5 Channel Partner Program and MSP News Updates: Wednesday 31 March 2021

Here are five (actually, more) technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to start your day for Wednesday, March 31, 2021. Sip up.

What’s In Our Daily Brew?

A. What’s Brewing Today: Technology News

1. M&A - MSP Trends: Cogent Growth Partners (CGP), a buy-side advisor for IT Services mergers and acquisitions, announced "robust year-end results for 2020 despite the COVID-19 pandemic." Notably, 50% of the transactions closed in 2020 came from Cogent’s existing client base of serial buyers. Already in 2021, Cogent has closed more than half of the total number of transactions completed in 2020, which indicates that the firm’s 2021 results are on track to outperform 2020, the company says. We'll strive to share more details soon.

2. MSP Ownership - CompuCom Question Mark: CompuCom's ownership status remains under the microscope as Staples explores ways to acquire CompuCom parent ODP. Meanwhile, ODP has been striving to sell CompuCom but a March 2021 ransomware attack against the MSP certainly hasn't helped that effort.

4. Talent - MSP Automation: BitTitan, the developer of MigrationWiz for managed services automation, has named Khan Klatt as its director of engineering.

3. Customer Service Management Platform: Vivantio has launched a new product suite" specifically developed to meet and scale with the needs of growing B2B service firms." Each edition of the service management product is "built for small- and medium-sized B2B businesses at different levels of customer service maturity," the company says.

B. Channel Chiefs, Partner Programs and Strategic Alliances

1. Free Cyber Protection for MSPs: Acronis has unveiled a no-cost version of Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud to help service providers to "design and offer a comprehensive cyber protection services portfolio with little to no upfront costs," the company says.

2. Microsoft Channel Chiefs: Microsoft has hired Accenture's Salesforce business lead, Orla McGrath, for the United Kingdom and Ireland as its new U.K. channel chief, Redmond Channel Partner reports. The news emerges as Microsoft also transitions the global channel chief role from Gavriella Schuster to Rodney Clark.

3. Partnership  - Single Sign On for MSPs: Pax8's cloud marketplace for MSPs now features LastPass single sign-on software for partners.

4. Distribution - Network MDR: ExtraHop and High Wire Networks have partnered with Synnex to deliver managed network detection and response solutions.

5. Partnership - Network Monitoring: EoraTech, which has offices in Sydney and Melbourne, is now a Netreo channel partner for the Asia Pacific region.

6. Partnership - Robotic Process Automation (RPA): Deloitte is partnering with Automation Anywhere to "drive further adoption of cloud deployments" on Automation 360, a cloud-native, AI-powered robotic process automation (RPA) platform.

7. Partnership - Cloud Visibility: Gigamon and FireEye have expanded their partnership. The relationship now includes a new Gigamon Hawk technical integration with FireEye. This enables IT teams to gain full visibility and control of the performance, security and cost of their hybrid cloud network, the companies say.

C. Channel Partner Summits, MSP Conferences and Virtual Events Calendar