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5 Channel Partner Updates: Tuesday 17 April 2018

Good morning, channel partners. Here are five technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to start your day for Tuesday, April 17, 2018.

Actually, there are 13 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…

13. Technology Sales Models: New research by The 2112 Group finds that automated digital sales (ADS) channels will be many vendors’ second- and third-highest source of indirect revenue over the next five years. The findings include key advice for MSPs and IT solutions providers that are navigating the sales model shifts.

12. Dell-VMware Reverse Merger: It sounds like the much-rumored reverse merger won't happen, and that's a huge relief to VMware shareholders...

11. IBM Earnings: They're due out later today. We'll be listening closely for any updates or statements involving the company's partner program...

10. Distribution - SaaS:  SaaSMAX Corp, a value-add marketplace and distributor for SaaS & cloud software, has added six companies to its marketplace. The new offerings include Foresite, Papertracer, SimpleTek, TransNexus, V2Cloud, and Versive.

9. Distribution - Unified Communications: ScanSource has agree to distribute Digium's Switchvox UC business phone system, as well as Digium IP phones, gateways, and telephony cards to resellers in the US and Canada.

8. Chatbot - Unified Communications: Vonage is beta testing Vee -- a chatbot and virtual customer assistant integrated with cloud-based unified communications.

7. PBX Communications: Brightlink has unveiled a Virtual PBX Solution. The cloud-based unified communications platform can service carriers and enterprise customers from 20 to 20,000 users, the company claims. Partners can white label the offering.

6. Partner Program - GDPR Tools: RapidFire Tools has launched an Authorized Reseller Partner Program for its new Audit Guru for GDPR tool.  This is the first instance in which RapidFire Tools will also offer MSPs will the option of reselling Audit Guru for GDPR to their end-user clients, or offering it along with value-added consulting and ongoing compliance management services, the company says.

5. New Partner Conference: AT&T is combining Partner Exchange Summit and Alliance Channel Kickoff into a new event called Fusion by AT&T Partner Solutions. It's schedule for November in Dallas.

4. Partnership - ServiceNow: GlideFast is now a ServiceNow Gold partner. The consulting firm offers services in process consulting, training, implementations and integrations of leading ITSM solutions. GlideFast expects to double its employee base to 100 team members by the end of 2018.

3. M&A - MSPs: BulletProof Infotech has acquired a majority position in Cisco Systems partner Concordis Solutions.

2. M&A - Distribution: Independent technology distributor Arbitech has been acquired in a management buyout.

1. RSA Conference News: Our sister site, MSSP Alert, is blogging live from the RSA Conference. Track the daily news and analysis here.

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.