5 Channel Partner Program and MSP News Updates: Thursday 18 February 2021

Here are five (actually, more) technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to start your day for Thursday, February 18, 2021. Sip up.

What’s In Our Daily Brew?

A. What’s Brewing Today: Technology News

1. Updated - Technology SPACs List: Here's a look at 30 blank-check companies focused on the technology sector, and the potential implications for channel partners.

2. Global IT Consulting - Profit Pressures: French IT consulting group Atos is aiming for a sales rebound in 2021, recovering from a dip caused by the coronavirus pandemic, but its margin guidance disappointed investors, sending Atos shares lower, Reuters reports. Atos recently abandoned M&A discussions with DXC. Rumors about Atos potentially acquiring Secureworks from Dell Technologies have also circulated in recent months. Secureworks is a Top 250 MSSP, according to MSSP Alert.

3. M&A - Robotic Process Automation (RPA): OpenBots has acquired RPA-as-a-Service startup MyOfficeBot. The acquisition "enhances OpenBots' ability to provide its customers with a comprehensive suite of automation tools and managed service solutions, continuing the OpenBots mission to make automation accessible for all," the buyer says.

4. Funding - Application Relationship Management: vArmour has raised $58 million in its latest round of funding led by AllegisCyber Capital and NightDragon, with support from existing investors Standard Chartered Ventures, Highland Capital Partners, Telstra, Redline Capital, and EDBI. vArmour doubled its net new annual recurring revenue year over year, and expects to exceed that in the next fiscal year. Actual annual revenue dollars were not disclosed.

5. Funding - DevOps for Salesforce Cloud: Copado, a DevOps software company in the Salesforce cloud ecosystem, has raised $96 million in Series B funding from Insight Partners and Salesforce Ventures.

6. Datto Partner Milestone: Vision Computer Solutions has earned Platinum Partner status with Datto, the developer of MSP-centric business automation, IT management and data protection solutions.

7. Partnership - IoT: Unisys has joined Lenovo's partner ecosystem to support Lenovo's Internet of Think (IoT) Solutions, including ThinkIoT Back to Work Solutions and Smarter Store Solutions. The goal is to "help businesses safely return to offices and make shopping in-stores safer during and after the coronavirus pandemic," the companies say.

8. Cisco Systems Discloses Possible Embezzlement Scheme: Cisco is investigating an alleged embezzlement scheme by former employees in China that may have involved payments to Chinese state-owned firms, The Wall Street Journal reports.

B. Channel Partner Summits, MSP Conferences and Virtual Events Calendar