5 Channel Partner Program and MSP News Updates: Wednesday 27 January 2021

Here are five (actually, more) technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to start your day for Wednesday, January 27, 2021. Sip up.

What’s In Our Daily Brew?

A. What’s Brewing Today: Technology News

1. M&A and Private Equity - Three ServiceNow Partners: Private equity firm Sunstone Partners has acquired and merged three ServiceNow partners to form the world’s “largest ServiceNow pure play partner,” the buyer says. The acquired IT service management (ITSM) consulting companies are Evergreen Systems, Cerna Solutions, and Novo/Scale.

2. Debt Refinancing - Cloud MSP: Rackspace Technology is taking advantage of low interest rates and refinancing nearly $2.9 billion in debt, San Antonio Express News reports.

3. Service Management - Mobile App: Serviceaide has announced a new mobile application for its Point of Business (POB) service management platform. The app is redesigned to provide "higher levels of usability and accessibility for end users and support teams," Sericeaide asserts.

4. IT Outsourcing Services - Transportation Vertical: DDC FPO has launched an IT Outsourcing suite of services for the transportation and logistics industries.

5.  IIoT - Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM): Flowserve has launched RedRaven -- an IoT service suite to help facilities monitor their assets remotely, predict equipment failures before they happen and take preventive measures to avoid business disruptions, Flowserve says.

6. Collaboration Performance Management: Vyopta has released Intelligent Monitoring Engine, which is part of Vyopta’s Collaboration Performance Management (CPM) suite. Partners and customers gain "proactive monitoring that is purpose-built for collaboration," Vyopta says.

7. Talent - Technology Services Provider: iOPEX Technologies has hired Cybage Software veteran Avinash Lele as president.

8. Talent - Telecom Succession Plan: Peninsula Fiber Network, a provider of fiber optic-based telecommunications services throughout Michigan, Wisconsin, and parts of Minnesota, announced that Scott Randall will succeed David McCartney as general manager. The transition is part of a succession plan developed in 2020.

B. Channel Chiefs, Partner Programs and Strategic Alliances

1. Cloud Marketplace - MSP Solutions: The Pax8 cloud marketplace for MSPs now offers RocketCyber's cybersecurity detection and response services.

2.  Distribution - Video Conferencing: Ingram Micro has agreed to distribute Owl Labs' video conferencing technology and services across Europe.

3. Distribution - Amazon Web Services: Arrow Electronics has expanded its partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS), enabling Arrow to globally resell, manage, service, support and bill AWS accounts on behalf of their end customers, the distributor says.

4. Oracle Cloud ISV Solutions for U.S. Government: The Oracle Cloud Marketplace is now available for U.S. government customers. The marketplace allows government customers to deploy applications from Oracle and third-party independent software vendors (ISVs).

5. Partnership - Robotic Process Automation (RPA): Element5 and LBMC have partnered to "bring greater enterprise-grade security and healthcare compliance to Element5's existing suite of AI and RPA solutions, the companies say.

6. Partnership - Smart Home Broadband: Akamai and Plume are partnering to "accelerate the deployment of new and highly personalized Smart Home Services for broadband subscribers," the two companies say.  The partnership will also combine Akamai Security and Personalization Services (SPS) mobile security suite and real time threat intelligence with Plume’s Consumer Experience Management (CEM) Platform, comprising services and apps for residential Internet control and security, the two companies add.

7. Partnership - SD-WANs: flexiWAN, an open source SD-WAN and SASE (secure access edge service) provider, has partnered with Clevernet to "provide enterprises with maximum Internet performance," the two companies say.

C. Channel Partner Summits, MSP Conferences and Virtual Events Calendar