5 Channel Partner and MSP Updates: Thursday 19 November 2020

Here are five (actually, more) technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to start your day for Thursday, November 19, 2020. Sip up.

Our Daily Brew

A. What’s Happening Today

1. Funding - Cloud Management Software: CloudBolt Software has raised $35 million in Series B funding, consisting of both equity and venture debt. The equity was led by Insight Partners. The venture debt is issued by Hercules Capital Inc. and Bridge Bank. Insight also owns MSP software provider Kaseya.

2. MSPs - Cloud Management: Pax8 has launched Pax8 Pro -- the company's "first step in creating a full-service cloud management tool"for MSPs. We'll share more details in the days ahead.

3. Cloud Services - Interactive Voice Response: Intermedia, has launched Easy-IVR, a wizard-based tool that allows businesses to build interactive voice response systems (IVRs). A reminder: IVR technology allows incoming callers to navigate a phone system before talking to a live agent. Easy-IVR is offered as part of Intermedia Contact Center's Pro and Elite packages, the company says.

4. Cloud-based Log Intelligence: LogicMonitor has released LM Logs. For companies that leverage the tool, 100% of an organization’s log data is automatically analyzed using machine learning and AIOps algorithms to help "IT Operations teams uncover the root causes of alerts and predictively uncover issues before they disrupt the business," LogicMonitor asserts.

5. Talent - Small Business Automation: Intuit QuickBooks has hired Verizon veteran Kevin Zavaglia as vice president of mass market sales. In this newly-created role, Zavaglia will "transform the QuickBooks sales organization from separate teams selling individual solutions into one cohesive group focused on advising small businesses on the entire QuickBooks platform."

6. COVID-19 - Hotels Still Under Pressure: More than 70 percent of hoteliers don't expect their businesses to survive beyond six months without further federal assistance, a new survey of American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) members shows. Moreover, more than one-third of hotels will be facing bankruptcy or be forced to sell by the end of 2020, the survey found.

B. Channel Partner Programs and Strategic Alliances

1. Talent - Channel Chief: Blockchain network provider Data Gumbo has hired BMC, Oracle and SAP veteran Bruce Bain as VP of channels and alliances.

2. MSP Software Integration: CloudRadial, an account management platform for MSPs, now integrates with Syncro PSA.

3. Partner Program - Microsoft: Volterra, a provider of distributed cloud services, was validated as “co-sell ready” through the Microsoft One Commercial Partner Program. Microsoft’s co-sell ready status allows Volterra to work together with Microsoft’s sales organization, as well as other Microsoft partners, to expand the reach and deployment of Volterra’s SaaS-based VoltMesh service and app delivery network (ADN). Azure customers are able to deploy VoltMesh on their Azure instances or in Volterra’s global ADN, the company says.

4. Partnership - ServiceNow and Workplace from Facebook: ServiceNow and Workplace from Facebook have announced new integrations to help organizations "streamline communication between executives, departmental leaders, and employees to create more meaningful, employee-first experiences,"  the companies say.

5. ServiceNow Elite Partner: Quintica has achieved ServiceNow Elite Partner Program status.

6. Managed SD-WAN Services: Red River has unveiled a managed software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) solution. Red River Managed SD-WAN leverages the company’s managed services and Cisco SD-WAN technology.

C. Technology Conferences and Virtual Partner Events