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5 Channel Partner Updates: Tuesday 26 March 2019

Here are five technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to start your day for Tuesday, March 26, 2019.

Actually, there are 14 timely updates designed for managed services providers (MSPs), cloud services providers (CSPs), IT consulting firms, systems integrators, VARs, independent software vendors (ISVs), and telco agents to sip on.

14. Conferences - Amazon Selling Partner Summit: They're sold out...

13. Red Hat Financial Results and IBM: Red Hat's Q4 revenue was $879 million, up 14 percent year-over-year but roughly $6.6 million below Wall Street's expectations, according to SeekingAlpha. The slowing growth comes just as IBM seeks to finalize its $34 billion buyout of Red Hat.

12. Research - Technology Skills: What skills will technology professionals need for the long haul? SolarWinds' latest research offers answers.

11. Talent - Cisco Americas Channel: Rick Snyder, senior vice president of Americas partner sales at Cisco Systems, plans to retire in July 2019, CRN reports. Cisco will consider internal and  external candidates to succeed Snyder, who will stick around to assist in the transition, the report indicates.

10. Talent - VC Pursues Second Chance: Tech investor Dave McClure is launching Practical Venture Capital, which will purchase stakes in micro-venture capital firms, Bloomberg reports. McClure previously was CEO of 500 Startups, but he resigned in 2017 after allegations from women that he’d behaved inappropriately, Bloomberg notes.

9. Talent - Splunk Board of Directors: Former Salesforce CFO Graham Smith has been named chairman of Splunk. Also, Atlassian CTO Sri Viswanath has joined the Splunk board.

8. Partner Program - Storage: Violin Systems has launched a Partner First channel program.

7. Distribution - Partnership: Tech Data has partnered with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to offer U.S. partners a platform that simplifies customer data management and analysis.

6. Apple Mac Management: Jamf is ready to offer first-day compatibility and key feature support for Apple’s spring release across iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV devices . Jamf specializes in remote monitoring and management (RMM) software for MSPs and Apple customers.

5. MSP Software - Network Monitoring & Machine Learning: Auvik Networks has launched Auvik TrafficInsights, a machine learning capability that reveals what applications are being used on a network, who is using those applications, and where the data is going, the company says. The technology leapfrogs traditional NetFlow software, which can't identify critical information amid the rise of encrypted network traffic, Auvik asserts. TrafficInsights is based on Auvik's Talaia acquisition from October 2018. Rival SolarWinds MSP, meanwhile, promotes NetPath to partners.

4. MSP Software - RMM-PSA Integration: Datto has bolstered the integration between Datto RMM (remote monitoring and management) and ConnectWise Manage, the professional services automation (PSA) tool. The news surfaced at ConnectWise IT Nation APAC 2019, held this week in Australia.

3. MSP Software - Security Assessment Tool: ConnectWise has unveiled Identify, a security assessment tool for MSPs and their end-customers. The tool's roots extend back to ConnectWise's buyout of Sienna Group in December 2018.

2. M&A - Digital Signage & Artificial Intelligence: McDonalds is acquiring Dynamic Yield, an analytics and artificial intelligence company. The result: McDonalds will use the technology to crate drive-thru menus that are tailored based on weather, current restaurant traffic, trending menu items, and more, TechCrunch says.

1. Top 100 Vertical Market MSPs: We’ll unveil the 2019 list during our next webcast. Register now to join us live or to listen on-demand.

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.