5 Channel Partner Program and MSP News Updates: 14 September 2021

Here are five (actually, more) technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to start your day for Tuesday, September 14, 2021. Sip up.

What’s In Our Daily Brew?

A. What’s Brewing Today: Technology News

1. Datto Continuity for Microsoft Azure: Datto's new Azure backup service, after several months of beta testing, is available immediately in the United States, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand through an Early Access Program. That program includes introductory pricing until December 2021, Datto says. Global availability with additional integrations and feature enhancements is expected by the end of 2021.

2. Executive Talent - MSP Software: MSP360 has named Amit Kumar as its VP of operations. Kumar will work closely with MSP360 CEO Brian Helwig to help improve customer experience and drive profitable growth, the company says. MSP360 expanded from cloud-based data protection software to offer RMM (remote monitoring and management) capabilities in June 2021.

3. Executive Talent - IT Services: Tata Sons, the holding company for India’s largest conglomerate, is "considering an historic revamp of its leadership structure by creating a chief executive officer’s role to help improve corporate governance," Bloomberg reports. We're checking to see if or how the changes will impact Tata Consultancy Services, the global IT consulting company.

4. Managed Cloud Services - Government Contract: Peraton has won a cloud management services contract with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), The deal is worth up to $60 million over five years. Peraton will manage multiple cloud service providers, facilitate the provisioning of new cloud services, and provide the management and monitoring of those services, the announcement says.

5. Cloud Reliability and Compliance Regulations: Amazon, Google and other cloud service providers to banks in Britain may have to comply with minimum resilience standards and testing, Reuters reports. MSPs and MSSPs serving the UK should track the UK regulation discussion closely -- in order to assure existing and future CSP partnerships are well-prepared for the potential reliance standards and associated testing mandates.

6. Zoom Platform Enhancements: The video conferencing company unveiled a lengthy list of Zoom platform enhancements...

7. Freshworks IPO: Freshworks will seek to raise roughly $900 million in an IPO (initial public offering) that could value the company at nearly $9 billion, according to an SEC filing.

8. Funding - SMB SaaS Automation: SkyKick, a provider of no-code and low code cloud automation software for IT Services Providers (ITSPs), has closed $130 million financing. The move brings SkyKick's total capital raised to over $200 million. Over 30,000 IT partners use SkyKick's cloud automation and management products to migrate, protect and manage their customers in the cloud, the company says.

9. Funding - DevOps: Copado has raised $140 million in Series C financing led by Insight Partners with participation from new investors SoftBank Vision Fund 2, Declaration Partners and DG Ventures, as well as existing investors Salesforce Ventures, ISAI Cap Venture (Capgemini and ISAI joint fund), Lead Edge Capital, and Perpetual Investors. Strategic investor IBM Ventures also participated in the round.

10. M&A - SMB Email Marketing: Intuit has agreed to acquire Mailchimp for approximately $12 billion in cash and stock. The M&A deal had been rumored for the past two weeks or so.