5 Channel Partner Updates: 28 October 2016 -

Good morning, channel partners. Here are five technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to start your day for Friday, October 28, 2016.

Actually, there are 11 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 Print Services M&A: Apogee, a managed print services provider, has acquired Direct Business Systems (DBS), an office equipment specialist, according to Business Sale Report.

10. More Channel M&A: Temprano Techvestors, the company dedicated to bringing European software products and services to market in North America, has acquired Network Security Group (NSG), a network security solutions provider focused on working with value-added resellers (VARs), small to midsize businesses, educational institutions, and government agencies. Temprano founder Luke Walling is an IT channel veteran with considerable M&A experience.

9. Hard Times for Hardware: Xerox's quarterly revenue fell nearly 3 percent, the seventh straight quarter of decline, as sales of its printers and copiers continue to fall, reuters noted.

8. Major UK IT Price Increases: Apple is raising Mac prices in the UK by 20 percent, Bloomberg says. The move comes one week after Microsoft announced UK cloud and software price increases that start January 1, 2017. The increases attempt to offset Brexit (Britain's exit from the European Union) fallout and the weak British Pound. We'll share more thoughts on this soon.

7. Is This A Good Idea?: CenturyLink is in advanced talks to merge with Level 3 Communications, The Wall Street Journal says. Amid those talks, CenturyLink also is trying to sell off its data center business sometime this quarter. Perhaps a little less M&A and a little more home-grown innovation would be wiser?

6. Distributor M&A: During an earnings call yesterday, Ingram Micro said the company's sale to a Chinese logistics giant is still on track to close later this year. During a separate earnings call, Avnet said its Avnet Technology Solutions (TS) business unit sale to Tech Data also remains on track. The TS business, however, suffered a serious slowdown in the quarter.

5. Twitter Kills Vine: If you blinked for more than 10 seconds you missed it. Wink, wink.

4. Ninja MSP and Security: I heard chatter that Malwarebytes now integrates with NinjaMSP, the RMM platform launched by multiple PacketTrap veterans.

3. HIPAA & Compliance Expert: Compliance and business continuity expert Mike Semel remains a master of timely, insightful communications. Among the latest Semel dispatches to land in my inbox: "I’m not sure if you are aware of the proposed New York State regulations that will affect many resellers and their financial service clients that are licensed to do business in New York." Frankly, I didn't know about the proposed regulations. I'll be checking in with Semel for more details. Perhaps you should, too, regardless of what state you're in.

2. Meet ChannelE2E: We're attending the following conferences ahead of the New Year. Want to potentially meet? Email me: [email protected]