Good morning, channel partners. Here are five technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to start your day for Wednesday, January 31, 2018.
Actually, there are 13 timely updates designed for VARs, managed services providers (MSPs), cloud services providers (CSPs), independent software vendors (ISVs), telco master agents and telco agents to sip on. Take a look…
13. Judgment Day - Xerox: As part of a $6.1 billion company sale, Xerox will also have massive layoffs. The news comes amid weak earnings and flat revenues at the printer and copier giant. Still, Xerox has made progress in the managed print services and security markets. The company has also launched a streamlined partner program for IT solutions providers.
12. Partnership: Corsa Technology, a provider of network security and SDN switching, has inked a systems integrator partnership with SynerSolutions Technologies Inc. to push further into North American.
11. Partner Program: DataTorrent, a big data analytics applications company has added HCL Technologies to its growing partner program roster, alongside Trace3, MSys, Stratecha, and many others, the company says.
10. M&A - Secure Containers: Red Hat is acquiring CoreOS for $250 million. CoreOS specializes in Kubernetes and container-native solutions.
9. Product Launch - More Containers: Cisco has unveiled the Cisco Container Platform, a container platform to address customers’ growing need to have applications seamlessly run the same way on premises and in public clouds. It's based on Kubernetes.
8. Talent: ATEN Technology Inc., a global manufacturer of KVM and Pro AV connectivity solutions, has hired Holly Garcia as vice president to drive the overall strategy, growth, and profitability of ATEN’s North American Business Unit, inclusive of sales, marketing, product management, and channel strategy.
7. Talent - Cloud MSP: Reliam, an MSP and IT consulting firm focused on Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure, has hired CTO Jonathan LaCour; CFO John Varner; Chief Administrative Office Art Elizarov; and VP of Digital Marketing Mark Medina. The new talent arrives after Reliam scored substantial funding from Great Hill Partners in 2017.
6. Leadership: Cloud Girls, a not-for-profit consortium of women evangelizing the cloud, has named two new directors for 2018. Laura Romero, director, global solution partners and programs for Plex Systems, has joined the board as chair of the Membership Work Group. Romero, who has been a Cloud Girl since 2010, previously was a member of the Communications and the new Brand & Strategy work groups. Also, Tamara Prazak, director of channel strategy for Flexential (formerly Peak 10/Via West), has joined the board as chair of the new Community Work Group. Previously she was co-chair of the Communications Work Group. Two directors -- Manon Buettner and Wendy Holmquist -- are leaving their longtime posts on the Cloud Girls’ board.
5. CSP Momentum: Somewhere between cloud giants and small business MSPs, numerous CSP innovators are gaining their own market momentum. A case in point: Evolve IP was recognized in Gartner’s Market Guide for Midmarket Unified Communications as a Service, North America.
4. Forrester Channel Forecast: Forrester Research's Jay McBain offers these channel partner predictions for 2018. His prediction about private equity activity in the market? We definitely agree. Just check out our Top 100 Mergers and Acquisitions of 2017 to see all the PE firms that have gobbled up VARs, MSPs and CSPs...
3. M&A - One MSP Acquired: CompassMSP has acquired Design Red Inc. (also known as Rediant), an MSP in South Florida. We'll share more details soon.
2. M&A - Two MSPs Acquired: Connected Managed Services has made two acquisitions. We'll share more details soon.
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