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This paper examines the relationship between fiscal policy and the current account, drawing on a large sample of advanced, emerging, and low-income economies and using a variety of statistical methods: panel regressions, an analysis of large fiscal policy and current account changes, and panel vector autoregressions (VAR). On average, across estimation methods, a strengthening in the fiscal balance by 1 percentage point of GDP is associated with a current account improvement of about 0.3 percentage point of GDP. With our preferred estimation method (quarterly structural VAR using government consumption to identify fiscal policy shocks), the relationship is stronger, in the 0.3-0.5 range. The association is stronger in emerging markets and low-income countries; in economies that are more open to trade; and when the economy is somewhat overheated to begin with. The effect is, however, notably weaker during episodes of large fiscal policy and current account changes, suggesting that fiscal policy may have a more limited role in correcting large external imbalances. [JEL E60, E61, E62. E65, C40. C01] IMF Economic Review (2011) 59, 603-629. doi:10.1057/imfer.2011.22, The relationship between fiscal policy and the current account has long attracted interest among academic economists and policymakers alike, from various angles. For example, the possible link between fiscal deficits [...]

First came the telecom distributor, humbly serving resellers. Then computer intelligence was added to telephony, and the distributor turned into a value added distributor (VAD), providing some education and additional […]

This article examines the strategic management techniques of Cisco Systems Inc., focusing on how company has moved from simply selling computer network-related products to selling network-related services or solutions. Cisco's relationship with its resellers is addressed.

A growing number of accounting firms have become value-added resellers of accounting software to capitalize on their provision of technology consulting services to clients. In return, software vendors have offered them benefits such as sales support, incentives, discounts and Internet-based training support programs. The success stories of four accounting firms in the area of value-added reselling are described.

Major hard drive vendors have been having a tough go of it lately. First there was Maxtor Corp., which was practically on death's doorstep not too long ago. Fueled by […]

In work, as in our personal lives, things often run more smoothly when we have a partner. When there's too much to do and not enough time, it's nice to […]

Move forward two spaces and fall back one. Land on channel assembly and get to roll again. Think about going direct and bypass the channel and go back two spaces. […]

Just a few short years ago, there were only a few CD-ROM drive manufacturers. Today, with CD-ROM drives integrated into almost every desktop computer model, new notebook computers, a growing […]

Nobody ever hit a home run from the dugout. Likewise, no VARBusiness 500 company has achieved rapid growth-doubling or tripling annual revenue-without stepping up to the plate and taking a […]

What do Internet users in Africa, Wimbledon enthusiasts in England and census takers in the United States have in common? They all rely on global services systems integration companies to […]

For buyers of midrange accounting software, the reseller may be the deciding factor in choosing a system. Midrange accounting and financial software differs from other categories of software in at [...]

Web-based business sparks a population boom When 21-year-old MIT engineering student and Internet buff Rajat Bhargava started net.Genesis in early 1994, he says the Web consisted of about 150 sites. […]

More than a niche player, Access Graphics wrestles with tactical issues as it searches for a new identity and a stronger role in the VAR channel Many distributors like to […]

Fast-growth VARs reveal how they navigated to success For VARs, the road to riches tends not to be a straight and narrow one. San Francisco's The Indus Group, for instance, […]

Document management and the Internet. The two make obvious marriage partners. Right now, a number of document management vendors are rushing to the chapel with professed offerings for the union. […]

One of the biggest complaints from network VARs is vendor tech support--specifically, VARs are unhappy with its quality and timeliness. Ironically, most vendors point to tech support as a key […]

The engineer that lurks inside most VARs might wish it were otherwise, but there is more to evaluating a vendor than assessing the quality of the products. There is even […]

Cutting costs is not enough. Try this systematic approach to help you get lean-and stay lean. It's been boom times for Jack Sprat ever since he went into consulting. "No […]

There's a lot on the plate for 1998. In our State of the VAR Market survey, we asked what issues pose the biggest challenge to VARs. The responses swung from […]

If 1997 was the year that VARs came to terms with the Internet, 1998 looks like it's shaping up to be the year that they start dominating it, in every […]

Call it the next world war. Major U.S. channel players and their vendor partners are racing to establish beachheads in all regions of the world as the purview of technology […]

John Ramsey, president and CEO of $1.1 billion distributor Access Graphics Inc., Boulder, Colo., is back in the driver's seat after taking a leave of absence to deal with the […]

New York: Orders are backed up, boxes are piled high and quarterly earnings are suddenly in jeopardy across the entire computer industry. In just two painful weeks, the United Parcel […]

Remote communications has always been difficult to define and quantify. The products run the gamut from inexpensive, simple modems to expensive, complicated routers. Some products can be installed by users […]

Partnering is an ideal vehicle for to you grow your business-in theory. Given the increasing complexity of systems integration work, partnering has become more a necessity than a choice. The […]

###Craig Zarley & Pedro Pereira New York-The channel is racing to invent new business models that will ensure a leadership position in the burgeoning but underserved small and midsize business […]

From time to time Automotive Marketing will present papers on various aftermarket topics originally done for the AWDA University Executive Development Program. This is the first and deals with a […]

Anxious to grow and take on new challenges, many VARs venture into business brimming with confidence and creative ideas only to have their hard work jeopardized years later by faulty […]

It hardly seemed like a historic event. In fact, it looked like any other analyst-vendor meeting. The suits at one end of the table were attempting to doctor the spin […]

###Peter Jordan Despite the obvious theoretical advantages of CTI for most telephone-intensive businesses, it's still not an easy sale. As with any new technology, VARs face potential end-user skepticism: 89 […]

Vertical Software developed a mix that measures profit potential against convenience, and came up with a recipe for assembling its own computers. Robert Gemignani, pres-ident of Vertical Software Inc. and […]

Getting credit from your distributor can be a win/win situation for VARs that understand the distributor can't win unless they do. For Concept Information Systems Inc., a 12-employee Lotus Notes […]

Byline: Fleur Doidge Fleur Doidge One vendor's seemingly counter-intuitive move a year ago to increase printer inventory is now paying dividends. Phil Jones, sales and marketing director at Brother, said [...]