Good morning, channel partners. Here are five technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to sip on for Thursday, May 12, 2016.
Actually, there are 14 entries for VARs, managed services providers (MSPs), cloud services providers (CSPs) and independent software vendors (ISVs) to sip on. Take a look…
14. IBM Cloud Market Share: IBM's cloud is losing ground to Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure in the cloud market, according to this Barron's analysis. Yes, IBM's cloud revenues are growing quickly. But the IBM Softlayer business isn't growing as rapidly as AWS and Azure, the coverage suggests.
13. SAP Cloud Profits?: SAP expects its HANA Enterprise Cloud business to break even this year. The reason? The business is scaling rapidly and requires less physical infrastructure investment, according to CEO Bill McDermott. That cloud push includes partners serving small and midsize enterprise (SME) customers, as VP Meaghan Sullivan explained in our recent ChannelE2E podcast.
12. Google Counters Amazon Echo: Although the consumer IoT market is off to a rough start (example: Google NEST), new innovations and competitive offerings continue to flow into the market. A key example: Google is preparing to launch Chirp, an in-home digital assistant that will counter Amazon Echo...
11. Google's Nationwide Broadband Plan: So how exactly will Google Fiber evolve over the next few years? Recode takes a close look at the Google Fiber strategy, and the potential implications for U.S. consumers and businesses.
10. Need funding?: If so, here are five traits angel investors look for in startups. I'll add number six to the list: A path to profitability. Sure, many angels emphasize growth. But during my brief time as a Golden Seeds member, I wanted to hear more about how a business would cross the chasm from hyper growth to actual profits...
9. Small Business Loans: Wells Fargo is launching a fast-paced lending solution to compete with online lenders in the short-term small business lending market. The bank's FastFlex Small Business Loan is an online, fast-decision loan funded as soon as the next business day with "competitive interest rates," according to FierceFinanceIT. Poke around for details over on Wells Fargo Works for Small Business.
8. Five Stages of Financing: Speaking of raising money, Mondaq suggests there are five stages in the financing lifecycle. They include concept financing, seed financing, launch financing, growth financing and maturity/exit financing. Hmmm... In the case of ChannelE2E and parent After Nines Inc., we're bootstrapping the business. Amy Katz manages the financial strategy. (A major relief for all shareholders -- aka Amy and me.)
7. KPIs for Service Providers: We recently mentioned that 50 percent of small businesses fail to identify and manage KPIs (key performance indicators). Now, ConnectWise is evangelizing three KPIs that matter most for technology solutions providers. Hmmm... We'll be back with more analysis soon.
6. Dell-EMC Merger Moves: Dell is expected to complete the $67 billion EMC buyout in July, according to CRN UK. Over the next few weeks, Dell will be seeking to finalizing financing for the deal. Some pundits have speculated that Dell will sell off more assists as part of the financing moves. But rumors about Dell potentially selling its Quest Software and SonicWall businesses have died down in recent weeks.
5. Tech Industry Warning: Tech layoffs have more than doubled in California's Bay Area (Santa Clara, San Mateo, Alameda, San Francisco) when comparing January-April 2016 to the corresponding period in 2015, according to the San Jose Mercury News. Time to panic? Perhaps not. But definitely a warning sign that the tech industry could be due for a bit of a correction...
4. Partner Programs and Channel Chiefs: Updates include...
- Amazon Web Services Canada has named Rob Stevens as its channel chief, Computer Dealer News reported. Stevens is an SAP Canada veteran. AWS has provided cloud services in Canada since 2005, according to CDN.
- Prevalent, which specializes in vendor threat intelligence, has launched the Prevalent Partner Program. Find details here.
- RealPage, which develops on-demand property management software, has launched a Value Added Reseller Partner program, centering on opportunities in commercial real estate solutions. This nationwide partner program will be available beginning in early May.
3. IT Services Acquisition, Part I: Great Hill Partners has acquired majority control of Evolve IP, a cloud services provider (CSP) in Wayne, Pa. Here are the details.
2. IT Services Acquisition, Part II: OneSource Technology, a managed IT partner serving businesses in Kansas and Oklahoma, has acquired ICT Technical Services, a Wichita-based managed IT provider serving small and mid-sized business clients.We'll share more details soon.
1. Channel Partner Conferences: For a complete list of channel partner events and summits, check out the ChannelE2E Technology Event Calendar. Or, submit your partner summit for potential inclusion on the calendar.
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