Good morning, channel partners. Here are five technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to start your day for Wednesday, October 19, 2016.
Actually, there are 12 entries 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. Intel Forecast Disappoints: Intel delivered solid quarterly results yesterday but the company's Q4 revenue forecast disappointed some Wall Street pundits. Intel said it expects fourth-quarter revenue of $15.7 billion, plus or minus $500 million. Analysts on average were expecting $15.86 billion, Reuters reported. Intel cut about 12,000 employees earlier this year amid the company's shift from PCs toward data center and IoT opportunities. Multiple PC makers -- including Dell and HP Inc. -- also have cut staff this year.
11. What's IBM 'Hiding'?: The answer may be "nothing." But the company's earnings report doesn't quite disclose enough information about actual cloud services revenues and associated profit margins, according to some critics. Analysts have been pushing IBM to more clearly disclose that type of information for several quarters. Microsoft also has taken some heat in that area from time to time. The pressure for IBM to offer more financial transparency is particularly intense, however, because the company has been transforming away from traditional hardware, software and services revenue. Microsoft is considered much further along in that process.
10. Citrix Reality Check: Citrix Systems is scheduled to reveal quarterly earnings later today. Among the details to track: The sale of Citrix's GoTo remote control business to LogMeIn, which was announced in July.
9. Cuba IT Infrastructure: AT&T has introduced wireless roaming services in Cuba. A certain Nueva York blogger is checking airfare now...
8. Lenovo, Nimble vs. Dell EMC: Lenovo and Nimble Storage have inked a "strategic data center" partnership. Not by coincidence, the relationship surfaces the same week as Dell EMC World 2016. Lenovo works with multiple hardware and software partners to promote hyperconverged data center solutions for midmarket partners and customers.
7. Microsoft Azure for Government Employees: Microsoft has unveiled a range of Office 365 and Azure enhancements specifically for government customers. Amazon has made similar moves with its own AWS for government services.
6. Azure, AWS Migration Services: Ensono, a hybrid IT solutions provider, has expanded its product portfolio to deliver managed hyperscale cloud services for AWS and Microsoft Azure customers. Dozens of MSPs and IT consulting firms now offer migration and support services for the two major clouds.
5. AWS Cloud Management Tool: Rackspace is licensing CloudCheckr’s governance platform to further accelerate its managed service called Fanatical Support for AWS. The CloudCheckr technology allows Rackspace to address customers' cost, security, utilization and compliance requirements, the two companies said. It sounds like the deal is worth about $7.5 million. CloudCheckr is one of the top 50 cloud monitoring and management tools that we've been tracking.
4. HIPAA Talent: Compliancy Group, which promotes HIPAA compliance solutions for MSPs, has hired Joseph Macedo as MSP partner channel manager. Macedo previously worked in the managed IT service provider and IT consultant sector.
3. SD-WAN: ChannelE2E is flooded with SD-WAN industry announcements. But is the software-defined WAN sector as hot as vendors say? Hmmm...
2. Security Distribution: Webroot has partnered with CMS Distribution to reach resellers and MSPs in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Webroot also has close working relationships with a range of RMM (remote monitoring and management) and PSA (professional services automation) software providers.
1. Michael Dell Says...: He'll participate in a media Q&A shortly here at Dell EMC World 2016. Check ChannelE2E regularly today for updates from Michael and the executive team...
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