Good morning, channel partners. Here are five technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to start your day for Monday, September 25, 2017.
Actually, there are nine 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
9. Microsoft Azure Availability Zones: Microsoft has launched Azure Availability Zones. The fault-isolated locations within an Azure region provide redundant power, cooling and networking to increase uptime. Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud Platform already offer similar capabilities, ChannelE2E believes.
8. Runaway IBM Contract: IBM won a US$4.6 million contract to install PeopleSoft HR for a several Canadian government agencies back in 2011. Fast forward to present day, and the contract has spiraled out of control, according to The Register...
7. IBM Hiring Misses Mark: IBM failed to create the 800 jobs it promised by 2017 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, under a 2013 economic development deal. The IBM Client Innovation Center has created 572 jobs so far, according to Business Report. Despite falling short, Gov. John Bel Edwards’ administration decided to extend the deadline by two years for IBM to reach its promised 800-job mark. IBM has repeatedly bragged over the past year about its hiring plans -- though the company has sidestepped questions about multiple rounds of layoffs over the past year or two...
6. Good News at IBM: Despite the two items above, we realize IBM is doing a lot of things right these days. Among the areas to watch: IBM's BlueMix platform for developing and deploying cloud applications. We'll share more thoughts soon.
5. File Sharing: Acronis has launched Acronis Access Advanced 8.0 — the latest version of mobile file access, sync & share solution for enterprises.
4. Top Dell Boomi Partners: Some big names -- Accenture, Deloitte, Slalom Consulting and more -- rank among Dell Boomi's partners of the year. Boomi, an independent business unit of Dell, develops cloud integration and workflow automation software.
3. M&A - HCI: Cisco has completed the buyout of Springpath, a hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) company that competes against Nutanix, HP Enterprise's SimpliVity and Dell EMC's various HCI offerings. Cisco announced the $320 million Springpath acquisition in August.
2. M&A - Data Centers: DataBank of Dallas, Texas has acquired Edge Hosting of Baltimore, Maryland. The acquisition provides both market expansion and additional expertise in the delivery of cloud solutions and managed services, especially for clientele requiring comprehensive operational controls for a number of commercial and government compliance standards, DataBank asserts.
1. PSA at Continuum Navigate 2017: Some surprising names will surface at next week's Continuum Navigate 2017 conference in Las Vegas. For starters, rivals like Autotask and ConnectWise apparently will be on hand -- a welcome reality, considering MSPs want continued cross-company product integrations. Take a closer look and you may see upstart PSA offerings in the house as well. Names to know include Computicate and maybe even Promys... We'll share more thoughts soon.
