5 things

5 Channel Partner Updates: 27 September 2016

Good morning, channel partners. Here are five technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to start your day for Tuesday, September 27, 2016.

Actually, there are 12 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…

12. RMM Rumor: Watch for a closer working relationship between Auvik Networks and Continuum. Just a rumor so far. But the relationship apparently will involve more than a reseller deal... Auvik specializes in network-centric RMM and recently signed a reseller agreement with ConnectWise.

11. Tech Discrimination?: Palantir Technologies Inc. allegedly discriminates against Asian job applicants in its hiring and selection process, the U.S. Department of Labor claimed in an administrative complaint, according to Bloomberg. The data analysis company, which has a $20 billion valuation, denies the allegations.

10. Freedom of the Press Goes Offline: Hofstra University essentially forced journalists to purchase a $200 WiFi connection and barred reporters from using their own access points during the presidential debates. But the story gets even worse: For $200, journalists received a WiFi network that apparently failed multiple times during the debate.

9. Favorite Cloud: Adobe says Microsoft Azure is now the company's preferred public cloud, though the photoshop maker will continue leveraging Amazon Web Services for some workloads.

8. Azure Cloud Monitoring Tool: Microsoft has launched Azure Monitor, a new service that makes monitoring available to all Azure users. This preview release builds on some of the monitoring capabilities that already exist for Azure resources, Microsoft said.

7. Windows Server With Docker: Microsoft will start shipping Docker's container engine with Windows Server. Docker's new channel partner program launched earlier this month.

6. New Puppet CEO: Puppet has promoted COO Sanjay Mirchandani to CEO and a member of the board of directors, succeeding founder Luke Kanies. Mirchandani is a veteran of EMC and Microsoft. Puppet specializes in software tools that improve DevOps processes.

5. Oracle Government Strategy: Oracle is leaving the General Services Administration’s schedules program. It’s not going to just stop selling directly through the IT schedule, but the software giant will no longer use third-party resellers either, according to Federal News Radio.

4. Veeam Distribution: Tech Data has expanded its relationship with Veeam Software. The result: Tech Data is now a "rental aggregator "for Veeam in the United States. The distributor will offer Veeam's business continuity software to CSPs through its Tech Data Cloud business.

3. Continuum 5-Years Later: It's been five years since Summit Partners acquired Continuum, essentially freeing the company from a downward spiral at former parent Zenith Infotech. The results? Continuum now monitors more than 1 million endpoints for its 5,800 MSP partners. Those MSPs, in turn, support 60,000 SMB customers. Also of note: Continuum's R1Soft backup platform now supports 250,000 servers worldwide. For a recap of Continuum's journey, check out this blog.

Paul Chisholm
Paul Chisholm
New VeriShip CEO Michael George

2. Speaking of Continuum: We're heading to Continuum Navigate 2016 later today. Stay tuned for live blogs from the conference. In addition to sitting down with CEO Michael George, we'll catch up with former mindSHIFT CEO Paul Chisholm.

1. Autotask Community Live Wrap-up: Autotask's annual user conference wraps up today in Hollywood, Fla. The IT automation software company announced end-point backup capabilities, and CEO Mark Cattini offered this update on Autotask's overall business. Stay tuned for more updates.

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.