5 Channel Partner Updates: Wednesday 15 July 2020

Here are five (actually more) technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to start your day for Wednesday, July 15, 2020. Sip up.

Our Daily Brew

A. What’s Happening Today

1. M&A - Cloud Management Software: NetApp has completed its Spot acquisition. The deal, announced in June 2020, focuses on cloud cost optimization and compute management tools.

2. VMware Investment: VMware has invested in Digital Asset, the creators of the open source DAML smart contract language. Salesforce Ventures and Samsung Venture Investment Corp (Samsung) previously disclosed investments in Digital Asset.

3. For Sale - Telecom Service Provider: HC2 Holdings is looking to sell its PTGi telecom services business...

4. MSP Data Protection - Microsoft 365 and Google G Suite: Datto SaaS Protection 2.5 for MSPs has launched.

5. MSPs - Microsoft Cloud Security Assessments: RapidFire Tools, a Kaseya company, has launched Network Detective Microsoft Cloud Assessment Module. The module provides "critical visibility and enabling better security and management of the Microsoft Cloud environment, including Microsoft Office 365 and Azure," RapidFire Tools asserts.

6. Research - DNS Security: How are partners and their end-customers leveraging DNS security? The short answer: 94% of security and risk team leaders either use or consider DNS as a starting point for threat investigations but only 43% of security and risk leaders rely on DNS as a data source to complete their investigations. For more details, check out the Accelerate Threat Resolution with DNS study from Infoblox and Forrester.

7. Talent - IT Management Experts: SolarWinds has introduced Liz Beavers as the newest member of the company’s Head Geek team. Also,Head Geek Thomas LaRock has been recognized with his 12th consecutive Microsoft MVP award.

8. Talent - IT Services: VC3 has named Dave Mims as its VP of marketing. Mims previously was CEO of Sophicity, which VC3 recently acquired.

B. Channel Partner Programs and Strategic Alliances

1. MSP Security Partner of the Year: Sophos has named Avertium as its 2020 MSP Partner of the Year, Americas.

2. Distribution - Productivity Software: Telarus has agreed to distribute Prodoscore, a provider of employee visibility and productivity software.

3. Partner Program - Data Intelligence: Alation has launched the Alation Partner Network (APN), a global partner ecosystem designed to help enterprises foster data culture and democratize access to data.

4. Partner Program - Cloud Contact Centers: UJET has launched a channel partner program. Early participants include PeakView, which helps customers to plan, deploy, and manage contact center solutions.

5. Partner Program - Ubuntu Linux: Canonical has launched an enhanced Global System Integrator (GSI) Program. Alongside new partnership benefits, it includes resell and integration opportunities for the entirety of Canonical’s open source portfolio for the data center, multi-cloud, edge and IoT use cases, the company says.

6. Partner Program - Cloud Workspaces: IGEL has launched IGEL Ready, a new program that opens up the company’s core enterprise software for any technology partner to integrate and validate their products.

7. Partnership - Data Center Power Management: Schneider Electric will make Anord Mardix's DATABAR busway system, power distribution units (PDUs), and Static Transfer Switch (STS) system available to Schneider Electric’s North American data center customers.

8. Partnership - Data Management: MANTA has joined the Yellowbrick Data partner program. Combined solutions span data analytics, data governance, and digital transformation, among other applications. As part of their partnership, the companies are working on technical certifications, performance tuning, best-practices guides, and joint go-to-market opportunities, the duo says.

C. Upcoming Technology Conferences & Virtual Events