5 Channel Partner Program and MSP News Updates: 21 December 2021

Here are five (actually, more) technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to start your day for Tuesday, December 21, 2021. Sip up.

What’s In Our Daily Brew?

A. Today’s Technology, Channel Chief and Partner Program News

1. Funding - Channel Partner Marketplace: CDPQ has invested $80 million in AppDirect Capital, which provides "flexible capital for technology partners to transform or scale their business with AppSmart, as well as other forthcoming financial products."

2. M&A - Retail Management Software: The Sage Group has acquired Brightpearl, a cloud native multichannel retail management system for retailers and wholesalers.

3. Talent - Channel Sales: SaaSMAX has hired LogMeIn veteran Randy Fahrbach as head of channel success.

4. Partner Program  - Video Conferencing: Zoom has launched the Zoom Partner Demand Center, a "turnkey platform offering a variety of strategies" to help partners go to market with Zoom.

5. Partnerships - XDR (eXtended Detection and Response): Cloudflare, Armis and ThreatWarrior have joined the CrowdXDR Alliance, which is led by CrowdStrike. Existing partners including Google Cloud, Okta, ServiceNow, Zscaler, Netskope, Proofpoint, Extrahop, Mimecast, Claroty and Corelight. The CrowdXDR Alliance essentially counters this XDR Alliance.

6. Partnership - Website Security: NessPRO has agreed to market Reflectiz's website security platform as part of its portfolio of cyber security solutions.

7. Phones as a Service: everphone of Germany has launched a U.S. headquarters in Miami, Florida. The company raised $200 million in growth financing in early December 2021.

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