5 things

5 Channel Partner Updates: Wednesday 13 September 2017

Good morning, channel partners. Here are five technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to start your day for Wednesday, September 13, 2017.

Actually, there are 12 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.

12. Oracle Earnings: Oracle is expected to announce quarterly results on Thursday. The likely message: Oracle Cloud revenues -- particularly in the SaaS sector -- are growing fast. Just don't ask about layoffs because Oracle rarely comments publicly about exact headcount cuts. The company apparently axed at least 1,000 SPARC and Solaris employees in recent weeks...

11. Partner Programs: Pitney Bowes Inc. has launched a Small Business Partner Program, which includes Google G Suite, Yext , Acquisio, DocuSign and Nimble CRM. The effort allows partners to offer their digital marketing and productivity applications available via the Pitney Bowes Commerce Cloud.

10. Partnership: Pitney Bowes and HP Inc. have extended a global strategic partnership that stretches back to 2009. It involves the integrated delivery of print to mail solutions for customer communications and has led to products such as the Pitney Bowes IntelliJet Printing Systems.

9. Talent: Wilcon, a provider of fiber optic and data center infrastructure across the U.S. West Coast, has hired Rex Lehman as channel sales director. He reports to VP of Sales Jeff Henderson. Lehman previously was a regional sales manager for Spectrum Enterprise and a technical sales consultant at AT&T.

8. Avaya Bankruptcy Plan: Many Avaya debt holders apparently like the company's plan to emerge from bankruptcy...

7. Distribution: Ingram Micro has agreed to distribute Ekahau's WiFi network design solutions across the U.S., Latin America and Caribbean markets.

6. Gigamon M&A: Elliott Management may be preparing to acquire GigaMon in a giga-deal...

5. Monitoring: Versa Networks is integrating its Cloud IP Platform with CA's Network Operations and Analytics platform.

4. Free Office 365 Trials: Microsoft is offering free Windows 10 and Office 365 trials to enterprise customers. The move comes as Google offers free Chromebooks to win over Microsoft Azure partners.

3. PSA Momentum: Kimble Applications is showing serious revenue momentum in the PSA (professional services automation) market. We've got the figures. And we'll share them later today...

2. Autotask Community Live: ChannelE2E is scheduled to attend Autotask Community Live starting on Sunday, Sept. 17 in Hollywood, Florida. The conference arrives only one week after Hurricane Irma ripped through Florida, Georgia and Alabama. The host hotel is open and operational with limited services. Fully services are expected to be in place by Saturday, Sept. 16, according to a message on the hotel's website.

1. Top 100 MSSPs: Yup. We've upped the number. We're prepared to unveil the world's Top 100 MSSPs (Managed Security Services Providers) during our September 28 webcast. Register now.

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.