Good morning, channel partners. Here are five technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to start your day for Thursday, May 11, 2017.
Actually, there are 12 updates 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…
12. HIPAA Fine: Memorial Hermann Health System in Texas will pay a $2.4 million fine and enter into a two-year corrective action plan after disclosing a patient’s protected health information without the patient’s authorization, according to Health Data Management.
11. Symantec Stumbles (Sort Of): Symantec shares fell 7 percent yesterday amid revenue weakness in the security company's latest quarter. But CEO Greg Clark says investors are tracking the wrong KPI. Near-term revenues are a bit soft because customers are shifting from lump-sum contracts toward cloud-oriented recurring revenue deals. So while near-term revenues are a bit software than expected, Symantec's long-term deferred revenue is getting stronger and stronger, Clark insists.
10. Microsoft Azure Targets Oracle: Microsoft has unveiled new Azure database services to help customers more easily scale up or down their cloud workloads. Another new tool allows customers to migrate on-premises databases to Azure. Many of the features, unveiled at the Microsoft Build conference, specifically target Oracle customers and associated workloads. Amazon has a similar database migration strategy that targets Oracle.
9. Toshiba Bankruptcy: Toshiba's business partners are preparing for a scenario in which the company seeks to reorganize under Japanese bankruptcy laws, with consequences for the global nuclear-power and electronics industries, The Wall Street Journal reports.
8. Chromebooks and VMware: Google and VMware are partnering to promote Chromebooks. Under terms of the relationship, VMware Workspace ONE will enable one-click secure authentication and management of applications — cloud, web and virtual — for organizations deploying Chromebooks, the companies said.
7. Distribution - 3D Printers: Synnex is the exclusive North American distributor of HP Inc.'s Jet Fusion 3D Printing solution. HP Inc. announced a formalized 3D printer partner program earlier this week.
6. PSA Integration: Computicate PSA now integrates with SolarWinds MSP's remote monitoring and management (RMM) offerings.
5. PSA Migration: The 20, a master MSP, has migrated its PSA platform from ConnectWise Manage to Kaseya BMS (Business Management Solution). The 20 offers standardized systems to peer MSPs. Kaseya is attempting to promote PSA migrations to its platform during this week's Kaseya Connect conference in Las Vegas. I've heard about some migrations but I wouldn't say a wholesale market shift is underway. The evidence: ConnectWise's business grew 22 percent in Q1 2017, according to CEO Arnie Bellini.
4. MSP Help Desks: GMS Live Expert, a help desk service provider, is now integrated with Kaseya’s VSA, BMS and NOC operations. MSPs who leverage Kaseya’s NOC can extend their services to include access to GMS’ Help Desk team, according to Dan Goldstein, director of GMS Live Expert. The news surfaced at Kaseya Connect 2017.
3. Cybersecurity Momentum: Vertek, a Vermont-based solutions and security provider, is gaining momentum as a strategic AlienVault Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP) partner. the two companies assert -- though they didn't share specific business or financial metrics. Vertek has developed a proprietary Cloud Collector Platform for managed threat intelligence. Stay tuned for more details later this month (hmmm...).
2. Thank You, Part I: To our readers and our growing roster of contributing bloggers. Together, your interactions lifted ChannelE2E site visits more than 100 percent in April 2017 vs. April 2016. And May is shaping up to be an incredibly strong month of readership as well.
1. Thank You, Part II: To the sponsors who continue to support ChannelE2E, and to those who are already supporting our company's next major initiative. We'll share more details before you fire up the BBQ for the 4th of July here in the United States. Oh, and don't worry. We'll soon alert international readers about our next move, too.
