Content, 5 things

5 Channel Partner Updates: Friday 28 June 2019

Here are five (actually, far more…) technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to start your day for Friday, June 28, 2019.

A. Our Daily Brew

  • Who We Serve: Content for managed services providers (MSPs), cloud services providers (CSPs), IT consulting firms, systems integrators, VARs, independent software vendors (ISVs), and any other partner acronym that further caffeinates our already stellar SEO.
  • Frequency: Every business morning.
  • Reaching the Barista: Send news, tips and rumors to [email protected].

B. Freshly Brewed News and Chatter

1. M&A - Accounting & MSP Security: Accounting firm EisnerAmper has acquired CSAM Marketing (doing business as Computer Systems and Methods), a managed IT security services provider.

2. M&A - MSPs: Auckland-based managed IT service provider Base 2 has acquired Ginger IT, expanding its customer base and taking staffing to over 50, IDG Reseller News reports.

3. Data Breach - IT Solutions Provider: Hackers breached IT solutions provider PCM Inc. and stole Microsoft Office 365 administrative credentials for client accounts, according to Krebs on Security. PCM apparently discovered the breach in May 2019 -- about a month before Insight Enterprises announced plans to acquire PCM for $581 million. It's unclear if the breach was discovered as part of the due diligence M&A (merger and acquisition) process.

4. Expansion: TBI, the largest privately-owned master agent and technology distributor, has opened a new headquarters in Chicago. The 230-person master agency relocated its Chicago headquarters to accommodate more than 20 open positions across the sales, marketing, support, finance, and engineering departments.

5. Market Research - B2B Software Sales: The U.S. B2B indirect software market is continuing to see gains in 2019 with 6 percent growth year to date (January-May) vs. the corresponding timeframe in 2018, according to NPD’s U.S. B2B Software and Cloud Tracking Service. The biggest gainers include cloud infrastructure & platform as a service, business applications, and security.

6. Co-working Spaces - SMBs and Startups: Office Depot is opening five new co-working spaces -- branded as Workonomy Hubs -- this week in the HoustonChicagoDenverMinneapolis, and Orlando markets. These new shared workspaces are integrated into existing Office Depot retail locations. They're designed as workspaces for small business owners, entrepreneurs, freelancers, remote workers and startups. The move comes as Office Depot also tries to shake up its underperforming CompuCom IT services business with new executive leadership.

C. Channel Partner Programs and Strategic Alliances: MSPs, CSPs, ISVs, VARs

1. ServiceNow App Partners: The ServiceNow Store now features 500 apps. Most of the apps involve IT Service Management (ITSM) workflow automation, though the ServiceNow customer base increasingly includes finance, HR and SecOps professionals as well.

2. Druva Partner Program: Data protection specialist Druva has launched the Druva Compass partner program. The program surfaces after Druva recently raised $130 million in new funding. The Druva Compass program is immediately available to partners in North America and EMEA and will be available globally later this year. Timm Hoyt, vice president, global partners and alliances, is driving the program.

3. Video Communications:  Zoom’s video-first unified communications platform is now available to all Verizon business customers as a cloud service – the latest addition to Verizon’s business communications portfolio.

4. AWS Cloud Migrations: Application management specialist Velocity Technology Solutions has inked a Strategic Collaboration Agreement (SCA) with AWS to develop migration, hosting, and managed services solutions.

5. All Partner Programs: Search the comprehensive ChannelE2E Partner Program Database here. Also, submit your company information here and your partner program can be listed in the database.

D. Next Five Technology Conferences

  1. Microsoft Inspire (July 14-18, Las Vegas)
  2. IT By Design Build IT (July 14-16, Jersey City, New Jersey)
  3. Datadog Dash (July 16-17, New York)
  4. CompTIA ChannelCon (August 5-9, Las Vegas)
  5. VMware VMworld (August 25-29, San Francisco)
  6. BonusChannelE2E’s complete event calendar

Got news to share for our morning update? Email me: [email protected].

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.