Good morning, channel partners. Here are five technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to sip on for Wednesday, June 1, 2016.
Actually, there are 13 entries for VARs, managed services providers (MSPs), cloud services providers (CSPs) and independent software vendors (ISVs) to sip on. Take a look…
13. MSP Software M&A: eFolder has acquired Replibit as part of an aggressive, end-to-end BDR (backup and disaster recovery) platform expansion, the companies confirmed today. The move, the latest in a long list of BDR M&A deals across the industry, seeks to counter Datto in some ways, ChannelE2E believes.
12. When A Loss Is a Victory: Michael Dell and his private equity partners underpaid when they acquired Dell in 2013, a judge has ruled. The $25 billion price tag should have been $31 billion, the judge said. The twist? Corporate laws protect Dell and Silver Lake Partners from paying that $6 billion gap. Instead, Dell will have to pay about $35 million to shareholders, The Wall Street Journal estimated.
11. Workspace as a Service: Pax8 has agreed to offer CloudJumper’s nWorkSpace for the delivery of cloud desktops, applications and complete IT workspaces, the two companies said. Pax8 has a cloud marketplace that IT solutions providers can leverage for customer migrations. Workspace as a Service (WaaS) has largely leapfrogged the original Desktop as a Service (DaaS) terminology as MSPs and customers seek to manage all application activity across all devices.
10. IoT and RMM: One Plus Corp., which focuses on remote waste compactor monitoring systems, has acquired SmartBin, an Internet of Things (IoT) sensor technology and software company in the waste management and recycling sector. It's not exactly your classic RMM (remote monitoring and management) platform for MSPs, but it reinforces the ongoing shift toward the Internet of absolutely everything...
9. MSP Best Practices: CompTIA has launched a Channel Standard for Managed IT Solution Providers. The standard provides a checklist of policies and practices that can help any managed IT solution provider raise the quality of the services they offer and the value they provide to their customers, according to Kelly Ricker, senior vice president, events and education, CompTIA.
8. Cloud Momentum: Public cloud services adoption is growing nearly 50 percent annually, according to a Cisco Systems estimate. Just don't tell the state of Arizona... (see item 7).
7. Cloud Veto: Arizona' governor has vetoed a bill that would have forced state agencies to embrace cloud computing. Although the governor believes state agencies need to accelerate cloud adoption, he didn't agree with key points in the bill -- including stiff penalties for IT managers who wouldn't abandon on-premises gear...
6. Return of Microsoft SBS?: Is Microsoft developing a new version of Small Business Server (SBS), the on-premises workhorse that drove the SMB channel for nearly a decade? The answer is... here.
5. Workday Going Channel: During an earnings call last night, Workday Robynne Sisco said the company is shifting more of its professional services business to IT consultants and channel partners. Here are the details.
4. Salesforce M&A: Salesforce.com is buying Demandware, which provides software to design e-commerce websites, for about $2.8 billion. The acquisition is Salesforce's largest to date, topping its $2.5 billion purchase of marketing software maker ExactTarget in 2013, Reuters reported.
3. Security Partner Program: ThreatQuotient, a threat intelligence platform provider, says its Threat Alliance Program (TAP) is gaining strategic partners around the globe. Led by channel veteran Faraz Siraj, TAP is designed to work with all types of partners -- including resellers, VARs, MSPs and MSSPs. The program has seen significant growth within North America, Europe and the Middle East, though the company didn't disclose actual growth figures.
2. Google Selling Lenovo Stock: Google is seeking to raise between $218 million and $221 million by selling Lenovo shares, Reuters said. The timing is ironic, considering Lenovo's stock has plummeted in recent quarters amid poor PC and smartphone sales. Lenovo pushing into the hyperconverged data center market and also preparing a range of consumer products to help offset the slump.
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