's possible to use the latest interface technology as a means of conserving expansion slots, enabling high-end functionality, and still performing at the maximum potential of two Gigabit Ethernet controllers plugged into one x4 connector. The PRO/1000 PT hosts an Intel 82571GB controller, one of the latest dual-port Gigabit controllers out there capable of balancing network loads across multiple CPU cores when used in conjunction with Receive-Side Scaling, one of the upcoming features unique to Windows Vista.

On top of stable hardware, customers will also appreciate the PRO/1000 PT's accompanying driver package, which allows independent control over each adapter, and software features such as VLAN and connection teaming. Best of all, the $209 price point is hardly prohibitive to any business looking for the added security of running dual NICs through a server.

Canopus
EDIUS Pro 4 Editing Software: $599
www.canopus.com

When your customers are to ready to start editing high-definition video, they'll want to pick a software package from a vendor well versed in the field. Canopus is one of the most seasoned veterans, and its EDIUS Pro 4 suite has been recently revamped to include an even longer list of features.

Right off the bat, EDIUS Pro is able to upscale existing standard-definition content to high-definition resolutions or work with native HD material, applying any graphics or effects at the higher resolutions. All transcoding happens in real-time, making it possible to edit widescreen content on a 4:3 timeline or mix NTSC and PAL formats, even at different frame rates.

If you're looking for a killer app to go along with your new multi-core machines, EDIUS's high-definition timeline exporter is threaded. The app's lofty system requirements should also help sell performance-oriented graphics cards and high-speed SATA or SAS hard drives.

CA
Business Protection Suite: $1,099
www.ca.com

The value of a solution extends to resellers and customers evenly. For example, rather than push one vendor's client antivirus solution, another's email server protection, and a separate spyware removal app, it's so much easier just to administer one package with everything included. CA even takes that concept a step further with its Business Protection suite. Loaded with a centralized management interface, administrators are able to deploy and easily monitor threat management, backup, and desktop migration.

With one glance at the integrated management UI, the reason to buy CA's Protection Suite becomes clear: In one screen, each workstation is able to tell you when it was last updated with the latest virus definitions, spyware updates, and scanned. It'll let you know when the desktop migratory settings were last preserved and when the last backup ran, as well. Add very reasonable pricing and excellent scaling into the mix for the makings of a true must-have SMB solution.