Good morning, channel partners. Here are five technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to sip on for Friday, March 25, 2016.
Actually, there are 16 entries for VARs, managed services providers (MSPs), cloud services providers (CSPs) and independent software vendors (ISVs) to sip on.
16. Salesforce Targets SMB Help Desks: Take a close look at Desk 360. Like, now. We'll be back with more thoughts soon.
15. IoT Security: Where is Google heading next with NEST, the connected device business? The answer involves security. No, not security for IoT devices and the corresponding data. Instead, NEST sensors called Pinna could alert homeowners when doors and windows are ajar.
14. Samsung IoT: It sounds like the mobile device giant will introduce a new Internet of Things operating system in April.
13. Partner Programs: Cyara has launched a global partner program and doubled the size of its partner team. (Hmmm.. anyone got an actual headcount figure?). The end-goal: Drive adoption of Cyara’s SaaS customer experience management (CEM) solutions.
12. Immigrant Innovation: An impressive 51 percent of billion-dollar startups in the U.S. were founded by immigrants, according to the National Foundation for American Policy. Of the 44 companies tracked, they each have created an average of 760 jobs in the U.S., and immigrants hold 70 percent of key management or development positions.
11. Channel Chiefs: Juniper and Lookout veteran David Helfer is now VP of worldwide channels at F5 Networks. He reports to executive VP of worldwide sales John DiLullo.
10. IBM's Mixed Numbers: IBM says it's set to create 100 cybersecurity jobs in New Brunswick over the next three years. I'm pleased to hear it. But when it comes to numbers the company typically offers an incomplete picture. For instance, IBM has refused to disclose how many employees were fired as part of a recent round of IBM layoffs. The net result: Customers, partners, investors and the media have an incomplete picture of the company. And endless speculation about layoff figures continue to circulate. Just share the facts, IBM, and the speculation would end.
9. Apple and Microsoft, Frienemies Forever: Apple is now promoting Microsoft Office 365 for the iPad Pro. This should have happened the day the iPad was originally launched... Nevertheless, it's good to see the two giants finally doing what's right for partners and customers.
8. APM Becomes DPM?: You know about RMM (remote monitoring and management). More recently, I've hyped APM (application performance management). But SOASTA, which recently raised $30 million in debt funding, wants to shift the conversation to digital performance management (DPM). Hmmm... New opportunity or vendor spin?
7. Shout Out: To Heather Margolis and the entire team at Channel Maven Consulting. What started out as a personal brand (Heather here, Heather there...) has grown to become a strategic consulting business for channel program enablement...
6. Microsoft vs Google - Oh the Cloud Irony: Google this week said it's going "all in" on enterprise cloud services. Um, didn't Microsoft say the same thing at least four years ago at Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC)? Strange to see a born-in-the-cloud company late to the enterprise cloud conversation, and a PC software company on the leading edge...
5. Docker for Mac, Windows: The container technology is now natively available on Mac OS and Windows. We'll explain why that's so darn important for channel partners later today.
4. Evolving SMB Growth Strategies: How to small and midsize companies plan to grow their businesses? The answer to that question has evolved. Here's the latest data. We'll share our insights on the same question soon...
3. Look Who's Hiring: Continuum will host a recruiting fair at the MSP platform provider's Pennsylvania office on March 30. Side note: Check the ChannelE2E Job Board for hundreds (um... forgive the slightly inflated estimate) of career opportunities. Or, submit your current openings to the board. It's free.
2. The Inside Story on ChannelE2E's Launch (And More): What was the real path from our previous company to launching ChannelE2E? We've shared the details in bits and bites here and there. But BrightGauge CEO Eric Dosal several weeks ago asked me for more details about my career journey, trends in the IT services market and plenty more. He transformed the conversation into a podcast that sheds more light on the journey that Amy Katz and I have taken over the past decade.
1. Top MSPs -- Deadline Is Today: Our ChannelE2E Top Vertical Market MSP Survey closes today (Thursday, March 31). Complete the survey and your MSP could be honored as one of the world's top MSPs focused on a specific vertical market (healthcare, financial services, retail, etc.).
More: Read all of our daily 5 Channel Partner Updates. Plus: Subscribe to our daily enewsletter. Thanks to those who already have.
