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5 Channel Partner Updates: Wednesday 02 May 2018

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Good morning, channel partners. Here are five technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to start your day for Wednesday, May 2, 2018.

Actually, there are seven 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. Apple Buybacks vs. Innovation: The big news on Apple's earnings call involves an additional $100 billion share buyback. Gotta say, I miss the days when Apple was an innovator rather than a financial printing press...

12. Migrations - VMware Cloud on AWS: JetStream Software Inc. has unveiled JetStream Migrate to help customers migrate virtual machines from on-premises systems to VMware Cloud on AWS.

11. Less Is More: Dell EMC plans to axe another 50 distributors, according to channel chief Joyce Mullen, who claims that the vendor plans to reduce its distribution partners to just 150 globally, according to Channelnomics.

10. Social Media for Business: Facebook has upgraded its Workplace platform in an apparent bid to counter Slack in business accounts, Reuters suggests. True believers include Vonage, which launched its Vee chatbot for Workplace by Facebook.

9. Milestone - UCaaS: CoreDial, a cloud services company that works entirely with small business MSPs, has reached the 300,000 seat milestone in the Unified Communications-as-a-Service market.

8. Talent: Riverbed Technology has named Andy Elder as chief sales officer, succeeding Paul Mountford, who was recently named Riverbed’s new CEO. Elder joined Riverbed in March 2017 as SVP EMEA sales.

7. Funding: SkyKick, a SaaS cloud automation and management specialist, has scored a new $40 million funding round, bringing its total capital raised to over $65 million. 

6. Integration: D-Tools Inc. now integrates with ConnectWise Manage. The integration offers AV (Audio/Visual) systems integrators, technology managers, and IT professionals with workflow that ties together project proposal and design with procurement, inventory tracking, and project scheduling, as well as service, support, and help desk management, the companies say.

5. M&A - Cisco Systems: Cisco Systems intends to acquire Accompany, a privately held company that provides an AI-driven relationship intelligence platform for finding new prospects, navigating the selling process, and strengthening relationships. Accompany Founder and CEO Amy Chang will join Cisco as senior vice president in charge of the Collaboration Technology Group.

4. Private Equity Plus M&A: Silversmith Capital Partners has invested in Validity, a data integrity and compliance specialist. Validity, in turn, has acquired CRMfusion, a provider of software for Salesforce.com data integrity.

3. Private Equity: Littlejohn & Co. has invested in Motion Recruitment Partners, a Boston-based firm that provides IT staffing through its Jobspring Partners and Workbridge Associates brands. Financial terms were not disclosed.

2. M&A - eDiscovery: Sonasoft is acquiring Cornerstone Technologies, essentially combining two eDiscovery and data protection specialists. The acquisition will be finalized after both companies have their financials audited and shareholder approval is obtained.

1. M&A: Accenture is acquiring Certus Solutions, one of the UK’s top Oracle Cloud implementation service providers.

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.