Channel Brief: TeamViewer Acquires 1E for $720M

To use AI effectively, you need people. People with the right skills. It's a bit counterintuitive, right?

A new report from business assurance and risk management firm DNV, "Starting the Artificial Intelligence Journey," found that two out of ten companies are currently implementing artificial intelligence (AI) solutions with the intention of streamlining operations and cost-cutting. However, the report, based on a survey of 1,626 companies across Europe, North America, Central and South America, and Asia, highlights that there are significant barriers, including weak technical expertise and a low understanding of AI.

Among the companies implementing AI, 62% cited efficiency and cost reduction as their main drivers, while 46% point to the increased value of existing services and products. Despite these motivations, DNV's survey reveals a concerning lack of technical knowledge among respondents.

A staggering 44% indicate that insufficient technical expertise is hindering their AI implementation efforts. Only 6% of respondents consider themselves very knowledgeable about AI, while 25% rate themselves as moderately knowledgeable. In contrast, 53% describe their knowledge as somewhat adequate, and 16% admit to having no knowledge at all.

“Our report highlights a need for increased specialized AI competence to better understand, critically evaluate AI technologies, and to make informed decisions about their use,” said Barbara Frencia, CEO of Business Assurance at DNV. “Our survey clearly shows that many companies need a skills boost for their AI initiatives to take off. It's important to realize that the people working with AI in companies are not necessarily experts in the field, but employees who have been assigned new tasks. At the same time, the survey shows that the further along you are, the greater the benefits you see from artificial intelligence. But it is a matter of getting started with competence development.” 

Maybe don't cut those training and professional development budgets just yet.

As always, drop me a line at [email protected] if you have news to share or want to say hi!

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

Today’s Tech, Channel and MSP News

1. TeamViewer acquires 1E for $720M: Remote connectivity provider TeamViewer has acquired digital employee experience (DEX) solutions firm 1E for an enterprise value of $720M, TeamViewer’s largest acquisition to date, the company said in a statement. The acquisition will integrate TeamViewer's remote access and support capabilities into 1E's autonomous IT platform and strengthen TeamViewer's North American footprint, the companies said. The deal is expected to close in early 2025.

2. StorMagic releases SvHCI version 2.0: StorMagic this week released version 2.0 of its SvHCI full-stack HCI (hyperconverged infrastructure) solution for enterprise edge and small to medium-sized business (SMB) environments. SvHCI is a cost-effective VMware alternative for HCI at the edge and new features include VM snapshots, edge control monitoring and management and VM import.

3. Forcepoint names new GTM leader:  Rick Hanson has joined Forcepoint as president of go-to-market, the company announced this week. In this newly created role reporting directly to CEO Ryan Windham, Hanson will unify the company’s sales and customer success teams. Hanson brings more than 30 years of leadership experience and two decades as a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). Most recently, he served as president at Delinea, where he led global go-to-market strategies across sales, marketing, customer success, and professional services. His previous roles include CRO at Brightcove and executive positions at CA Technologies, Hewlett-Packard, Symantec, and RSA. Hanson began his career in the U.S. Air Force and later served as IT Director for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Congratulations!

4. GoTo adds AI features: IT management and remote access firm GoTo announced updates to its flagship IT solutions GoTo Resolve and LogMeIn Rescue. These enhancements include advanced AI capabilities, improved device management, and streamlined workflows, the company said in a statement.

5. LambdaTest raises $38M for QA platform: Cloud-based testing platform LambdaTest announced a $38 million funding round led by Avataar Ventures, with participation from Qualcomm Ventures, bringing the company's total funding to $108 million. The LambdaTest platform helps test websites, apps, and web apps to ensure they work seamlessly across all devices and browsers. It has over 15,000 customers, including Fortune 500 companies. Its latest innovations include KaneAI, an AI-driven QA automation Agent-as-a-Service, and AI native HyperExecute platform, which enables companies to test their digital assets quickly and accurately.

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