5 things

5 Channel Partner Updates: 28 September 2016

Good morning, channel partners. Here are five technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to start your day for Wednesday, September 28, 2016. Actually, there are 23 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… 23. Microsoft Surface Channel Partners: Keep an eye on this. We'll share more thoughts soon. 22. Continued DaaS Evolution: IndependenceIT, which started out in the DaaS (desktop asa service) sector for MSPs, continues to evolve. The latest move involves a new App Services Delivery Platform, and a new channel program for ISVs and MSPs. 21. File Sharing Security: FinalCode version 5.11 has arrived. The upgrade extends the platform's enterprise-grade file sharing security. Moreover, it has a range of  usability, interoperability and management enhancements -- including single sign-on authentication. 20. BlackBerry Challenges: BlackBerry's latest quarterly revenue was $334 million, down dramatically from $490 million in the same quarter last year, the company disclosed this morning. Several Cisco Systems veterans have been working to reinvent and bolster BlackBerry's channel partner programs in recent months. 19. Apple Watch in Healthcare: Aetna will offer Apple Watch discounts to some customers, while also giving the watch to its 50,000 employees, the health insurer said today. Memo to Aetna: Forget the watch discounts. Get health insurance costs under control... 18. Storage Startup IPO?: Tintri has filed to pursue an IPO. The startup specializes in all-flash arrays for virtualization and cloud... 17. Field Service Management: ServiceMax has unveiled multiple updates for its field service management platform... 16. Enterprise Managed IT Services: Mindtree has launched the next generation of its ATLAS managed services platform. The managed services system focuses heavily on application infrastructure, including performance metrics, optimization and analytics, the company asserts. 15. Managed Services for AWS, DevOps: ServInt has won an AWS Managed Services deal with Events.com. Under terms of the relationship, ServInt oversees Events' AWS production environment and assists with code deployments. The deal also includes business continuity services. A small but growing number of MSPs are pushing into managed DevOps services for AWS. Another example includes G2 Technology Group, which will describe its DevOps MSP strategy during a ChannelE2E Panel at Continuum Navigate 2016 on Thursday. 14. Office 365 Cloud Security: Barracuda has launched Barracuda Email Threat Scan for Office 365, a cloud-based service that gives customers a view of their email security posture by identifying latent threats, including hidden APTs, in corporate email environments, the company asserts. Watch for Barracuda to promote the service to MSPs -- particularly those that run Barracuda's Intronis business continuity services. 13. Microsoft-Workday Partnership: Microsoft and Workday are working more closely, essentially integrating Office 365 with Workday's SaaS offerings. The move comes as global systems integrators like Accenture buy up Workday consulting shops. 12. Office 365 Monitoring: 4ward has expanded its monitoring capabilities for Office 365 customers. Yes, the company has a partner program. 11. Cloud Management Tools: AppDirect's platform now features the Cloud Monetization Suite and Cloud Management Suite. The efforts allow customers to monetize and manage cloud services while supporting providers, developers, and consumers, the company claims. Jump to page two for items 10 through 1. The page load is fast and easy. Just click on page 2 to sip up the rest of this morning's list. 10. Dell EMC Meets Microsoft Azure: Dell EMC has launched a range of hybrid cloud solutions that integrate with Microsoft Azure. The efforts also include new Dell EMC Validated Systems for Microsoft Exchange and Validated Systems for Microsoft SQL -- essentially blending on-premises hardware, on-premises Microsoft software and extensions out to Azure. 9. Backup Storage Appliances: EMC dominates the market for backup storage appliances, with about 62 percent market share -- followed by Veritas (13.3 percent), IBM (5.6 percent), HP Enterprise (3 percent) and Dell Technologies (2.5 percent), according to IDC's Q2 rankings. Going forward, the Dell and EMC figures will be merged to reflect their recent business combination. A hunch: IDC needs to open its eyes a little wider and take a look at the SMB technology market, where multiple MSP-friendly companies offer backup appliances. And at least a few more are on the way... Soon... 8. MSP Software Integration: Webroot's endpoint security software now integrates with Atera, an emerging provider of cloud-based PSA (professional services automation) and RMM (remote monitoring and management) tools for MSPs. Webroot is particularly active across the MSP software market, having attended Autotask Community Live 2016 earlier this week before heading on to Continuum Navigate 2016 -- which starts today in Boston. 7. IoT Telecom Services: The global Internet of things (IoT) telecom services market will reach $18 billion by 2022, up from $2.90 billion in 2016. That's a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 43.6%, according to Research and Markets. Rising penetration of smart connected devices, the adoption of cloud and the demand for smart network bandwidth management and automation on communication operations will drive the growth, the researcher predicted. I'm always a bit wary of research like this. Lots of big numbers and no real penalty for predictions that turn out false... 6. Ten Most Common HIPAA Violations: Here they are, according to Health Systems Management. 5. Cisco's Midmarket Love Letter: Cisco Systems has published a blog that waxes poetic about midmarket channel partners. Of course Cisco -- and its rivals -- want to engage midmarket businesses. After all, there are only 2,000 companies in the Global 2000... ... 4. Small Business Succession Planning: Need a succession plan for your small business? Developing one can be a particularly thorny process -- especially if multiple family members are involved. This five-step tip sheet at least gives you a few starting points to consider. Need deeper advice? Check in with experts like HTG Peer Groups, which assists members with life planning and much more. 3. MSP Reporting: A new Continuum Reporting API surfaced today at the company's Navigate conference in Boston. The API allows technology partners to more deeply integrate with Continuum's MSP platform. The net result? MSPs "can now make authenticated requests for raw reporting data to build custom reports in-house or through a third party reporting vendor." True believers include IT Glue and BrightGauge, both are which are embracing the API. IT Glue is a fast-growing provider of MSP documentation tools. BrightGauge offers business intelligence capabilities to MSPs. 2. Join Us: ChannelE2E arrives at Continuum Navigate 2016 this morning in Boston. We'll be blogging live from the conference through Friday. We're also hosting two sessions -- in parallel -- at the conference. If you're at the show, join us on Thursday, Sept. 29 at 11:00 a.m. for these sessions:
  • Topic 1, Moderated by Amy Katz: Selling Solutions vs. Selling Products. Tips and Tricks for MSPs
  • Topic 2, Moderated by Me: Emerging MSP Opportunities in IoT, DevOps, Security & Public Cloud Workloads.
1. Thanks: Just a hunch but I suspect ChannelE2E is on pace for another record month of readership in September. Thanks for the role you've played in our ongoing growth. Without you there is no ChannelE2E. More: Read all of our daily 5 Channel Partner UpdatesPlusSubscribe to our daily enewsletter. Thanks to those who already have.    
Joe Panettieri

Joe Panettieri is co-founder & editorial director of MSSP Alert and ChannelE2E, the two leading news & analysis sites for managed service providers in the cybersecurity market.