5 Channel Partner Updates: Wednesday 13 March 2019

Here are five technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to start your day for Wednesday, March 13, 2019. Actually, there are 18 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. 18. College Admissions Scandal: The college admissions scandal allegedly involves a well-known technology venture capitalist.... 17. Layoffs: Western Digital is cutting more than 300 jobs. 16. Distribution - Office 365 Enhancements: Ingram Micro now bundles Pickit with new Office 365 sales. Pickit is an add-in image service for Microsoft presentations and documents. 15. Distribution - IT as a Service: Tech Data has agreed to distribute a range of consumption-based IT solutions. Key offerings include HP Enterprise's GreenLake Flex Capacity for Partners offerings. 14. Partner Program - MSPs: The Quest Partner Circle Program has expanded its focus for MSPs. The program offers discounts, rebates, training, technical support and other perks for MSPs that focus on data protection and endpoint management solutions. 13. Partnership - Cohesity & Cisco: Hyperconverged secondary storage provider Cohesity has joined the Cisco SolutionsPlus program and is now on Cisco's global price list. Cisco has a similar relationship with Cohesity rival Veeam... 12. Partnership - Wasabi & Veeam: Wasabi, led by former Carbonite CEO David Friend, has partnered with Veeam Software. Wasabi has integrated its hot cloud storage technology with Veeam Availability solutions, resulting in a high-performance, affordable cloud storage option that optimizes Veeam’s backup, recovery and replication for applications and data, th companies claim. 11. Managed Database Services: SolarWinds has launched machine learning-enabled database anomaly detection and an automated management API in the latest version of Database Performance Analyzer (DPA). The company also refreshed its IT operations management portfolio, collectively designed to improve support for monitoring critical IT services and extend support for monitoring private cloud and converged infrastructures, SolarWinds says. Those upgrades are designed for IT professionals, but the company's software increasingly gets released to MSPs as well. Go to page two for today's items 10 to one. Welcome to page two, featuring items 10 to one. 10. Microsoft Cloud Automation: SpinPanel, a Microsoft Cloud Solutions Provider (CSP), has hired Acronis veteran Vincent Oostlander as chief commercial officer (CCO). He's focused on partner development. 9. Office 365 Migration Tools: BitTitan, which focuses on managed services automation, has launched "enterprise-grade coexistence features specific to Office 365 tenant migrations," the company says. As a result, BitTitan's MigrationWiz tool gains enhanced support for long-term tenant migrations while minimizing the impact of this transition for end users, the company says. 8. Artificial Intelligence - Microsoft's Guidance: Microsoft has launched a so-called AI Business School to help business executives to more effectively develop an AI strategy. 7. Password Management: ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus, an Active Directory (AD) self-service password management and single sign-on solution, now supports  Linux end users. The result: ADSelfService Plus allows end users to reset their passwords and unlock their accounts in AD from the login screen of Linux machines. Within the MSP market, companies such as Passportal and IT Glue (owned by Kaseya) promote password management tools specifically to partners. 6. Talent - Avast CEO Change: Avast CEO Vince Steckler will retire on June 30. Ondrej Vlcek, president of the company’s consumer business, will succeed Steckler as CEO. Under Steckler, Avast pioneered the freemium consumer anti-virus market and the company generally enjoyed strong growth over the past decade. However, recent financial results were weaker than expected. A buyout of AVG apparently hasn't performed quite as strongly as expected. 5. Talent - MSP Business Models: Continuum, an MSP platform provider, has hired John Schweizer as VP of office technology. The move is designed to help Office Equipment Dealers to transform into MSPs. Continuum has strong relationships with several major printer makers, and their associated channel partners. 4. Talent - MSP: Logicalis has promoted Mike Houghton to president of its U.S. business. Houghton, an Avnet and Tech Data veteran, joined Logicalis U.S. as the region’s chief sales officer in October 2017. 3. Funding - Partner Relationship Management (PRM): Impact, which develops a cloud-based partnership automation platform, has raised $75 million. 2. Funding - Private Equity & Microsoft Dynamics Partner: Velosio has received private equity funding, and is striving to be known as the largest Microsoft Dynamics cloud partner across the United States. 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.