Good morning, channel partners. Here are five technology news updates, insights, rumors and hypothetical developments to start your day for Monday, January 11, 2016.
Actually, today’s update involves seven items for VARs, managed services providers (MSPs), cloud services providers (CSPs) and independent software vendors (ISVs) to sip on.
7. AWS Training: Need training and education on Amazon Web Services? TechSpot is offering a discounted AWS Engineer Certification Bundle featuring 26 hours of video instruction. It costs $29, though we haven't taken it for a test drive.
6. IBM Exits: IBM Cloud Unit GM Danny Sabbah and Security Group GM Brendan Hannigan apparently have retired from IBM, according to Fortune. They follow software veteran Steve Mills out the door. CEO Ginni Rometty spent last week at the CES conference, describing how IBM's big data platforms would partner with IP-enabled consumer systems.
5. IBM Job Cuts?: Meanwhile, rumors are flowing that IBM Global Technology Services is planning job cuts, with some company watchers predicting that IBM may even try to sell off the business. The rumors emerge as Dell apparently tries to sell off its Perot Systems IT services business. Hmmm... Cloud services have certainly undermined the classic IT consulting market.
4. Chief Digital Officer Myth?: Many pundits say chief digital officer (CDO) is the hot new executive title bridging business and technology. But a PricewaterhouseCoopers report found that only 6 percent of the largest 1,500 global companies have hired a chief digital officer. IDC still insists that CDOs are on the rise but PwC thinks the title will fade away as companies complete their digital transformations.
3. Big Data Channel Partners: The Hadoop ecosystem is gaining momentum with VARs and service providers. We'll offer an update later this week...
2. BREAKING: Citrix Sells Businesses: Persistent Systems is buying Citrix Systems' CloudPlatform and CloudPortal Business Manager product lines for an undisclosed sum, according to reports from Asia. The timing certainly makes sense. Citrix Summit 2016 is this week in Las Vegas. The company has been under pressure from investors to shake up its management ranks while also seeking suitors for some or all of its businesses.
1. NEW - Top Vertical Market MSPs: Through a new ChannelE2E Research Survey, we will pinpoint the Top Vertical Market MSPs in healthcare, financial services, retail and many other verticals. This isn’t a popularity list. Our Top Vertical Market MSPs research and list will be based on real-world metrics gathered from our survey. We'll make a formal announcement later today but you can participate now.
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