Channel Brief: Proofpoint Acquires Normalyze

Generative AI and cybersecurity are fueling Google's strong performance, the company said in its third-quarter earnings call earlier this week.

Alphabet's Google Cloud said that revenue increased by 35% year-over-year. According to Data Center Dynamics, the cloud business posted revenues of $11.4 billion, with an operating margin of 17%, and operating profit increased sevenfold to $1.9 billion from $266 million in the same period last year.

CEO Sundar Pichai said in the call that the "overall opportunity [for cloud] is increasing as customers embrace GenAI."

Another factor is cybersecurity, especially AI-enabled cybersecurity, Google said. The company’s AI-powered cybersecurity tools, include Google Threat Intelligence and Google Security Operations, Pichai said, which enable customers to “prevent, detect and respond to cybersecurity threats much faster.” He added that growing adoption of Google Cloud’s Mandiant-powered threat detection increased 4X over the last six quarters.

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Grab your coffee. Here's what you need to know today.

Today’s Tech, Channel and MSP News

1. Proofpoint acquires Normalyze: Enterprise cybersecurity firm Proofpoint will acquire San Francisco-based data security posture management firm Normalyze. Financial terms are still under wraps, but the deal is poised to be finalized in November, SecurityWeek reports. The acquisition will integrate Normalyze's DSPM technology into Proofpoint's cybersecurity platform to bolster sensitive data discovery and classification, risk evaluations and prioritization, and security and compliance issue remediation efforts, the companies said.

2. Pia integrates with TimeZest for MSP ticketing, scheduling management: AI-led help desk automation platform Pia is integrating with TimeZest, a meeting scheduling solution designed specifically for MSPs. This integration allows MSPs to schedule and manage meetings between technicians and end users directly within the ticketing workflow, accelerating ticket resolution and improving operational efficiency, the companies said, and addressing a key challenge in MSP help desk operations: Inefficient scheduling. MSPs will categorize tickets in Pia and initiate scheduling only when necessary, preventing unnecessary meetings, saving time, and reducing back-and-forth communication. As a result, MSPs experience faster ticket resolution and more efficient service delivery, the companies said.

3. Fortinet launches FortiDLP: Fortinet has announced FortiDLP, the company’s next-generation data loss prevention and insider risk management solution. This AI-enhanced, cloud-native endpoint data protection solution is built on technology the company gained with its acquisition of Next DLP, and adds a powerful data protection solution to the Fortinet Security Fabric. Security teams now can prevent data leaks and loss, detect behavior-related threats, train employees to make risk-informed decisions and comply with security policies. The solution also addresses employees’ use of unsanctioned SaaS applications and guards against data leakage when employees use shadow AI (unapproved generative AI tools). designed to help security teams effectively manage data security, enforce data protection dynamically, and gain enhanced visibility of insider threats, especially in large enterprises with a hybrid workforce, the company said.

4. Riverbed names new CRO: AI observability firm Riverbed announced the appointment of Kris Luhrsen as its new chief revenue officer (CRO). In this role, Luhrsen will drive Riverbed's growth and sales strategy, overseeing global sales, channel and alliances, renewals and customer success, consulting architects, professional services, and sales operations. Prior to joining Riverbed, Luhrsen served as the chief revenue officer at Venafi, a leading cybersecurity firm acquired by CyberArk. His previous roles included serving as president of North America sales at SUSE and holding senior sales leadership positions at VMware and Cisco. Luhrsen holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the Kelly School of Business at Indiana University. Congratulations!

5. IBM brings Apptio to Microsoft Azure: IBM this week announced it is bringing the Apptio portfolio of enterprise agile planning (EAP), IT financial management, and cloud FinOps solutions to Microsoft Azure. In addition, IBM announced their global expansion of IBM Software availability on the Azure Marketplace making it easier for customers to buy software directly on the marketplace while using their Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment.