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5 Channel Partner Updates: 18 July 2016

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Good morning, channel partners. Here are five technology news updates, insights, chatter, and plenty more to sip on for Monday, July 18, 2016.

Actually, there are 13 entries for VARs, managed services providers (MSPs), cloud services providers (CSPs) and independent software vendors (ISVs) to sip on. Take a look…

13. Huge Chip Deal: SoftBank is buying ARM for $32 billion, intensifying a major chip showdown with Intel across the mobile, IoT, server and data center markets.

12. Opera Drama: Opera Software ASA shares fell as much as 17 percent after its sale to a Chinese group failed to get government approval and was canceled, and the company instead agreed to sell its web-browser business for $600 million, Bloomberg reported.

11.Dell-EMC Next Moves: Dell's buyout of EMC could be finalized within days. Here are 10 steps the new company -- Dell Technologies -- will need to take upon formation.

10. Earnings Season: Keep an eye on EMC, VMware and IBM -- each of which is expected to announce quarterly earnings later today. This will likely be EMC's final earnings disclosure ahead of the company's sale to Dell -- which should be completed within days. Meanwhile, VMware hopes to show continued NSX and VSAN revenue growth, and IBM hopes to show that its shift to cloud, cognitive computing and security revenues is taking hold... We'll offer channel analysis once the earnings statements are released.

9. McAfee Faces Auto-Renew Fine: McAfee will pay roughly $80 million and implement policy changes to settle allegations that the Intel security business auto-renewed customers' subscriptions at a higher price than initially indicated, TechLaw360 reported. The fine comes as Intel allegedly tries to sell off its security business to focus on emerging chip opportunities.

8. Palo Alto Partners: In a blog post, Palo Alto Networks Channel Chief Ron Myers says the company already has 35 partners that have achieved Traps (aka endpoint) specialization expertise in the first 3-months of the program. Hmmm... It could be time to take a much closer look at Palo Alto's partner strategy...

7. Final Yahoo Bids: Final bids for Yahoo's Internet business are due this week. But even before the business is potentially sold, there's talk of more job cuts at the "bloated" company.

6. Windows 10 Falls Short: Microsoft's Windows 10 won't meet the company's 1 billion device goal by 2018. The company is still committed to the 1 billion goal, but it will take longer to achieve, Yusuf Mehdi, Windows marketing chief, said in a statement.

5. Government Cloud Adoption: Keep an eye on the Modernizing Outdated and Vulnerable Equipment and Information Technology Ac (known as the Move IT Act). It aims to enhance cybersecurity while reducing wasteful spending by hastening the federal government's transition to cloud computing, Gov Info Security notes. And unlike a lot of dealings in Washington, D.C., these days, this act has bipartisan support.

4. Cuba IT: Cuba will invest $40 million in IT to modernize its railroad system.  The effort will include fiber optic communication systems between trains, dispatch offices and stations. The move comes as many U.S.-based technology company seek to cash in on warming U.S.-Cuba relations...

3. Distribution: Ingram Micro has once again earned IBM's authorization to serve as a Global Training Provider (GTP). This marks the second time Ingram Micro has earned the status of an IBM authorized GTP. The first authorization came in 2014, Ingram indicated.

2. Office 365 Partners: Microsoft has launched a public preview of the new Office 365 Network. The network is a community that allows "IT pros, technical experts, product enthusiasts and Office 365 customers to come together and share best practices related to Office 365." The current Office 365 Network will permanently redirect to the new community starting September 1, 2016.

1. Channel Partner Events: Check out the ChannelE2E Technology Events Calendar for the most comprehensive look at channel partner summits and conference dates across the globe. The calendar lists events for 2016, 2017, 2018 and beyond.

More: Read all of our daily 5 Channel Partner UpdatesPlusSubscribe to our daily enewsletter. Thanks to those who already have.

Joe Panettieri

Joe Panettieri is co-founder & editorial director of MSSP Alert and ChannelE2E, the two leading news & analysis sites for managed service providers in the cybersecurity market.