5 Channel Partner Updates: 22 February 2017 -

Good morning, channel partners. Here are five technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to start your day for Wednesday, February 22, 2017. Actually, there are 19 spine-tingling updates 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… 19. Move Over Millennials: Here comes Generation Z... 18. Next-Gen Smartwatches: Keep an eye on Google's Android Wear 2.0, a streamlined version of the company's smartwatch operating system. LG's Watch Sport, which runs the new OS, is generating positive buzz... 17. Cloud Services Built On OpenStack: Kontron, which offers cloud and carrier-class integrated infrastructure platforms, has launched SYMKLOUD OpenStack Platform. It leverages Canonical's Ubuntu OpenStack distribution. 16. Tech IPO: MuleSoft has filed to pursue a $100 million IPO. The company's overall valuation is more than $1 billion. MuleSoft's Anypoint Platform allows customers to build API-centric application networks. 15. M&A - Professional IT Services: Abacus has acquired Cloudnine Realtime and Results Software. Cloudnine offers hosting and business management services to CPA firms. Results Software develops CRM for QuickBooks users. The acquisitions position Abacus as "the largest technology as a service solutions provider in the professional services industry," the company claims. 14. M&A - UCaaS, Managed Network Services: NetFortris has acquired Fonality, combining two companies focused on security, network management and unified communications as a service (UCaaS). NetFortris now has operating centers in three countries, and provide services to more than 11,000 customers and 300,000 end users in 41 countries. 13. Orange Cloud Built on Huawei: Orange Business Services is launching a public cloud service for its customers in partnership with Huawei, EuroComms reported. The new offering will be available across Western Europe and Southeast Asia in April 2017. US-based businesses would get access in October, while enterprises in the Middle East and Africa would have to wait until 2018. Huawei will provide the hardware, develop the technology platform and OpenStack OS, while OBS will supply the data centre facilities, network and security infrastructure, customers’ infrastructure and applications management, the report stated. 12. SD-WAN, Part I: EarthLink SD-WAN, which launched in September 2016, has attracted 41 customers across 1,706 locations. The cloud-delivered network service "makes it easy for businesses to optimize their network to enhance customer experiences," the company claims. Moreover, 95% of those customers have opted for EarthLink SD-WAN Concierge, a managed service built on personalized and proactive expert guidance, the company says. Windstream and EarthLink merged in November 2016, and vowed to promote SD-WAN services at the time. 11. SD-WAN Part 2: Riverbed Technology has launched Riverbed SteelConnect, an SD-WAN solution that "simplifies the design, deployment and management of enterprise networks," the company claims. The SD-WAN offering is a software-defined, cloud-managed and application-centric solution. But wait. More content awaits you on page 2. Proceed to page two now and sip up the remaining items... Welcome to page two. Enjoy a second serving of channel content -- items 10 to 1 -- here. 10. Partner Relationship Management: Zift Solutions has launched a new portfolio of Partner Relationship Management (PRM) solutions. The offerings will help channel organizations maximize the productivity and profitability of their channel partners, Zift claims. 9. Partner Programs: LogiGear, which develops software testing solutions, has expanded its Partner Reseller Program. New strategic partners include GMO Alliance, Mobile Labs and SEP Technology Consulting (SEPTech). 8. Windows 10 Privacy Concerns: European Union data protection watchdogs are still concerned about Windows 10's privacy settings despite Microsoft announcing changes to the installation process, according to Reuters.

7. Security, Analytics Certification: Keep an eye on the new CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CSA+) certification. The vendor-neutral certification brings behavioral analytics to the forefront of assessing cyber threats, CompTIA indicated. Not by coincidence, CompTIA CEO Todd Thibodeaux closely tracks emerging technology markets like big data analytics as well as artificial intelligence... 6. IoT Monitoring, Management: TeamViewer and HARMAN are partnering to offer IoT solutions for companies that want to manage smart buildings and devices worldwide. The joint solution combines HARMAN’s IoT Smart Building solution with TeamViewer’s remote monitoring and control solutions. The solution displays information collected from a variety of sensors, and monitors the individual sensors and gateways.

5. IoT Partnership: PTC and Deloitte have deepened their partnership to accelerate ThingWorx industrial IoT platform adoption. The initial IoT solutions are designed to help transform industrial operations within manufacturing, oil and gas, and power and utilities, the companies assert. The primary focus is rapid deployment of condition-based monitoring, predictive maintenance, digital supply network, and connected factory solutions, the duo indicated. Additional focus areas will include retail and consumer products, healthcare, life sciences, and smart cities. Oracle veteran Kevin O'Brien drives PTC's IoT channel partner ecosystem. PTC's annual IoT revenues already exceed $100 million. 4. Network Monitoring: cPacket Networks has launched a new version of its network performance monitoring and analytics solution. It's designed to handle the increasing traffic on high-speed networks -- particularly in the 40G and 100G markets. 3. PSA, RMM Upgrade: Atera has bolstered its cloud-based PSA (professional services automation) and RMM (remote monitoring and management) platform with news features such as: Auto Healing Scripts, enhanced out-of-the-box monitoring, full integration of Splashtop, and streamlined agent installation.

2. Autotask Talent: Autotask has hired Walt Mykins as VP of client services. He now leads Autotask’s global client services team -- which focuses on implementation and professional services, training and technical support initiatives. The overall goal is to continually enhance Autotask customer experience. Mykins is a veteran of 3M Health Information Systems, a provider of software and consulting services within the healthcare vertical. He also held posts at MapInfo Corp. and Pitney Bowes Software. Autotask CEO Mark Cattini previously built and sold MapInfo to Pitney Bowes. 1. Tech Conferences: Next week's key IT conferences and channel gatherings include HPE's Aruba Atmosphere 2017, plus Mobile World Congress 2017 and HTG's Q1 2017 gathering for European IT service providers. How do we track so many different IT events across the world? The simple answer is ChannelE2E's Technology Event Calendar. Is your partner summit listed? More: Read all of our daily 5 Channel Partner Updates. Plus: Subscribe to our daily enewsletter. Thanks to those who already have.