Good mid-morning, channel partners. Here are five technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to sip on for Tuesday, May 3, 2016.
Actually, there are 13 entries for VARs, managed services providers (MSPs), cloud services providers (CSPs) and independent software vendors (ISVs) to sip on.
13. Michael Dell & Joe Tucci: During a Q&A session yesterday at EMC World 2016, Michael Dell and Joe Tucci described their views on the Dell-EMC merger, and channel partner implications. Check out these video snippets containing their thoughts.
12. Major Influence: Presidio, the network and data center MSP, influenced how EMC developed Unity -- an all-flash storage platform for midmarket customers. More details soon.
11. Contrarian Investing: Warren Buffett says he's more likely to buy IBM shares -- rather than sell the ones he already owns. IBM's stock has been sliding for several years amid the shift from hardware, software and global services toward cloud and mobile. Still, IBM's cloud and mobile portfolio is growing fast, and at some point Buffett seems to believe revenues and profits will stabilize then grow again... Hmmm...
10. Distributor Day: Distributors like Arrow ECS, Avnet Technology Solutions and Tech Data (among others) have a major presence at EMC World. But which EMC product lines an strategies are performing best with the distributor ecosystem? Hint: The answer involves far more than high-volume SMB offerings. Stay tuned for details.
9. BlackBerry: Channel strategy? Hmmm... Stay tuned.
8. Google Apps Training: Need to help customers master Google Apps for Work? Google has acquired Synergyse -- which offers Google Apps training. The big question: How will Google promote that training platform to channel partners? Hmmm...
7. Google Government Partner: Carahsoft is deploying Google Apps for Work for U.S. Communities, a government purchasing cooperative that represents state and local governments across the United States. The deployment will serve 90,000 public sector workers, CivSource reported.
6. Health Care IT M&A: DAS Health, a provider of patient-centric health IT and management services, has acquired the EHR and Practice Management business of Jackson Key Practice Solutions, an Alabama-based reseller. The acquisition, the third by DAS Health in the past seven months, expands DAS Health’s geographical footprint and strengthens the company’s position as the largest national reseller of Aprima Medical Software, the companies said.
4. Partner Programs:
- Impinj, a provider of RAIN RFID solutions, has bolstered its channel program with a new partner portal and hired Gene Spies as VP of global distribution and channels.
- Unify, the Atos brand for communications software and services, unveiled new programs and offerings to accelerate channel partner business growth at its annual Unify Partner Conference held recently in Barcelona, Spain, the company said.
3. SQL Server 2016 Release Date: The magic date is June 1. But I gotta admit... software "release dates" seem downright antiquated in the age of continuous software delivery...
2. Better Late Than Never?: Sorry this blog entry surfaced a little late today. ChannelE2E is balancing live coverage of EMC World 2016 and Kaseya Connect 2016 -- with our usual blogging. And that led to some slippage this morning...
1. Help Wanted: Passportal, the fast-growing password management platform for MSPs, is seeking a director of channel development, according to the ChannelE2E Job Board. Visit the board for career opportunities at VARs, MSPs, CSPs and channel-friendly companies. Or add your company's job openings to the board. For free. No joke.
More: Read all of our daily 5 Channel Partner Updates. Plus:Subscribe to our daily enewsletter. Thanks to those who already have.
