5 Channel Partner and MSP Updates: Monday 05 October 2020

Here are five (actually, more) technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to start your day for Monday, October 5, 2020. Sip up.

Our Daily Brew

A. What’s Happening Today

1. Talent - M&A Leader: Accenture has named Bhaskar Ghosh as chief strategy officer, effective immediately, with responsibility for the company's strategy and investments, including ventures and acquisitions. He will continue to lead the growth strategy for Accenture’s Industry X business, which includes digital manufacturing and intelligent products and platforms. Ghosh most recently served as advisor to Accenture CEO Julie Sweet on such areas as growth and investment strategy, business performance, organizational effectiveness and restructuring. Previously, Ghosh was group chief executive of Accenture Technology Services, directing strategy and investments, and leading platforms, products and global technology delivery.

2. M&A - Banking Technologies: NEC has agreed to acquire Swiss digital banking specialist Avaloq for $2.2 billion, ZDnet reports. Private equity firm Warbug Pincus owns 45 percent of Avalog. Founders and employees of the Swiss technology firm own the rest of the business.

3. Reseller Partnership - Private Equity, Software and Asia: NEC and Vista Equity Partners have launched SaaSpresto, a reseller that will promote Vista Equity's private equity portfolio of software companies to Japanese companies. Vista Equity's software portfolio includes Apptio, Aptean, Datto, Infoblox, LogicMonitor, Ping Identity, and Tibco, among others. SaaSpresto plans to begin sales in January 2021

4. Partner Program - Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS): Intelisys, a ScanSource company, has attained Platinum Partner status in the 8x8 Open Channel Program.

5. Partnership - Network Attached Storage (NAS): OpenDrives has signed a platinum partnership with Insight Enterprises, the major IT solutions provider.

6. Partner Program - Networking: Adtran has launched an updated Adtran Channel Partner Program. The new program will simplify business processes, increase profitability and empower resellers and distributors to develop best-in-class solutions specific to their market and customers and drive greater revenue, Adtran asserts.

7. Microsoft Cloud - European Expansion: Microsoft plans to build a data center hub in Greece as it invests in cloud services infrastructure in the country, a boon to an economy weakened by a decade-long debt crisis and the coronavirus pandemic, Reuters reports.

8. Intel - Government Chips: Intel has won a second-phase contract in a project aimed at helping the U.S. military make more advanced semiconductors within the United States, Reuters reports.

B. Technology Conferences and Virtual Partner Events