5 things

5 Channel Partner Updates: 22 December 2016

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Good morning, channel partners. Here are five technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to start your day for Thursday, December 22, 2016.

Actually, there are 11 timely entries 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…

11. Managed Services Win: RigNet, an MSP focused on the energy vertical, has won a multi-year deal with a "premier offshore driller." The deal spans managed services, network optimization and cyber security services for  drillships, semisubmersibles, and jackups deployed around the world. The win is especially timely for RigNet, which has seen its core customer base shrink in the challenging oil industry. RigNet did not disclose the deal's value.

10. Security Channel Partners: Resellers of Palo Alto Networks are "very bullish" on their outlook for 2017, according to a Piper Jaffray survey. The same survey revealed upbeat views on Symantec and Proofpoint. The situation isn't quite as rosy for FireEye, the survey found.

9. More Apple Mac Criticism: After Bloomberg sugested Apple has ignored Mac desktop users for years, The Verge suggests that MacOS is becoming "legacy software -- an afterthought on its way to becoming abandonware." Apple has repeatedly insisted that the company is committed to MacOS and Mac desktops. But sales have slumped and the only folks who seem happy are middle-aged dudes (ahem... like me) who like MacOS just the way it is.

8. Refurbished Apple Watches: Yup, the Apple Store is now selling refurbished Apple Watches -- including Series 1 and Series 2 offerings. The clock on my iPhone is still working fine so I've yet to open my wallet for Apple Watch...

7. PSA for Government Agencies: FinancialForce, a PSA platform built on Salesforce.com, has momentum with some IT consulting firms and midmarket MSPs. Now the company is generating some success in the government market. Recent wins in the UK public sector include the National Audit Office (NAO) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), FinancialForce asserts.

6. Cloud Distribution: The Ingram Micro Cloud Marketplace now supports Microsoft Azure, Dropbox Business and BitTitan in the Middle East. The updates reinforce Ingram Micro Cloud's continued worldwide expansion. 

5. Partner Program Momentum: Cohesity, which specializes in hyperconverged secondary storage, has added more than 100 partners across the US, Canada and Europe since launching the Revolution Partner Program earlier this year.

4. M&A - Managed Services: Sentia has acquired two MSPs in Denmark -- Solido and Jaynet. The deal expands Sentia's regional footprint while also adding vendor expertise (Microsoft, Cisco, Dell, VMware, IBM) and hybrid cloud services to the company's portfolio.

3. Security Analytics: Logtrust and Panda Security have launched Advanced Reporting Tool (ART), which automatically generates security intelligence that allows organizations to pinpoint attacks and unusual behaviors, and detect internal misuse of systems and networks, the company's claim.

2. SOC Platform for MSSPs: So you want to transform into a managed security services provider (MSSP). Perhaps you'll need a SOC (security operations center) to do so. With those thoughts in mind keep an eye on Cyberbit's SOC 3D automation and orchestration platform. We'll share more details soon...

Service Leadership Inc. CEO Paul Dippell
Paul Dippell

1. What's Your Business Really Worth?: Find out by attending our next webcast on January 26, 2017. The Topic: How Much Is Your Business Really Worth? (And How to Increase That Valuation). Our guest speaker: Service Leadership Inc. CEO Paul Dippell. Bonus: We'll unveil the top 100 mergers and acquisitions involving VARs, MSPs and CSPs from 2016. Register now.

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.