Good morning, channel partners. Here are five technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to start your day for Thursday, May 18, 2017.
Actually, there are 10 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…
10. VeeamOn Conference: Our live coverage from the VeeamOn 2017 conference continues here.
9. SolarWinds Acquires Server Monitoring: SolarWinds has acquired Scout, a SaaS-based server monitoring platform that will now be called Pingdom Server Monitor. SolarWinds positions Pingdom as an ideal tool for DevOps teams that need to monitor continuous software delivery projects and the servers upon which they run. The big question: Will Pingdom technology somehow find its way into the SolarWinds MSP's portfolio -- perhaps as a new capability for existing RMM (remote monitoring and management) software? Hmmm... We'll share more thoughts soon.
8. Partner Program - Desktop as a Service: Workspot, which specializes in virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), has launched a Cloud Consulting Partner Program to promote the company's Workspot DaaS 2.0 (Desktop-as-a-Service) efforts. Workspot aligns closely with Microsoft Azure. Ironically, VMware earlier this week announced its own DaaS efforts running in Azure.
7. M&A - IT Service Management: ServiceNow has acquired Qlue and invested in BuildOnMe. The moves seek to "apply intelligent automation to improve user experiences and process automation using virtual agent technologies across IT, HR, Customer Service and Security workflows." We'll share more details soon.
6. Distribution - Cloud Backup: Cloud Harmonics has agreed to distribute Rubrik's cloud data management platform to its network of roughly 500+ active VARs. Rubrik is a next-generation cloud backup provider that has a pre-IPO valuation of more than $1 billion, according to multiple media estimates.
5. Cloud Backup Meets Security: StoneFly Inc. has expanded its scalable cloud storage for Veeam into the Microsoft Azure Government cloud computing platform for new and existing Veeam customers, the company announced amid VeeamOn 2017 in New Orleans.
4, Rackspace Retreating?: Rackspace may pull out of its very first data center amid various cost considerations, BizJournals reports. Although the company has a growing managed cloud services practice across Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform, home-grown Rackspace cloud data centers haven't kept pace with rivals. Apollo Global Management, a private equity firm, acquired Rackspace last year. But the changes didn't end there. Rackspace announced plans to cut 6 percent of U.S. employees earlier this year, and CEO Taylor Rhodes recently resigned to join a startup.
3. Talent - MSP Market, Parts 1 & 2: Some major talent moves surfaced today at Auvik Networks and Datto, respectively. The names to know: SolarWinds MSP Veteran Alistair Forbes joined Auvik's board, and Datto hired John Tippett as VP of Networking. Both developments surfaced on ChannelE2E earlier today. Shocker, eh?
2. Talent - MSP Market, Part 3: Stay tuned for another well-known MSP industry veteran joining an MSP-friendly company sometime next week. We'll let you know who she is (and where she's set to surface) before we launch our next IT media site (say what?).
1. ChannelE2E's Next Product Launch: Loyal readers know we've been hinting about our next move for several weeks now. It's actually a two-part move. First, we're doubling down on ChannelE2E -- including the continued expansion of our contributing blogger team. Special thanks to you for helping to double our readership in April 2017 vs. April 2016. Second, we're set to unveil something completely new. It will arrive sometime next week. But we're carefully avoiding information leakage in the meantime. Stay tuned...
