5 things

5 Channel Partner Updates: 20 July 2016

Good morning, channel partners. Here are five technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to sip on for Wednesday, July 20, 2016. Actually, there are 19 entries for VARs, managed services providers (MSPs), cloud services providers (CSPs) and independent software vendors (ISVs) to sip on. Take a look… 19. Docker Under Attack: Docker Cloud suffered two DDoS attacks this week, knocking many customer systems offline. Docker Cloud is a container hosting service from Tutum, which Docker acquired in October 2015. Docker Cloud allows IT service providers and customers to deploy and manage Dockerized applications. A spokesman for Docker says the cloud service is taking steps to avoid similar outages in the future. Former Red Hat Channel  Chief Roger Egan now runs Docker's partner program. 18. SUSE Linux Partner Program: SUSE has launched a partner program that allows resellers to host SUSE software products on behalf of their end-user customer. SUSE Reseller Hosting allows resellers to more easily move toward managed services, the company claims. SUSE is one of Red Hat's top rivals in the commercial Linux market. 17. Intel Earnings and Security Business Sale?: Intel will announce Q2 2016 earnings results later today (July 20, 2016). Pundits are wondering if the Intel Security business (i.e., McAfee) is officially up for sale. At least two private equity firms apparently have interest in the business. Intel has been striving to focus more heavily on its data center, mobile and Internet of Things (IoT) efforts. The intensified focus has also included layoffs in recent months. 16. EMC Shareholders Approve Dell Deal: EMC shareholders approved Dell's takeover of the storage company in a Tuesday vote. Dell's buyout of EMC awaits regulatory approval from China. That approval could come later this month, and the combined companies will be know as Dell Technologies thereafter. For channel partners striving to work with the Dell-EMC business combination, keep an eye on these 10 factors and inflection points.
Satya Nadella
Satya Nadella
15. Inside Microsoft's Earnings: Amid growing cloud services revenues, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella last night suggested that he thinks of all Azure cloud customers as ISVs. Meanwhile, CFO Amy Hood said Microsoft's cloud gross profit margins will fluctuate before showing ongoing improvement sometime during this year. 14. SoftBank Suffers ARM Hangover: SoftBank's surprise $32 billion takeover of ARM Holdings has been met with investor skepticism. SoftBank's shares plunged Tuesday, wiping $7 billion off its market capitalization as investors questioned the ARM Holdings buyout price tag, The Wall Street Journal said. SoftBank insists ARM can give the company a leg up on mobile, Internet of Things and data center chips. 13. IBM Full-Year Forecast Questions: Although IBM's overall business is beginning to stabilize, Wall Street is greeting IBM's full-year profit forecast with skepticism, Reuters says. Several pundits suggest the company is over-promising on profits amid the shift from hardware and software toward cloud services. 12. IBM MSP Strategy: IBM will have a strong presence this September at Navigate 2016, an MSP customer conference hosted by Continuum. Hmmm... We'll share more thoughts soon.
Meaghan Sullivan Meaghan Sullivan
11. SAP Cloud Momentum: SAP SE's Q2 operating profit was far ahead of Wall Street's expectations, the company reported this morning. The company's cloud subscriptions and support revenue rose 41 percent in the quarter. Looking ahead, it appears that SMB cloud revenues -- involving channel partners -- will be a major emphasis. The company in June named Barry Padgett as SAP's first-ever SMB Solutions president. And in July, SAP launched a Concur channel partner program. VP Meaghan Sullivan explained the SME (small and midsize enterprise) channel partner strategy in a May podcast with CompTIA and ChannelE2E. 10. Open Source RMM Software: Savvius has unveiled Savvius Insight 2.0, which leverages the open source ELK (Elasticsearch, Logstash, and Kibana) stack. Savvius Insight allows IT service providers to manage 1G networks for SMB customers, the company claims. We'll share more thoughts soon. But Wait. There's More. Go to Page 2 for Items 9 to 1. We promise. No Slide Shows Await You... Welcome to page two of today's updates, featuring items 9 to 1. 9. BlackBerry Software and Security Strategy: The mobile company made several major moves yesterday and perhaps even won a key government contract along the way. We'll share more thoughts -- and channel implications -- later today. 8. Ericsson CEO Change?: Major Ericsson shareholders suggest the mobile network equipment maker needs a new CEO, according to a media report from Dagens Industri. Ericsson's business has been under intense pressure amid soft carrier spending. Chatter about the potential CEO change lifted Ericsson's stock yesterday. Hans Vestberg, 51, has been CEO for six years. Amid cut-throat competition from Huawei Technologies and Nokia, Ericsson cut about 4,000 employees last quarter, Reuters reports. 7. Acronis Upgrade: Acronis Backup 12, a major upgrade, apparently requires only three clicks to install. The new offering is available now through Acronis partners -- many of whom are emerging cloud services providers. 6. Veeam Momentum: Veeam Software says bookings revenue grew 38 percent in Q2 2016 vs. Q2 2015. The company now has 200,000 paying customers, including 70 percent of the Fortune 500 and 50 percent of the Global 2000. Still, the business continuity company faces intensifying competition from a range of cloud- and on-premises backup and disaster recovery software businesses. 5. Business Continuity for Financial Services: Alphaserve, an IT service provider that supports hedge fund companies, has launched Advisory Services to assist asset management firms with Business Continuity Plans, Disaster Recovery and Security Advisory Services. It's a timely move. Alphaserve is striving to capitalize on a recent SEC recommendation involving business continuity services. 4. Data Center Acquisition: Digital Bridge Holdings, a global communications infrastructure company, has acquired DataBank, a Dallas-based provider of  colocation, managed, cloud and network services. DataBank has six data centers, which are located in Dallas, North Dallas, Minneapolis and Kansas City. Digital Bridge has partnered with Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA), Allstate Investments and The Edgewater Funds in the acquisition. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. 3. How to Slash Software Costs: Organizations can slash their software costs by 30 percent using three best practices, according to Gartner. 2. Greed and Private Equity: No doubt, many private equity firms invest for the long haul and focus on true business building. But Harvard Business School has taken a close look at the PE industry and raises this timely question: Is Greed Ruining Private Equity Firms? Hmmm... 1. Exit Strategies At ChannelCon 2016: ChannelE2E is hosting a panel at CompTIA ChannelCon 2016, titled The Five Step Exit Plan (Wednesday, Aug. 3, 9:45 a.m. ET). Join us as MSPs and IT service providers describe how they launched, built and sold their businesses. Got questions? Email me: [email protected]. More: Read all of our daily 5 Channel Partner UpdatesPlusSubscribe to our daily enewsletter. Thanks to those who already have.  
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.