5 things, Channel partner programs, CSPs, MSP, VAR

5 Channel Observations: 5 Oct 2015

Good morning, channel partners. Here are five technology news updates, insights, gossip and chatter to start your day for Monday, Oct. 5, 2015.

Actually, today's update involves 11 items for VARs, managed services providers (MSPs) And cloud services providers (CSPs) to sip on.

11. Amazon Conference: Watch for a range of cloud and channel partner news at this week's AWS re: Invent 2015 conference in Las Vegas. Roughly 15,000 people (or more) will be on hand for the event, which includes an AWS Global Partner Summit (Oct. 6). Among the moves to watch: Price cuts for multiple AWS services, honors for key channel partners (including MSPs), and maybe a new database move to counter Oracle. PS: Oppenheimer suggests AWS could grow 55 percent per year for the next four years....

Meg Whitman

10. HP After the Breakup: It sounds like Hewlett-Packard Enterprise will have a clear

channel and cloud strategy after it breaks off as a separate company on Nov. 1. The biggest remaining question: Can CEO Meg Whitman actually drive growth at the company?

9. Artificial Intelligence: Apple quietly acquired VocalIQ, a small artificial intelligence company, in recent days. The UK-based business is expected to boost Siri -- though I don't have the details explaining how.

8. Worth Watching: Anybody else notice that AVG Technologies is the top sponsor for Tigerpaw Software's upcoming partner conference? I'm intrigued because AVG has security and RMM (remote monitoring and management) technology, and Tigerpaw is one of the few standalone PSA (professional services automation) software providers in the MSP and channel markets...

7. Black Eye: October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, which is organized by the Department of Homeland Security. How are things going? On the month's very first day, the American Bankers Association disclosed a small but significant data breach involving 6,400 records.

Google Nest

6. Google vs Apple IoT: Keep a close eye on the Google Nest initiative, which increasingly focuses on a communications technology called Google Weave. In theory, Weave will allow developers to build more Internet of Things (IoT) devices and apps as part of the Works with Nest partner program. Overall, Google Weave is expected to compete with Apple's HomeKit.

5. See You At IT Nation 2015?: ChannelE2E is firming up its meeting schedule at IT Nation 2015. If you'd like to potentially meet us at the gathering, email me for content questions ([email protected]) and Amy Katz for sponsorship inquiries ([email protected]).

4. Business Intelligence & Analytics:  Arrow Electronics' Enterprise Computing Solutions will now offer Information BuildersWebFOCUS Express BI solution to resellers. Yes, plenty of resellers have promoted business intelligence to their end-customers. But ChannelE2E is also watching to see how IT service providers consume BI and Analytics to improve their own business performance.

3. Let's Catch Up: ChannelE2E will closely track multiple events this week -- particularly Gartner ITxpo and Amazon AWS re: Invent 2015. If you're making moves or news at either conference feel free to give me a shout ([email protected]).

chuck robbins

2. Cisco CEO In the Spotlight: New Cisco Systems CEO Chuck Robbins and his executive team will meet journalists this week when the networking giant hosts a special series of media briefings. Robbins knows his way in and around the media landscape. During one Cisco Partner Summit nearly a decade ago, Robbins actually allowed an anonymous technology blogger to sit in on meetings throughout the conference. Whatever happened to that blogger? Hmmm...

1. Extra Early: I'm posting this blog ahead of some additional news today. I'll be spending most of the day at MDM and Data Governance Summit in Manhattan. If you're trying to help corporate information managers to organize and protect data, this is a great gathering for you.

Read Them All: Did you miss one of our 5 Channel Partner Observations? Find the archive here hereSubscribe: Receive ChannelE2E’s blog headlines, insights and updates in your inbox daily. Subscribe to our 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.