LAN technology and services
News, trends and features on local area networks and associated services. Keep tabs on developments in the technology and explore opportunities for LAN technology and services.
Top Stories
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Feature
19 Jul 2021
Experts discuss stretched VLAN use cases, MEC and more
In this networking blog roundup, experts give reasons to stretch VLANs, discuss benefits of deploying private MEC with 5G, and differentiate between junior and senior IT engineers. Continue Reading
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Answer
20 Jan 2021
VLAN vs. subnet: What's the difference?
While VLANs are a type of subnet, they have their own unique capabilities and characteristics that differentiate them from subnets. However, the OSI model plays a major role in both. Continue Reading
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News
03 Aug 2018
VR in real estate has mainstream potential for IT resellers
Growing interest in AR and VR in real estate could open doors for channel partners, according to Ingram Micro; other IT channel news from the week. Continue Reading
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News
02 Aug 2018
Black Hat attendees facing workforce, budget challenges
According to a survey of Black Hat 2018 attendees, organizations are still struggling with insufficient cybersecurity staff and budgets to meet the current and emerging threats. Continue Reading
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News
02 Aug 2018
Shadow IT channel outpaces traditional partners
The channel partner ecosystem is in for transformative change, as a flood of cloud consultancies, ISVs and tech-oriented professional services firms enters the market. Continue Reading
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News
02 Aug 2018
ChannelCon 2018: MSPs face operational growing pains
Operational efficiency improvement is an important step for a growing MSP, but one that can prove difficult to take, according to industry executives at ChannelCon 2018. Continue Reading
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News
01 Aug 2018
Cisco eyes advanced video use cases in Webex overhaul
This month, the 135 million Cisco Webex app users will get access to a refreshed UI, as the vendor is ramping up to support more advanced video use cases, such as augmented reality. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
31 Jul 2018
SMB business security: MSPs could be doing more
A recent study of small and medium-sized businesses by IT management software firm Kaseya found growing trepidation and investment around cybersecurity. Continue Reading
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News
31 Jul 2018
Check Point slams online ad providers over malvertising
A new report from Check Point Research uncovers an extensive malvertising campaign known as "Master134" and implicates several online advertising companies in the scheme. Continue Reading
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News
30 Jul 2018
Nutanix-friendly HYCU adds Google Cloud backup
HYCU's first non-Nutanix-based product is backup for Google Cloud Platform, ahead of Nutanix's Xi Cloud Services partnership with Google due later this year. Continue Reading
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News
27 Jul 2018
Data integration tools: SnapLogic update rewards solution selling
SnapLogic rolled out incentives for building solutions that combine its app and data integration tools with its technology partners' offerings; other channel news from the week. Continue Reading
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News
26 Jul 2018
Google Cloud Platform services boost IoT, security
Google continues to make strides to catch AWS and Microsoft Azure with upgrades around edge computing and security, but won't unseat either competitor any time soon. Continue Reading
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Feature
25 Jul 2018
White-label cloud marketplaces become valuable tool for MSPs
MSPs are tapping cloud-based commerce platforms to bolster sales and marketing. Find out about using white-label cloud marketplaces and popular online shops run by AWS and Google. Continue Reading
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News
24 Jul 2018
Dell EMC refreshes SC Series and Unity midrange storage
Dell EMC keeps its Unity and SC midrange storage arrays on separate tracks, but shows early signs of eventually merging the platforms. Both get OS upgrades. Continue Reading
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News
20 Jul 2018
Vendors pushing AI-driven identity management
Experts at the Identiverse 2018 conference discussed how artificial intelligence and machine learning are poised to reshape the identity and access management market. Continue Reading
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News
20 Jul 2018
Microsoft fiscal year 2019: Priorities revealed at Inspire conference
At its annual Inspire conference, Microsoft said it will make investments in its vertical industry strategy in its 2019 fiscal year, which began July 1; other news from the week. Continue Reading
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News
19 Jul 2018
Commvault breaks its architecture into packages
By consolidating more than 20 offerings into four repackaged product sets, Commvault moves to simplify the purchasing process and eliminate its architecture's 'features sprawl.' Continue Reading
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News
19 Jul 2018
Microsoft Azure platform sparks partner offerings
Microsoft Inspire 2018: Channel partners are rolling out products and services to take advantage of Azure's market momentum and its status as a pivotal Microsoft platform. Continue Reading
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News
19 Jul 2018
SolarWinds: MSP Pulse can shed light on business transformation
SolarWinds MSP believes channel partners targeting the managed services model can gain insight into their transition using a new benchmarking tool dubbed MSP Pulse. Continue Reading
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News
18 Jul 2018
StorageCraft bundle targets schools, education
As schools shift from textbooks to rich media, StorageCraft packages object storage with backup and recovery software in hard disk drives or all-flash appliances. Continue Reading
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News
18 Jul 2018
Microsoft Inspire 2018: Industry focus, co-selling among top trends
At Microsoft Inspire 2018, the software giant emphasized its industry focus and asked partners to develop solutions that build on its Microsoft Azure platform and other core offerings. Continue Reading
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News
17 Jul 2018
Analysts: AWS unlikely to enter switching market
An AWS switch -- reportedly possible in the next 18 months -- would not benefit the cloud providers' customers, experts said. Instead, AWS needs to offer better connectivity. Continue Reading
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News
13 Jul 2018
Intel pays $100,000 bounty on new Spectre attacks
Researchers discovered two new Spectre variants that can be used to bypass protections and attack systems and earned $100,000 in bug bounties from Intel. Continue Reading
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News
13 Jul 2018
Evergreen Services Group: New deal to up MSP revenue to $40M
MSP market M&A: Evergreen Services Group is acquiring SMB service providers that generate most of their business via monthly recurring revenue; more news from the week. Continue Reading
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News
12 Jul 2018
Broadcom acquires enterprise business with CA Technologies deal
Broadcom buys into the enterprise software infrastructure arena, announcing $19 billion acquisition of CA Technologies. Continue Reading
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Feature
12 Jul 2018
Mobile management services offer SI, reseller opportunities
Mobile lifecycle management services offer opportunities for a range of companies, including resellers, systems integrators, outsourcers and communications service providers. Continue Reading
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News
10 Jul 2018
IBM FlashSystem 9100 integrates all-flash NVMe storage
IBM FlashSystem 9100 scales to 32 PB of all-flash storage in a standard rack. IBM guarantees consistent latency of 350 microseconds and 100 million IOPS per four-way cluster. Continue Reading
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News
09 Jul 2018
Google Cloud ecosystem critical to enterprise push
The Google Cloud ecosystem continues to expand, as Google improves its relationships with third-party vendors and tries to translate its technology to traditional IT shops. Continue Reading
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Feature
09 Jul 2018
Kubernetes consulting: Helping with the basics, security issues
The Kubernetes container management system has become a source of growing consulting opportunities for IT service providers such as Accenture and Sapient Consulting. Continue Reading
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News
06 Jul 2018
Unitrends revamps enterprise backup solutions program in wake of merger
Unitrends revised its channel partner program, adding new tiers and benefits for its legacy partners, as well as incentives for Kaseya MSP partners to join; other news from the week. Continue Reading
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Feature
05 Jul 2018
Public sector technology: New FY brings IT uncertainties
State government IT could run into shifting priorities with 36 governorships in play this fall, but areas such as cloud are expected to see public sector technology investment. Continue Reading
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News
03 Jul 2018
Dell's dance to public markets takes VMware side door
In a complex stock deal Dell once again becomes a public company to flex its muscles against major legacy IT rivals, but sidesteps questions about VMware's autonomy. Continue Reading
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News
02 Jul 2018
Linux targeted by illicit cryptocurrency miners
Cryptojacking is increasingly being used by cyber criminals to raise funds, Watchguard report reveals. Continue Reading
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Feature
02 Jul 2018
AI and data analytics trailblazers: Accenture, DXC and Wipro
Accenture, DXC and Wipro are among the AI and data analytics services providers highlighted in Gartner's Magic Quadrant. Learn about their market visions and business challenges. Continue Reading
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Feature
02 Jul 2018
Edge computing market: Far-reaching opportunities for channel partners
The confluence of edge computing and IoT are generating a broad range of partner opportunities. Learn about the scope of the edge computing market and skills needed to pursue it. Continue Reading
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News
29 Jun 2018
Hyper-converged infrastructure solutions: Scale, Nutanix tap channel
Channel partnership strategy: Scale Computing and Nutanix have launched partner programs in the hyper-converged solutions market; other news from the week. Continue Reading
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News
29 Jun 2018
Five9 CEO Trollope left Cisco for 'more nimble' company
In May, UC and collaboration exec Rowan Trollope left Cisco for a nimbler Five9. As CEO of the contact center vendor, he promises to be more product-focused than his predecessor. Continue Reading
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News
28 Jun 2018
Channel can take the mobile high ground with UEM
Margins in MDM might have been squeezed, but according to MobileIron there is plenty of life in unified endpoint management. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
28 Jun 2018
DattoCon 2018 attendees get a glimpse of the future
At DattoCon 2018, company executive Ian McChord shared his views on emerging trends and opportunities for managed service providers. Continue Reading
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News
27 Jun 2018
Dense Qumulo K-Series launches to archive file storage
Qumulo introduces the K-144T archive appliance to complement its scale-out NAS systems. The K-Series starts with six nodes, and customers can scale storage in 144 TB increments. Continue Reading
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News
22 Jun 2018
Aruba partners urged to target traditional branch office routers
The new Aruba SD-branch offering, unveiled at the HPE Discover conference, gives channel partners a way into the SD-WAN space, Aruba said; other news from the week. Continue Reading
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News
22 Jun 2018
DattoCon 2018: New storage features, development schedule
Datto partner companies got a slew of new data protection features, a cloud storage product beta and updates on business management software at the recent DattoCon event. Continue Reading
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News
22 Jun 2018
Cisco HyperFlex brings NVMe to hyper-converged storage
Cisco HyperFlex 3.5 software adds native DR and cloud-based Intersight Storage Analytics. The all-flash hyper-converged systems integrate Nvidia GPUs and Intel Optane NVMe SSDs. Continue Reading
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News
20 Jun 2018
HPE partners urged to tackle the 'Super Six' market opportunities
At the HPE Global Partner Summit 2018, the company described six short- and long-term market opportunities it plans to capitalize on with it partners. Continue Reading
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News
20 Jun 2018
DattoCon 2018: Focus on MSPs poised for SMB growth
The MSP industry has good prospects for growth in the SMB space as company valuations increase, but the firms with the greatest focus are more likely to reap the rewards. Continue Reading
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News
19 Jun 2018
Aruba launches software-defined branch offering
Aruba has introduced a software-defined branch offering. The product works with Aruba ClearPass and Central for management and includes an SD-WAN within a gateway appliance. Continue Reading
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Feature
19 Jun 2018
DRaaS solution: US Signal makes rounds in healthcare market
A DRaaS solution from US Signal provides an additional level of data protection and remote replication for its client, a regional health system in western Massachusetts. Continue Reading
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News
19 Jun 2018
HPE GreenLake targets channel with on-premises consumption opportunity
HPE GreenLake Flex Capacity is a central piece of the HPE Partner Ready channel strategy and a plan for capturing the anticipated growth of the consumption-based procurement. Continue Reading
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Feature
19 Jun 2018
HTG Peer Groups unlike other support options for channel businesses
HTG stands out among peer group organizations by giving members the resources for both personal and professional growth. HTG is set to expand under ConnectWise's ownership. Continue Reading
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News
15 Jun 2018
Microsoft Teams to support e-discovery in hybrid clouds
Microsoft is giving businesses with on-premises Exchange servers a new tool for Microsoft Teams e-discovery, as the vendor seeks to help large enterprises transition to the cloud. Continue Reading
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News
15 Jun 2018
Cisco Live 2018: Vendor opens management console to partners
In Cisco's latest nod to software, the company has opened its Cisco DNA Center to developers, including a number of IT services providers and consultancies. Continue Reading
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News
14 Jun 2018
Cisco DNA Center to manage Viptela SD-WAN
Cisco plans to integrate its Viptela SD-WAN with DNA Center for campus networking in the next 18 months. At the same time, Cisco expects to release a cloud version of DNA Center. Continue Reading
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News
13 Jun 2018
June Patch Tuesday includes fixes for DNS and Spectre v4
A Windows DNS patch for both desktops and servers headlines Microsoft's June 2018 Patch Tuesday, but the release also includes mitigations for Spectre v4 and more. Continue Reading
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News
11 Jun 2018
In GitHub play, Microsoft sets course for open source
The looming Microsoft-GitHub pairing confirms the company's rebirth as an open source friend. Data tools on the Azure cloud are part of the motivation. Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Jun 2018
Early-stage companies reach out to channel partners
Bigleaf, CloudZero, Rescale are among the early-stage companies investigating alliances with channel partners as they seek help with sales and support. Continue Reading
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News
08 Jun 2018
Channel part of Microsoft plans for GitHub
The software vendor is aware that if it wants to attract enterprise-level developers it will have to work with partners. Continue Reading
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News
08 Jun 2018
Cloud MSP Burwood Group taps HyperGrid for orchestration offering
Burwood Group, a Chicago-based consulting and managed services firm, launched a cloud management services offering that uses HyperGrid technology; other news from the week. Continue Reading
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News
07 Jun 2018
Avaya aims Equinox refresh at the cloud
Avaya has refreshed Avaya Equinox with online team collaboration and has integrated the software into IP Office. The changes are part of Avaya's strategy to attract more SMBs. Continue Reading
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Opinion
07 Jun 2018
Security questionnaires: How to prepare your SMB clients
SMBs working with regulated clients may need to complete detailed security assessment questionnaires. Managed service providers can help with data security tools and capabilities. Continue Reading
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News
06 Jun 2018
Microsoft eyes open source Azure adoption from GitHub buy
Microsoft's ongoing détente with the open source community advances with a deal to purchase GitHub, the world's largest open source code repository. Continue Reading
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News
05 Jun 2018
Scality Ring 7.4 release seeks to ease deployment
Scality Ring 7.4 file and object storage software takes aim at easing installation and ongoing management, adds lower-cost three-server entry configuration. Continue Reading
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News
04 Jun 2018
Microsoft buys GitHub, sends shockwave through IT
Microsoft's $7.5 billion blockbuster deal for GitHub is a sea change for the IT market, as an enterprise software bellwether with legacy baggage snaps up an open source DevOps darling. Continue Reading
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News
01 Jun 2018
VMware preparing cloud version of NSX
A VMware researcher says the company is preparing a new version of NSX networking for public clouds and expects the technology to be available in about a year. Continue Reading
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News
01 Jun 2018
Q&A: Luis Murguia, SAP
SAP is sitting down with partners and customers in Orlando next week but before that one of its senior channel executives was prepared to give a update about its reseller base. Continue Reading
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News
01 Jun 2018
Sophos partners adopt MSP model as clients outsource security
Sophos said it will look to provide its partners with greater access to its in-house expertise as the security vendor's partner base moves toward the MSP model; more news from the week. Continue Reading
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News
31 May 2018
Veeam lays groundwork for data management vision
Noting that 'data is the currency of the enterprise,' Veeam is taking its platform beyond protection and into more management. VeeamON 2018 laid the groundwork for its strategy. Continue Reading
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News
31 May 2018
Green House Data merger boosts Microsoft consulting skills
The Green House Data merger with Infront Consulting Group lets the combined entity offer a range of offerings, from upfront consulting to ongoing managed services. Continue Reading
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News
30 May 2018
National security requests on the rise for Apple devices
The latest semiannual Apple transparency report showed national security requests on the rise and one expert questioned whether Apple could do more to be open about requests. Continue Reading
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News
29 May 2018
Pure Storage gives its flash software more oomph
Pure Storage adds software for building, managing and protecting data in containers, clouds, VMs and on premises. Pure ES2 subscription offers a managed on-premises cloud. Continue Reading
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Feature
29 May 2018
Succession planning strategy: MSP execs consider the channel's future
Have a succession planning strategy in place? If not, you're hardly alone. Get tips on why and what you should consider when planning for the future of your business. Continue Reading
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News
25 May 2018
Dragos: Don't get carried away with ICS threats
Dragos' Robert Lee talks with SearchSecurity at RSA Conference 2018 about why there are reasons to be optimistic about the state of ICS security, despite growing threats. Continue Reading
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News
25 May 2018
Appirio signs FinancialForce PSA software pact
Under a new agreement, cloud consultancy Appirio revealed it plans to build a FinancialForce PSA sales and implementation practice; other IT channel news from the week. Continue Reading
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News
24 May 2018
FBI sinkholes VPNFilter malware from APT 28
New malware, dubbed 'VPNfilter' by Cisco Talos, infected 500,000 devices and triggered action from Justice Department, which seized and sinkholed the botnet's domain. Continue Reading
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Feature
24 May 2018
Device as a service set to expand for channel partners
The device-as-a-service market is poised for growth as customers look to trim Capex, but channel partners may need to recast themselves if they want to serve as a DaaS provider. Continue Reading
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Feature
24 May 2018
Container adoption: Startup, enterprise giant tap partners
Startup MadHive and Yahoo Japan may not share much in common, but both hired channel partners to take on container tasks such as linking Kubernetes and OpenStack. Continue Reading
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News
23 May 2018
Oh, what a 'Wicked' botnet we weave
Fortinet researchers uncovered a new variant of the Mirai malware, known as the Wicked botnet, which targets vulnerable IoT devices and uses multiple existing exploits. Continue Reading
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Feature
23 May 2018
Bug bounty service offerings unlock new channel revenue
Channel firms like security consultant NCC Group are pioneering vulnerability management service offerings that target bug bounty programs. Continue Reading
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News
18 May 2018
FireEye Helix, revamped pricing spark channel business
Security vendor FireEye has revamped pricing, expanded rebates and is looking to bolster FireEye partners with service opportunities around FireEye Helix; other news from the week. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
17 May 2018
Apple Authorized Service Provider program: ComputerCare's story
ComputerCare, a member of the Apple Authorized Service Provider program, has found a role in servicing iOS devices and meeting the repair needs of mid-size businesses. Continue Reading
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News
17 May 2018
Cybersecurity the latest battleground for MSPs
SolarWinds MSP says relationships with customers will suffer if channel doesn’t get security offerings right. Continue Reading
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News
16 May 2018
IDC: Digital transformation driving IT services spending
The analyst house has provided insight into the services world with digital transformation a major influence on where customers are spending. Continue Reading
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News
15 May 2018
Kaspersky to make life easier for partners with transparency plan
Plans to move a number of operations from Russia to Switzerland should help partners silence questions of trust. Continue Reading
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News
14 May 2018
Google's Velostrata deal underscores enterprise aims
The latest Google acquisition is all about the enterprise market, as it aims to fold in Velostrata to ease the transition from private data centers to its public cloud. Continue Reading
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News
11 May 2018
AWS: The channel really matters
The public cloud giant has been expanding its channel base and is keen to work with more resellers and ISVs. Continue Reading
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News
11 May 2018
Kaseya VSA update unifies RMM with Traverse, IT documentation
At Kaseya Connect 2018, Kaseya revealed its RMM software now combines with Traverse network management and IT Glue documentation capabilities; other news from the week. Continue Reading
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News
11 May 2018
Lenovo partners to seek more SMB data center deals
Lenovo partners will see the vendor increase focus on SMB customers, which Lenovo said can present business problems just as complex as those belonging to larger organizations. Continue Reading
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News
11 May 2018
Customers grapple with emerging technology trends, innovation
Experts at the Evolve Technology Conference discussed the constraints customers are facing in view of disruptive technologies and the desire to innovate. Continue Reading
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News
09 May 2018
Citrix unveils new secure digital workspace at Synergy
At Synergy 2018, Citrix introduced a new secure digital workspace that provides users unified access to their virtual desktops and applications, SaaS and mobile apps, and data. Continue Reading
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News
08 May 2018
Microsoft: AI and IoT on Azure fit together like PB&J
Microsoft extended more of its AI capabilities to connected devices to resolve some of the IoT shortcomings of the public cloud's consolidated data center model. Continue Reading
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Answer
07 May 2018
Business continuity solution: How should MSPs price an offering?
A backup offering, when packaged as a business continuity solution, can pique your customers' interest and provide attractive margins if positioned and priced appropriately. Continue Reading
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News
04 May 2018
Cisco buys Accompany amid leadership shuffle
In a surprise announcement, Cisco said Rowan Trollope was leaving to lead Five9 and would be replaced by the CEO of the relationship intelligence startup Accompany, which Cisco expects to acquire. Continue Reading
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News
04 May 2018
Dell EMC IT transformation central to 2018 channel strategy
Informed by ESG research, the new Dell EMC IT Transformation campaign looks to help partners adopt a consultative approach to IT infrastructure modernization. Continue Reading
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News
04 May 2018
Software-defined access: Safe-T launches channel program
Safe-T, an Israeli company that offers technology based on software-defined perimeter architecture, has launched a channel program and is looking for partners in the U.S.; more news from the week. Continue Reading
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News
01 May 2018
Vendors march ahead on fintech innovation
Fintech vendors FinancialForce, Vena Solutions and Model N have made recent moves to upgrade products, add third-party integrations or accelerate innovation. Continue Reading
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News
01 May 2018
Dell EMC all-flash PowerMax replaces VMAX, injects NVMe
Dell EMC rebrands its high-end, all-flash VMAX system as PowerMax, which is packed with NVMe flash and inline data reduction. A single system scales to 4 PB, with an onboard AI tiering engine. Continue Reading
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News
01 May 2018
Gartner: CEOs are talking digital
The digital transformation message has got into the boardroom and is now a CEO priority, which should give the channel some chances to support those firms as they change their operations Continue Reading
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News
01 May 2018
Microsoft’s latest Windows 10 focuses on IT admins
While it will stop those annoying taskbar InBox and social media messages, at the heart of the April 2018 Windows 10 update is an effort to simplify management Continue Reading
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News
01 May 2018
VMware NSX portfolio aims to unify local and cloud workloads
VMware's NSX strategy aims to help enterprises stitch together data centers and cloud environments, though it could be overkill for IT shops with simpler needs that are more specific. Continue Reading
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News
01 May 2018
Dell EMC Global Partner Summit: Tighter integration in the works
Dell EMC partner companies can expect the IT vendor to work toward tighter partner-product portfolio alignment and faster deal registration over the course of 2018. Continue Reading
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Opinion
30 Apr 2018
Cloud migration planning: Assess workloads now to avoid trouble later
Organizations that take the time to assess workloads, identify dependencies and educate themselves on cloud security tools can set a smooth path for a public cloud deployment. Continue Reading
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Feature
30 Apr 2018
ERP-EDI integration: Partners rely on speed, flexibility
BAASS Business Solutions is partnering with trading partner connectivity specialist TrueCommerce to support customers who need core ERP-EDI integration. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
27 Apr 2018
IBM business partners see incentives for storage systems, software
IBM is spurring partners to win more deals in the storage market, specifically around its software-defined storage and all-flash array products. The company this week introduced a new set of sales ... Continue Reading