Good morning, channel partners. Here are five technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to start your day for Thursday, January 4, 2018.
Actually, there are 16 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:
16. Dell EMC vs Nutanix: Who is the true leader in the hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) market? Here's The Register's take on Dell EMC vs. Nutanix. But let's not forget that Cisco Systems, HP Enterprise and plenty of startups also compete in the HCI sector...
15. Distribution - IoT: Avnet has unveiled IoTConnect -- a cloud-based software platform and a portfolio of connectivity solutions to help organizations jumpstart development of IoT-enabled systems and services.
14. New 5G Networks: AT&T expects to be the first U.S. company to introduce mobile 5G service in a dozen markets by late 2018, the company indicated Wednesday. Wireless 5G networks are expected to pave the way for next-generation mobile applications, and could even leapfrog some traditional hardwired broadband services...
13. Talent: Three key executive updates to note:
- Data services platform provider Datera has hired Hal Woods as CTO, reporting to CEO Marc Fleischmann.
- CareWorx has promoted Marco La Vecchia to executive VP and GM. Previously he was VP. CareWorx is a well-known MSP focused on senior care services in the healthcare market. La Vecchia is a veteran of AVG and N-able Technologies.
- Avaya has hired Greg Pelton as vice president, technology strategy. He will play a key role in shaping Avaya's technology strategy as the company continues its transformation into a services and cloud-based UC and CC solutions provider, the company says. Pelton returns to Avaya after previously serving as CTO for the government solutions arm of the company from 2011 to 2014. He was most recently CTO and VP at Polycom Inc. He's also held key posts at Cisco Systems and Nortel Networks.
12. Compliance: Evolve IP, the fast-growing CSP, has achieved Common Security Framework (CSF) Certified status from the Health Information Trust (HITRUST) Alliance. The HITRUST CSF Certified status ensures that the company’s cloud computing and cloud communications services adhere to the strictest security standards for electronic protected health information (PHI), credit card / financial information and more, Evolve IP asserts.
11. SD-WAN Services: Zayo Group has launched SD-WAN services. They're an integrated extension of Zayo’s fiber-based IP/MPLS backbone offerings. The offerings ease enterprise network management, improve performance and enhance reliability and failover options, Zayo claims.
10. Top Citrix Partners: Voting is now open for the 2018 Citrix Innovation Award for Partners. Related: Citrix Summit 2018, a major partner gathering, is next week in southern California.
9. Channel Happy Hour: It's back. The Channel Happy Hour podcast has relaunched as a 20-minute news update, led by Brett Martin and Mike Vizard.
8. M&A - Consumer IT Services: Control4, a global provider of smart home solutions, has acquired certain assets of Ihiji, a provider of remote management services for technical integrators servicing connected home customers. Financial terms were not disclosed.
7. M&A - Hybrid Cloud: Microsoft has acquired Avere Systems, a high-performance storage specialist that should bolster Azure's multimedia capabilities. Financial terms were not disclosed.
6. M&A - Telecom Services: Blueface (of Ireland) and Star2Star Communications (based in the U.S) are merging in a $500 million deal. The resulting company, Star2Star, will compete against Cisco's BroadSoft business and other software providers to telecom companies. Unified communications competition with RingCentral and 8x8 could also intensify, according to The Financial Times.
5. M&A - Legal IT Services: Midmarket investment firm Tenzing has acquired Converge TS, an MSP and hosted IT services provider that serves the UK legal sector. Converge TS offers Infrastructure as a Service, Hosting, Business Continuity as well as other managed IT and infrastructure services. Converge TS has grown more than 50 percent annually over the past three years. This is Tenzing’s second investment from its maiden £200m fund, and underlines Tenzing’s commitment to supporting buyouts of high growth independent market leaders and backing high energy, driven management teams and founders to accelerate their growth in the UK lower mid-market, the company says.
4. M&A - Healthcare IT Services: DAS Health has acquired Las Vegas-based Integra I.T. Solutions, an eMDs electronic health record Platinum reseller and IT services provider. The acquisition – DAS Health’s fifth in less than three years – broadens DAS Health’s electronic health record (EHR) services and technology solutions while enhancing customer support and care, the companies say. The expanded company now serves nearly 2,000 clinicians and more than 600 practices nationwide.
3. M&A - Telecom & Network Services: Renodis, a telecom management firm, has acquired US ACOMM Inc., a network solutions provider headquartered in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. By joining companies under the Renodis umbrella, both firms, employees, partners, and most importantly clients will all positively benefit from the combined breadth and capabilities. Renodis specializes in mobility, SD-WAN, Wireline, Project Management, and Turnkey Telecom Management services, the company says. Financial terms were not disclosed.
2. M&A - Managed Hosting Services: Silver Lake has invested $250 million into WP Engine, a WordPress hosting provider that now generates more than $100 million in annual recurring revenue. WP Engine has more than 75,000 customers globally. Disclosure: After Nines Inc., ChannelE2E's parent, has been a WP Engine customer since 2015.
1. Latest Meltdown & Spectre Vulnerability Coverage: The official US CERT alert about the Meltdown and Spectre microprocessor vulnerabilities is here. The bugs will require massive patching initiatives across notebooks, PCs, servers and cloud services worldwide. In some cases smartphones and tablets may also require patching. For the latest on the Meltdown & Spectre vulnerabilities and responses from Intel, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Red Hat and Datto, visit here for ongoing coverage.
