5 things

5 Channel Partner Updates: 6 Jan 2016

Good morning, channel partners. Here are five technology news updates, insights and so much more to start your day for Wednesday, January 6, 2016.

Actually, today’s update involves 12 items for VARs, managed services providers (MSPs), cloud services providers (CSPs) and independent software vendors (ISVs) to sip on.

12. Apple Cuts iPhone Orders: Apple apparently is scaling back orders for its iPhones, sending ripples throughout the multibillion-dollar industry that supplies and builds the company's phones, according to The Wall Street Journal. If true, the scaled back orders will also turn heads across Wall Street and Silicon Valley, where investors and hundreds of technology companies depend heavily on Apple to keep growing its mobile and app ecosystems.

11. Samsung Embraces Apple iOS: In another big mobile twist, Samsung says its Gear S2 smartwatch will be compatible with Apple iOS. Samsung didn't say exactly what that means. My guess? Closer integration between Samsung's smartwatch and Apple's iPhone, and perhaps even a way for iOS apps to run on the Samsung device... The move could make the smartwatch market more attractive to mobile developers, many of whom have been sitting on the sidelines -- waiting for more lucrative smartwatch opportunities to emerge.

10. Unfiltered Mess: Twitter is considering a 10,000 character limit for tweets. OMG (repeat that 3,333 times).

9. Explaining Cloud Costs to Customers: Cloudability has acquired DataHero, a 12-person startup cloud service that helps non-technical users to generate data visualization, TechCrunch notes. Cloudability specializes in cloud cost management tools. Now, imagine a world where channel partners will use Cloudability to manage customer cloud costs, and DataHero to show those cost savings to customers. Simple, compelling strategy...

8. Freshly Funded: Toast, which develops a point-of-sale service for restaurants, just raised $30 million from Bessemer Venture Partners and Google Ventures. Memo to Toast: Time to cook up a partner program...

7. New Partner Program: Stonebranch, a workload automation solution provider for mission-critical IT business processes, has launched a worldwide partner program. The company's customer base includes large financial services, healthcare and technology providers. Translation: Enterprise-focused VARs and consulting firms (among others) are welcome to join the partner program.

6. Distribution Deal: Tech Data has agreed to distribute KoolSpan, a communication security platform for mobile devices and desktop phones. The deal focuses on U.S.-based resellers.

5. VMware AirWatch Meets Intel Security: VMware has expanded its work with Intel Security to include AirWatch, the virtualization company's enterprise mobility management platform. Read between the lines and VMware and Intel together are focusing heavily on mobile security.

4. Healthcare Cloud Compliance: Three healthcare cloud computing vendors --FIGmd, HealthcarePays Network and MedicaSoft -- are the first to be accredited for meeting best business practices, and complying with privacy and security requirements under HIPAA and the FedRamp federal government program governing cloud security. The vendors were beta sites for the new cloud services accreditation program from the Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission, which has 18 accreditation programs, according to HealthData Management.

3. Every Channel Partner Program: Just about every channel partner program is now listed in the ChannelE2E Partner Programs Database. (Well... almost.) The database is open to submissions from all companies that have partner programs. And it's free for all readers to use. Registration is required to see some of the bonus fields...

2. Amazon's Next Partner Program: We dropped a few hints. Now we'll just say it. Amazon is preparing to launch a partner program for WorkMail, an email and calendaring system that may compete in some ways against Microsoft Office 365 and Google Apps for Work. Don't ask us how we know the partner program is on the way. Just trust us to say: It's definitely coming soon.

1. Welcome Back: And a big welcome back to my business partner, Amy Katz. Where was she? It's a rather fantastic story. Ask her about it sometime...

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.