Here are five (actually, far more…) technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to start your day for Thursday, June 20, 2019.
A. Our Daily Brew
- What 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 - IT Consulting: Cognizant is acquiring Zenith Technologies, an IT consulting firm that helps life sciences customers with digital transformation projects.
2. Funding - Data Protection: Druva has raised $130 million led Viking Global Investors, pushing total capital raised to $328 million, the company says. The company is now a unicorn -- with a valuation of $1 billion or more. Still, competition with Cohesity, Rubrik and Veeam seems poised to intensify.
3. Funding - Customer Experience: Optimizely, which specializes in digital experience optimization, has raised US$50 million in Series D funding. The funding, led by Goldman Sachs Private Capital Investing, also included Accenture Ventures. This brings the company’s total funding to US$200 million.
4. MSP - Compliance as a Service: Bell Techlogix, an Indianapolis based MSP, has won a 36-month contract extension with Calgon Carbon, a global manufacturer and distributor of activated carbon products. Bell's services play a role in Calgon's commitment to "maintain a robust and secure infrastructure, and meet all federal ITAR requirements," the companies say.
5. MSP Service Desk: ePlus has launched a new Service Desk offering with ITIL-based methodologies in call flow and problem management. Work is performed remotely from one or more of ePlus’ U.S.-based Service Desk locations, and includes desk-side staff augmentation as an option.
6. CRM for Office 365 and G Suite: Keep your eyes open for Nimble CRM 5.0, a team relationship manager platform that works with Google G Suite and Microsoft Office 365.
7. HPE - Everything as a Service: HP Enterprise has committed to deliver everything as a service by 2022 -- or roughly 16 years after the launch of Amazon Web Services (AWS) or 23 years after Salesforce.com launch. Admittedly, the comparisons between HPE and cloud companies are a bit unfair since much of the HPE push involves physical hardware. But the announcement is another clear since that major IT equipment providers were way late to the shift from CapEx to OpEx.
8. Dell - Artificial Intelligence: Here's how Dell is prepping partners and customers for AI applications...
9. Talent - IT Asset Management: Expanse, which offers a platform that helps IT teams discover, manage, and secure global internet assets, has hired Druva veteran Sherry Lowe, as Chief Marketing Officer.
10. Talent - Cloud MSP: Rackspace has hired Aetna/CVS veteran Karen O’Reilly-Smith as chief security officer. She succeeds Brian Kelly, who is retiring, the managed cloud services provider says.
11. Managed Application Services: Rackspace is deploying the Mulesoft Anypoint Platform as a managed service to help organizations build integrated, efficient application networks, the companies say.
12. Talent - Office Equipment: UBEO Business Services—a provider of printer, copier and document management solutions—has hired Brian Murphy as senior VPof Aftermarket Field Services.
13. Talent: Equinix, a global interconnection and data center company, has named 10-year company veteran Jon Lin as president, Americas.
C. Partner Programs and Strategic Alliances
1. Cloud Distribution: Pax8 has agreed to distribute SentinelOne, an autonomous endpoint protection platform. SentinelOne, recently acquired by Insight Venture Partners, also has close MSP-focused relationships with Continuum and SolarWinds MSP.
2. Integration: The Webroot Business Endpoint Protection now integrates with Blackpoint Cyber's managed detection and response platform, SNAP-Defense. Webroot is a Carbonite company.
3. PSA Integrations - MSP Security: Breach Secure Now! (BSN), a data security platform, now features integrations with Datto Autotaskand ConnectWise Manage, two popular professional services automation (PSA) platforms for MSPs. BSN’s platform addresses dark web analytics, employee security training, and security risk assessment.
4. Archiving for MSPs: ZixArchive, is now available for AppRiver partners and customers. The integration is the latest milestone for the company since acquiring AppRiver, a channel-focused provider of cloud-based cybersecurity, productivity and compliance services, Zix notes.
5. SD-WANs: Bigleaf Networks launched a Global MSP Partner Program for SD-WAN services in the SMB sector.
6. Microsoft Dynamics Partners - Joint Venture: Inatech, the energy trading risk management (ETRM) systems provider owned by Glencore, has launched a joint venture with Microsoft Dynamics partner Calsoft Systems to support the oil trading industry in the US as it transforms from an import to an export market.
7. Data Protection: FalconStor Software has committed to a 100 percent partner business model. The data protection software provider has hit business and financial turbulence in recent years, and is now striving to stabilize and grow the company through partners.
8. HPE Enterprise: The technology giant made three key updates to its partner program. They include launching:
- HPE Sales Pro Community to drive sales excellence for HPE and partner sellers through effective sales communications and sales enablement initiatives, the company says.
- HPE Tech Pro Community, the recently announced initiative for solution architects, is introducing a new reward and recognition program as well as two new industry leading certifications and a full suite of continuous learning paths for technical expertise, HPE adds.
- HPE Marketing Pro Academy is expanding its offerings through a new online Digital Marketing Partner Learning center, and new Accreditation Program, HPE says.
9. Unified Communications: Intermedia, a UCaaS and collaboration provider to MSPs and the small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) they serve, introduced a new integration with Datto Autotask PSA.
10. Cloud Scalability: CaaB, which provides white-labeled global cloud infrastructure to MSPs, has added more CPU hardware infrastructure options for partners.
11. Storage: StorONE has launched a promotion for channel partners that sell any Seagate or Western Digital hard drives through its distribution agreement with Tech Data. Partners will receive a free 30-day license of the full version of StorONE’s S1 Software Defined Storage (SDS) solution, enabling them to build and deploy solutions for such use cases as all-flash or hybrid arrays, high-capacity, high-performance, and virtual machine appliances.
12. Apple Repairs - Best Buy: Nearly 1,000 Best Buy stores across the United States now provide service and repairs for Apple products, the companies announced today. Read between the lines and Best Buy is a growing force in the Apple Authorized Service Network.
D. Next Five Technology Conferences
- HP Enterprise Discover (June 18-20, Las Vegas)
- LogicMonitor Level Up (June 24-26, Austin, Texas)
- Microsoft Inspire (July 14-18, Las Vegas)
- IT By Design Build IT (July 14-16, Jersey City, New Jersey)
- Datadog Dash (July 16-17, New York)
- Bonus: ChannelE2E’s complete event calendar
Got news to share for our morning update? Email me: [email protected].
