Here are five (actually more) technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to start your day for Wednesday, July 8, 2020. Sip up.
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A. What’s Happening Today
1. M&A - Container Software Management: SUSE is acquiring Rancher Labs, a privately held open source company that develops a Kubernetes Management platform. The deal is expected to close before the end of October 2020.
2. M&A - Private Equity and Collaboration Software: Thoma Bravo, has completed its acquisition of Exostar, a provider of secure business collaboration software designed for compliance-centric customers.
3. M&A - Wireless IoT: Synaptics is acquiring certain wireless IoT assets from Broadcom for approximately $250 million in cash. The deal includes Broadcom’s existing WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS/GNSS products and business in the IoT market as well as future roadmap devices designed in advanced process nodes, the companies say.
4. MSPs - Security Awareness Training: VIPRE has launched VIPRE Security Awareness Training (SAT). Each VIPRE Security Awareness Training course features content that teaches users to keep security top of mind in everything they do. VIPRE SAT Manager is designed for MSPs and offers partners the option to choose from Essentials, Advanced or Enterprise level packages or to curate a custom solution from the full library of courseware that best fits their client’s needs, the cybersecurity software provider says.
5. HIPAA Compliance - Software Developers: Compliancy Group has developed HIPAA guidance for software developers. The offering specifically serves developers that are creating COVID-19-related apps. As COVID-19 apps access protected health information (PHI) to function, they are considered business associates under the HIPAA regulation, Compliancy Group notes.
6. Talent - Digital Content and Commerce: Episerver has hired SAP veteran Kirsten Allegri Williams as chief marketing officer (CMO). Episerver also brought on former head of SAP’s CX division, Alex Atzberger as its CEO, acquired AI platform Idio and Insite Software and closed out H1 with double-digit growth. Episerver was valued at $1.1B in late 2018 when it was acquired by Insight Partners.
7. Integration - Microsoft Teams and Citrix Systems: IGEL OS now delivers Microsoft Teams optimization with the Citrix Workspace App Linux Client. Ideal for remote and distributed workforces, the combined solution of IGEL OS, Microsoft Teams and Citrix Workspace App allows users to navigate calling, online meetings, chat and collaboration directly from their Citrix virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) workspace, IGEL asserts.
8. Database Analytics: Exasol has released Exasol V7, an analytics database that can manage " even larger data volumes to quickly find more business-critical answers," the company asserts.
9. Research - Customer Experience: A new Zendesk Startups CX Benchmark Report describes how early-stage startups that invest in customer experience (CX) outperform their peers.
B. Channel Partnerships and Strategic Alliances
1. Talent - Channel Chief: Gigamon has promoted Larissa Crandall to VP of worldwide channels and alliances. We'll share more details soon.
2. Partnership - VMware: US Signal, a data center services provider, has achieved VMware Cloud Verified status. The Cloud Verified badge signals to customers that US Signal offers a service running on top of the complete VMware Cloud infrastructure. Through Cloud Verified partner services, customers attain access to the full set of VMware Cloud Infrastructure capabilities including integration and interoperability, cost optimization and flexibility, US Signal says.
3. Partnership – Application Workload Protection: GuardSight, a Top 200 MSSP for 2019, cybersecurity operations as a service (SECOPS), and managed detection and response (MDR) company, has partnered with K2 Cyber Security, a workload protection specialist. The alliance expands the GuardSight offering by securing its customers' web applications and container workloads against sophisticated attacks, including OWASP Top 10, memory-based, and zero-day attacks, the two companies say.
4. Partnership - ServiceNow and Deloitte: The two companies have extended their strategic alliance to help customers accelerate their HR Service Delivery (HRSD) efforts. Together, ServiceNow and Deloitte will conduct joint go‑to‑market activities to support ServiceNow’s HRSD solution through global sales, enablement, and training activities, the duo says.
5. Cloud Services - Connectivity: Equinix will extend access to Alibaba Cloud for customers from 17 metros globally, including Dubai, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Jakarta, London, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, as well as US metros such as Chicago, Dallas, and Denver. This expansion, along with its API integration with Equinix Cloud Exchange Fabric, will help enterprises from these global markets connect to Alibaba Cloud on Platform Equinix, the companies say.
C. Upcoming Technology Conferences & Virtual Events
- ChannelPro SMB Forum (July 8-9, Virtual Conference)
- Zenoss Digital Conference (July 16, Virtual Conference)
- Microsoft Inspire Partner Conference (July 21-22, Virtual Conference)
- ASCII IT Success Summit 2020 Canada (July 22-23, Virtual Event)
- CompTIA ChannelCon 2020 (August 4-6, Virtual Conference)
- Bonus: ChannelE2E’s complete event calendar
- New – Add Your Event To Our Calendar: Submit it here.
