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5 Channel Partner Updates: Friday 06 July 2018

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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, July 5, 2018.

Actually, there are eight timely updates designed 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:

8. Dell, VMware Deal Analysis: VMware essentially is paying $11 billion to help Dell finance its shift back into public markets. The Wall Street Journal offers this spin on the move: Maintaining independence from Dell won’t come cheap for VMware, but freedom is usually worth the price.

7. Intel Mobile Missteps?: Intel has wasted $17 billion on failed mobile efforts over the past seven years, New Street Research alleges. Meanwhile, Intel denies the claim and says its various efforts -- including wireless initiatives -- are on track.

6. Cloud Forecast: Morgan Stanley's latest cloud migration, adoption and workload forecast surfaced here.

5. SMB Optimism: While the outlook of small and midsize business CEOs remains largely unchanged from the start of 2018, some are less optimistic when it comes to investment opportunities and hiring intentions, as well as revenue and profit growth, according to the Vistage CEO Confidence Index for Q2 2018, Global Banking and Finance reports.

4. M&A - Rugged Mobile Devices: Zebra Technologies Corp. is acquiring Xplore Technologies Corp. for $90 million. Xplore develops semi-, fully- and ultra-rugged tablets, 2-in-1 laptops, and a range of accessories. Those products serve existing vertical markets for Zebra such as retail, manufacturing, transportation & logistics and healthcare, and provide an inroad into new markets including oil & gas, utility, government and public safety, the company's say. Xplore's revenue was $87 million for the 12-month period ended March 31, 2018.

3. Private Equity: ITS Technology Group (ITS) has secured further investment from funds managed by Maven Capital Partners to support the growth of its full fibre digital infrastructure in metro and rural areas, The Business Desk reports.

2. After the Merger: Paradyn, an IT service provider recently formed from the merger of three separate companies, is aiming to double its workforce with the creation of 40 new jobs by 2020, the Irish Times reports.

1. Top 50 MSPs for AWS, Azure and Google Cloud: If you're an MSP that specializes in managed services for Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure or Google Cloud Platform, then complete this survey. Your company could be honored when we reveal the Top 50 MSPs for AWS, Azure and Google Cloud during our October webcast.

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.