5 things

5 Channel Partner Updates: 19 May 2017

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Good morning, channel partners. Here are five technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to start your day for Friday, May 19, 2017.

Actually, there are 14 updates 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…

14. Avaya Revenues: Avaya's Q2 revenue was $804 million, down $71 million compared to the prior quarter and down $100 million year-over-year, the company says. The decline comes as Avaya works to navigate its Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. On a hopeful note, Avaya says it has signed more than 1,100 customer contracts since filing for chapter 11 through March 31, 2017. I don't know how that number compares vs. the corresponding period last year...

13. Network Switches: Extreme Networks has unveiled the ExtremeSwitching X870 Series, which offer customers high-density 100 gigabit (GB) fixed form switches, suited for top-of-rack and leaf-spine architectures, the company says. Also, ExtremeSwitching X620-16p and X460-G2 Ethernet multi-rate switches integrate the latest IEEE 802.3bz and NBASE-T Alliance multi-rate Ethernet standards to support 1GB, 2.5GB and 5GB data rates, Extreme adds.

12. WiFi for MSPs: Take a close look at this Cambium Networks announcement. Yup, another networking vendor that's apparently designing products to be more MSP-friendly. Datto, another key player focused on MSPs, yesterday announced a VP of Networking to drive that business.

11. Channel Management Software: Zyme has upgraded its channel data management platform with a boatload of new features.

10. Partner Relationship Management (PRM) Software: Webinfinity has launched a "Next-Generation" PRM platform, which seeks to "create personalized digital experiences that drive revenue, increase engagement and build loyalty." (In the old days, we had face to face meetings and cocktails to do all that.)

9. RMM and Hybrid Cloud Management: RackWare has launched a new product suite that expands upon its RMM platform for cloud migration and data protection.  The Advanced Hybrid Cloud Management Suite extends the image management, mobility, and data protection capabilities of the newly released RMM 6.0 platform, the company asserts.

8. IT Contractor Implosion: What does it look like when an IT consulting firm implodes? Here's some of the aftermath...

7. Government Security: iGov has embraced Trivalent to promote data security and privacy protection across Windows and Android platforms in the government.

6. Security Partnership: Clavister will complement its virtual and appliance-based security services with the Webroot BrightCloud IP Reputation Service. The solution allows Clavister customers to discover and mitigate malicious incoming IP addresses.

5. IBM Blockchain Ecosystem: IBM has unveiled the Blockchain Founder Accelerator, which is designed to help enterprises and developers take blockchain networks into production faster. The accelerator provides expertise and support across the technology, legal and business considerations of establishing new blockchain networks, IBM asserts.

4. Veeam Backup Partners: StarWind, a provider of hyperconverged infrastructure, has launched a Veeam-ready Virtual Tape Library solution for backup and replication of Veeam data into Amazon Web Services S3 & Glacier. Also, DataGravity has launched DataGravity for Availability with support for Veeam Backup and Replication 9.5, including the cloud. This solution automatically responds to data exposure and security threats in a Veeam backup repository, DataGravity claims. Related: VeeamOn 2017 conference news & analysis.

Author: Autotask Senior VP Len DiCostanzo
SVP Len DiCostanzo

3. Collaboration Software: Autotask has launched Workplace Server, an add-on to the company’s File Sync and Share solution. Workplace Server enables employees to collaborate on business files in an office or remotely on any device, the company says. While most Autotask designs most of its products to help technology service providers modernize their businesses, Workplace Server may also appeal to end-customers. Indeed, Senior VP of Channel Development Len DiCostanzo has developed new partner program toolkits to help VARs and MSPs promote Workplace Server into their customer accounts.

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff

2. Salesforce Partner Questions: Salesforce announced strong quarterly results yesterday, but sidestepped questions about partner- and ISV-driven revenues. The company's revenue grew nearly 25 percent to $2.39 billion. Impressive. Actually, very impressive. Throughout the earnings call, Salesforce executives praised partners -- from Accenture to ISVs -- for their role in the momentum. Nice touch. But when asked about specific revenue figures tied to partners, Salesforce declined to answer the question... Consider me disappointed.

1. Tuesday: That's the day. For what? Stay tuned.

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.