5 Channel Partner Updates: 15 March 2017

Good morning, channel partners. Here are five technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to start your day for Wednesday, March 15, 2017. Actually, there are 21 timely 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… 21. VMware Workspace Management: VMware has upgraded Workspace ONE, which supports application and access management, unified endpoint management (VMware AirWatch), and virtual application delivery (VMware Horizon). The upgrade is particularly timely on the competitive front, considering rival Citrix Systems essentially is up for sale. Citrix makes Workspace Cloud, which competes against Workspace ONE. 20. Multi-Cloud Management: Console Connect, a provider of global direct connect solutions, now partners with Green House Data, a nationwide data center service provider. The result: Green House Data customers can now leverage the Console platform to extend private network connections to cloud providers, SaaS services and other enterprises from its Seattle colocation facility in the Westin Building Exchange. Additional deployments are planned in the company’s other operating regions.

19. IoT & Big Data Management: MapR Technologies has unveiled MapR Edge, a small footprint edition of the MapR Converged Data Platform. The offering can capture, process, and analyze data generated by Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices close to the source. MapR Edge provides secure local processing, quick aggregation of insights on a global basis, the company says. Related: MapR CEO Matt Mills described the company's partner strategy in this recent podcast with ChannelE2E and CompTIA. 18. HyperGrid Momentum: HyperGrid, a hybrid cloud-as-a-service provider, more than doubled its revenues in 2016, though the company didn't disclose actual dollar figures. Key moves included the DCHQ acquisition; the launch of its new platform, HyperCloud; and the introduction of a new consumption based business model.  17. Oracle Partner Win: Mythics, an MSP and IT consulting firm, has won a $293 million enterprise software license agreement (ESLA) with the United States Air Force. Under the terms of the deal, the Air Force will use Mythics License Orchestrator (MLO) as a centralized enterprise portal to manage the Air Force's portfolio of Oracle products. Mythics is a top Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) member.

Mark Hurd

16. Oracle Earnings: Oracle is expected to announce quarterly earnings later today. Naturally, all eyes are on Oracle's cloud revenues -- which need to grow faster than Oracle's traditional hardware and software sales decline. Oracle apparently had some targeted layoffs in recent weeks, including cuts to the former Tekelec business, according to one report. We'll be listening for updates from CEO Mark Hurd... 15. Hackers vs. the Feds: U.S. federal agencies suffered more than 30,000 cyberattack incidents in 2016, and 16 of those attacks were considered "significant," according to a White House report. The big question: How many attacks went undiscovered? Hmmm... 14. Security Partner Program: LookingGlass CyberSolutions, which specializes in threat intelligence solutions, has launched a new partner portal. It supports automated deal registration and instant co-branded marketing collateral. 13. Ransomware Mitigation: Swimlane, which specializes in automated incident response and security orchestration, now integrates with Trend Micro Deep Discovery. The integration will help customers to identify and respond to targeted attacks and ransomware, the companies claim.  12. New IoT Security Threat: Trend Micro is reporting a new threat to Linux-based Internet of Things devices that is specifically able to exploit a specific vulnerability in surveillance cameras made by AVTech, according to SC Media. Internet advocates are particularly concerned about IoT security, since sensors and edge devices have been used to launch massive DDoS attacks and other types of activities in recent months. In response, Consumer Reports and other organizations have been working to develop best practices for IoT security. 11. NEC Security Operations Center:  Infosec Corp., a specialized security company owned by NEC Group, has launched Infosec America. As part of the move, Infosec in April will launch a  Security Operations Center (SOC) in Santa Clara, Calif. But wait. More content awaits you on page 2. Proceed to page two now and sip up the remaining items... Welcome to page two. Enjoy a second serving of channel content -- items 10 to 1 -- here. 10. Cisco-Navisite Partnership: Navisite, part of Spectrum Enterprise, has deployed Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (Cisco ACI) to power software-defined networking in Navisite's eight data centers worldwide. 9. Vertical Market IT Services: Ingram Micro's Vertical Live Expo is interacting with more than 2,200 channel partners across the United States. Moreover, the expo recently launched four new Technology Solution Blueprints to empower partners focused on education, healthcare, legal/finance and retail. Among the recent content additions: Security Blueprints that feature market-specific business planning strategies. 8. Office 365 for Law Firms: Rocket Matter, a cloud-based legal practice management platform, has developed deeper integrations with Microsoft Office 365. The integration provides two-way calendar and contact syncs, as well as the ability to save emails and Word, PowerPoint, and Excel documents directly into Rocket Matter.

Chris Pyle

7. Office 365 Total Cost of Ownership: What's the true price of Office 365? Champion Solutions Group and MessageOps went searching for answers, and developed this Office 365 total cost of ownership report. As you may recall, MessageOps CEO Chris Pyle has extensive experience launching, building and selling IT services companies in and around the Office 365 market. We'll share more thoughts soon. 6. Microsoft Teams Launch: Microsoft, as expected, has launched Teams -- a potential alternative to Slack. We'll share more thoughts later today. 5, MSP Expansion: Infoverity, a provider of Master Data Management (MDM) and Product Information (PIM) strategy and implementation solutions, has expanded its global managed services capabilities. Indeed, the company opened a new facility in Dublin, Ohio and hired six software engineers for the effort. 4. DevOps for Amazon AWS: Relus Cloud, an Advanced Consulting Partner in the AWS Partner Network (APN), has achieved the AWS DevOps Competency designation. The competency "validates the firm’s demonstrated technical proficiency and proven success with implementing continuous integration and delivery, as well as automating infrastructure with configuration management tools," Relus claims. A growing number of MSPs offer DevOps-type services for AWS. Among the key examples: G2 Technology Group, an MSP in Boston that assists SaaS companies with continuous software delivery. 3. Hybrid Cloud Monitoring: Blue Medora, which specializes in hybrid cloud monitoring and IT operational analytics (ITOA) has grown its product business by more than 240 percent and increased its customer base by 200 percent over the past year. The company did not disclose actual revenue dollars or customer figures. 2. Funding - Data Centers: Teraco Data Environments, a data center provider in Africa, has raised 1.2 billion rand ($90 million) to further extend its IT infrastructure across Africa. Among the potential benefactors: MSP software companies, several of which have been looking to increase their cloud-based footprints across Africa. 1. Need Money, Funding?: Check out the ChannelE2E Funding Database, which lists hundreds of lenders, incubators, angel investors, private equity firms and venture capitalists across the United States. Yes, you can search the free database for funding experts in your state.