5 Channel Partner Updates: 3 January 2017

Good morning, channel partners. Here are five technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to start your day for Tuesday, January 3, 2017. Actually, there are 19 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… 19. A Quick Hello: Welcome to the first business day of 2017. For first-time visitors, welcome to ChannelE2E -- the fastest-growing IT media platform we've ever launched. Here's a little bit about us and why we launched ChannelE2E in September 2015. PS: And as you'll quickly learn, our daily "top five" list is never limited to five items. 18. Intel Acquisition?: The chip giant is seeking to buy a stake in HERE, a digital mapping firm controlled by Daimler, BMW and Volkswagen, Reuters reports. Autonomous cars, not by coincidence, will grab the spotlight later this week at the CES conference in Las Vegas. 17. Apple iPhone Shrinkage: Apple plans to cut iPhone production about 10 percent in Q1 2017, according to Nikkei. The maturing smartphone market coupled with the Apple Watch's lackluster start has forced the company to lean more on services... like just about every other technology company out there. 16. IT Services vs. Geopolitical Issues: The leaders of two of India’s largest technology services companies, Infosys Ltd. and Wipro Ltd., have warned employees that their industry faced a grave threat from rising political and economic conflict around the world, according to Bloomberg. Employees need to innovate and bring out their best to survive, Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka said in a year-end note to staff, the report stated. Hmmm... Instead of calling on employees to innovate how about we call on CEOs to lead?

15. StorageCraft -- One Year Later: It's been one year since a private equity firm acquired StorageCraft and hired SonicWall veteran Matt Medeiros as CEO. So how has StorageCraft evolved its channel partner strategy? We'll share plenty of updates -- soon. 14. Acronis Embraces Microsoft CSPs: Acronis, which focuses on hybrid cloud data protection, is opening its arms wide to Microsoft Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) and Azure partners. A new Acronis Backup Cloud Extension for Azure allows Microsoft CSPs can sell hybrid cloud backup services that protect on-premises datacenters, physical and virtual machines, and mobile devices, the company claims. Acronis has been touting the enhancements to partners in Mumbai, India. 13. Funding for Your Business, Part I: Entrepreneurs in the Richmond, Va., area can apply for the SCORECard Business Model Canvas Competition. According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch: Entrepreneurs who have been in business for less than a year — or are thinking of starting a business — are eligible to enter the competition. Participants must be based in the Richmond area and must not have won a competition with a cash award in the past year. First prize is $5,000 and a year of free office space for one person in 1E, a collaborative workspace in The Times-Dispatch building. 12. Funding for Your Business, Part II: HTG has launched a Shark Tank of sorts for its IT service provider members. The organization’s goal: Inspire MSPs to write innovative marketing plans for 2017, and then award three MSPs some cash to spend on those marketing plans. The grand prize is $25,000, followed by $15,000 for the second-place winner and $10,000 for third place. 11. Funding For Your Business, Part III: Visit the  the ChannelE2E Funding and Financial Database for a list of incubators, angel investors, venture capitalists and financial mentors. The database has funding resources for every U.S. state. But wait. There's more. Visit Page 2 for items 10 to 1 and the exciting conclusion to this blog. Welcome to Page 2 and items 10 to 1. Here's the exciting conclusion you've been waiting for. 10. Twenty Qualities That Define Successful Entrepreneurs: If you've got these 20 traits you're bound to be a successful entrepreneur, according to Sanjay Mehta, an angel investor. My business partner, Amy Katz, embodies many of those traits. Me? I blog. And break our website for a living. 8. Potential IPOs in 2017: Here are seven highly valued tech startups that could IPO in 2017, according to MarketWatch. Building on that thought, here are 15 software companies that could IPO this year, according to Thomson Reuters. We'll share more thoughts on both lists soon... 7. ESOP Tips: Want to make an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) work for your business? Perhaps this Bizjournals article filled with ESOP tips can help... 6. Ingram and HPE's Aruba: Ingram Micro has expanded its relationship with Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, to become an Aruba Authorized Training Center. On a somewhat related note, Aruba Atmosphere 2017 -- the company's partner and customer conference, is set for late February in Nashville, Tenn.

Ralph Wasner

5. MSP Talent: First National Technology Solutions (FNTS) has hired Ralph Wasner as CTO. Most recently, Wasner was VP of technology and operations at HGS, where he worked with several telecom companies to deploy new technologies in order to reduce overhead and improve customer focus. FNTS in mid-2016 restructured its executive team to include Kim Whittaker as president and Dan Caldwell as CFO and COO. 4. First MSP Merger of 2017: The deal involves Kite Technology Group and AIS Technology merging to focus on the insurance vertical... 3. Data Center Acquired: Hines Global REIT has sold KOMO Plaza, a multi-tenant data center in downtown Seattle, to GI TC Seattle LLC, for about $276 million, according to Commercial Property Executive. Though still considered a data center, much of the location actually is office, broadcast and retail space, the report said.

Paul Dippell

2. How Much Is Your Business Worth?: Find out. Register now and attend our next webcast on January 26. Service Leadership CEO Paul Dippell will explain VAR, MSP and CSP valuations -- and the key steps you can take to increase the worth of your business. I'll be on hand to moderate questions from you and other attendees. 1. Thank You: For starting your morning and your business year with ChannelE2E. We appreciate your readership and your feedback. Email me your thoughts, tips and constructive criticism ([email protected]). More: Read all of our daily 5 Channel Partner Updates. Plus: Subscribe to our daily enewsletter. Thanks to those who already have.