Good morning, channel partners. Here are five technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to start your day for Monday, April 17, 2017.
Actually, there are 10 updates for VARs, managed services providers (MSPs), cloud services providers (CSPs), independent software vendors (ISVs), telco master agents and telco agents to sip on.
10. NSA Hacker Tools?: The U.S. National Security Agency likely used weaknesses in commercially available software to access SWIFT, the massive money-transfer system, according Shadow Brokers, a group that released the alleged information on Friday. Microsoft, meanwhile, says it previously addressed the security holes outlined by the Shadow Brokers information leak. Still, the bigger story involves the NSA's alleged hacking and probing of SWIFT.
9. Micro Focus Layoffs?: Micro Focus will apparently cut jobs to boost the profitability of its storage business. The cuts will likely involve software assets recently acquired from HP Enterprise... We'll share more thoughts soon.
8. Avaya Executive Bonuses: Avaya's $3 million executive bonus plan has received approval from a court judge involved in the company's Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. Some critics alleged the bonus plan's performance goals were far too easy for Avaya executives to achieve. On a related note, Avaya has filed a proposed reorganization plan that could cut the company's debt while maintaining the vast majority of employee pensions.
7. Intel Kills OpenStack Partnership: Intel has ended a Rackspace partnership involving OpenStack, Fortune reported. It's the latest sign that big IT companies are losing interest in the open source cloud platform, which was once pitched as an alternative to VMware and Amazon Web Services for building next-generation private and public clouds.
6. Earnings: Barracuda Networks is expected to announce quarterly earnings results sometime today. The security and backup specialist has been expanding its MSP channel in recent months. We'll check the company's progress when the earnings results surface.
5. Investments - Data Center: GFH Capital reportedly has invested in Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT), a REIT (real estate investment trust). The alleged deal seeks to grow two major data centers in Virginia. ChannelE2E has not been able to independently confirm the deal.
4. M&A - MSP & CSP: Windstream Holdings has acquired Broadview Networks Holdings for $227.5 million. We tracked down the deal's valuation based on EBITDA multiples.
3. M&A - CSPs: Green House Data has acquired Cirracore, Both companies are VMware partners focused on IaaS and hybrid IT services.
2. MSP Expansion: The Brookfield Group, an Indiana-based IT services firm, will invest $7 million to expand its business and add up to 31 jobs. The company, which also has offices in St. Louis and Scotland, has seen revenue grow 35 percent annually over the past five years, according to Indianapolis Business Journal.
1. Top 100 Vertical Market MSPs 2017: The list and associated research will debut during our April 27 webcast. Register now.
