Category Archives for "Managed Services News"

Sep 21

Latest M&A: HP-Poly, Accenture, Lumen, Rackspace, Thoma Bravo, More

By | Managed Services News

A $3.3 billion acquisition strengthens opportunities for hybrid work. Can you guess which deal?

As our latest M&A edition shows, we observed some of the same trends in August as we did in July. It appears there’s no hitting the brakes when it comes to cybersecurity mergers and acquisitions in particular.

For example, global investment firm KKR has acquired a prominent cybersecurity company with more than 200,000 customers worldwide. It purchased the company from another familiar face in the investment world, Thoma Bravo. This raises another point. Investment firms are as much a part the channel as other organizations.

We selected 18 companies that participated in M&A in August. Some deals got attention for their size, such as HP closing its Poly acquisition. We paid attention to others for their geographic reach. This included Pax8‘s acquisition of Umbrellar, which allows the cloud marketplace provider to expand into New Zealand.

Lastly, we focused on one acquisition across the pond: OpenText is acquiring its British rival, Micro Focus. Unfortunately, Micro Focus is dogged by a number of financial challenges. The bright side is that OpenText may be able to turn things around.

See our slideshow above for all of the latest channel-impacting M&A. Then, if you didn’t catch our previous M&A gallery, you can find it here.

Sep 21

Latest M&A: HP-Poly, Accenture, Lumen, Rackspace, Thoma Bravo, More

By | Managed Services News

A $3.3 billion acquisition strengthens opportunities for hybrid work. Can you guess which deal?

As our latest M&A edition shows, we observed some of the same trends in August as we did in July. It appears there’s no hitting the brakes when it comes to cybersecurity mergers and acquisitions in particular.

For example, global investment firm KKR has acquired a prominent cybersecurity company with more than 200,000 customers worldwide. It purchased the company from another familiar face in the investment world, Thoma Bravo. This raises another point. Investment firms are as much a part the channel as other organizations.

We selected 18 companies that participated in M&A in August. Some deals got attention for their size, such as HP closing its Poly acquisition. We paid attention to others for their geographic reach. This included Pax8‘s acquisition of Umbrellar, which allows the cloud marketplace provider to expand into New Zealand.

Lastly, we focused on one acquisition across the pond: OpenText is acquiring its British rival, Micro Focus. Unfortunately, Micro Focus is dogged by a number of financial challenges. The bright side is that OpenText may be able to turn things around.

See our slideshow above for all of the latest channel-impacting M&A. Then, if you didn’t catch our previous M&A gallery, you can find it here.

Sep 20

Latest M&A: HP-Poly, Accenture, Lumen, Rackspace, Thoma Bravo, More

By | Managed Services News

A $3.3 billion acquisition strengthens opportunities for hybrid work. Can you guess which deal?

As our latest M&A edition shows, we observed some of the same trends in August as we did in July. It appears there’s no hitting the brakes when it comes to cybersecurity mergers and acquisitions in particular.

For example, global investment firm KKR has acquired a prominent cybersecurity company with more than 200,000 customers worldwide. It purchased the company from another familiar face in the investment world, Thoma Bravo. This raises another point. Investment firms are as much a part the channel as other organizations.

We selected 18 companies that participated in M&A in August. Some deals got attention for their size, such as HP closing its Poly acquisition. We paid attention to others for their geographic reach. This included Pax8‘s acquisition of Umbrellar, which allows the cloud marketplace provider to expand into New Zealand.

Lastly, we focused on one acquisition across the pond: OpenText is acquiring its British rival, Micro Focus. Unfortunately, Micro Focus is dogged by a number of financial challenges. The bright side is that OpenText may be able to turn things around.

See our slideshow above for all of the latest channel-impacting M&A. Then, if you didn’t catch our previous M&A gallery, you can find it here.

Sep 20

Latest M&A: HP-Poly, Accenture, Lumen, Rackspace, Thoma Bravo, More

By | Managed Services News

A $3.3 billion acquisition strengthens opportunities for hybrid work. Can you guess which deal?

As our latest M&A edition shows, we observed some of the same trends in August as we did in July. It appears there’s no hitting the brakes when it comes to cybersecurity mergers and acquisitions in particular.

For example, global investment firm KKR has acquired a prominent cybersecurity company with more than 200,000 customers worldwide. It purchased the company from another familiar face in the investment world, Thoma Bravo. This raises another point. Investment firms are as much a part the channel as other organizations.

We selected 18 companies that participated in M&A in August. Some deals got attention for their size, such as HP closing its Poly acquisition. We paid attention to others for their geographic reach. This included Pax8‘s acquisition of Umbrellar, which allows the cloud marketplace provider to expand into New Zealand.

Lastly, we focused on one acquisition across the pond: OpenText is acquiring its British rival, Micro Focus. Unfortunately, Micro Focus is dogged by a number of financial challenges. The bright side is that OpenText may be able to turn things around.

See our slideshow above for all of the latest channel-impacting M&A. Then, if you didn’t catch our previous M&A gallery, you can find it here.

Sep 20

Latest M&A: HP-Poly, Accenture, Lumen, Rackspace, Thoma Bravo, More

By | Managed Services News

A $3.3 billion acquisition strengthens opportunities for hybrid work. Can you guess which deal?

As our latest M&A edition shows, we observed some of the same trends in August as we did in July. It appears there’s no hitting the brakes when it comes to cybersecurity mergers and acquisitions in particular.

For example, global investment firm KKR has acquired a prominent cybersecurity company with more than 200,000 customers worldwide. It purchased the company from another familiar face in the investment world, Thoma Bravo. This raises another point. Investment firms are as much a part the channel as other organizations.

We selected 18 companies that participated in M&A in August. Some deals got attention for their size, such as HP closing its Poly acquisition. We paid attention to others for their geographic reach. This included Pax8‘s acquisition of Umbrellar, which allows the cloud marketplace provider to expand into New Zealand.

Lastly, we focused on one acquisition across the pond: OpenText is acquiring its British rival, Micro Focus. Unfortunately, Micro Focus is dogged by a number of financial challenges. The bright side is that OpenText may be able to turn things around.

See our slideshow above for all of the latest channel-impacting M&A. Then, if you didn’t catch our previous M&A gallery, you can find it here.

Sep 20

Latest M&A: HP-Poly, Accenture, Lumen, Rackspace, Thoma Bravo, More

By | Managed Services News

A $3.3 billion acquisition strengthens opportunities for hybrid work. Can you guess which deal?

As our latest M&A edition shows, we observed some of the same trends in August as we did in July. It appears there’s no hitting the brakes when it comes to cybersecurity mergers and acquisitions in particular.

For example, global investment firm KKR has acquired a prominent cybersecurity company with more than 200,000 customers worldwide. It purchased the company from another familiar face in the investment world, Thoma Bravo. This raises another point. Investment firms are as much a part the channel as other organizations.

We selected 18 companies that participated in M&A in August. Some deals got attention for their size, such as HP closing its Poly acquisition. We paid attention to others for their geographic reach. This included Pax8‘s acquisition of Umbrellar, which allows the cloud marketplace provider to expand into New Zealand.

Lastly, we focused on one acquisition across the pond: OpenText is acquiring its British rival, Micro Focus. Unfortunately, Micro Focus is dogged by a number of financial challenges. The bright side is that OpenText may be able to turn things around.

See our slideshow above for all of the latest channel-impacting M&A. Then, if you didn’t catch our previous M&A gallery, you can find it here.

Sep 20

Smartsheet Partners Getting Enhanced Channel Program with Tailored Benefits

By | Managed Services News

Partners have played a critical role in Smartsheet’s growth.

Smartsheet partners are getting an enhanced channel program. The new Smartsheet Aligned program will be available starting in February 2023.

At its 2022 Global Partner Summit, Smartsheet unveiled the new program structure. It will recognize and reward over 800 global partners with tailored benefits. Those will allow partners to differentiate their value-add and promote the investments they’ve made in Smartsheet.

Smartsheet is an enterprise work management platform.

Steve Stewart is Smartsheet‘s global head of channel. He said Smartsheet partners have played a critical role in the growth of the business. They’ve extended its sales and marketing reach, and expanded its professional services capabilities.

Smartsheet's Steve Stewart

Smartsheet’s Steve Stewart

“In fact, annual bookings led by partners has grown to 59% since launching the program three years ago,” he said. “As customer requests for increasingly complex solutions continued to grow, it was imperative that our program evolve and offer enterprise-grade benefits to our partners so they can continue to provide best-in-class service for our customers. With the new structure, Smartsheet Aligned will be significantly more robust and focused on complex solution building than anyone else in the collaborative work management (CWM) market.”

Specialized Paths for Smartsheet Partners

The new Smartsheet Aligned program will provide specialized paths for partners to grow their businesses based on the value they provide Smartsheet customers.

Partners such as Global PMO and Work Bold can earn tiered benefits based on their partnership, performance and capabilities, including:

  • New custom role-based training and solutions certifications, in addition to ongoing sales and technical training.
  • Expanded financial discounts and rebates. In addition, differentiated incentives that provide a competitive market advantage.
  • New marketing and demand-generation resources to raise awareness of their business and drive net new opportunities.
  • Access to technical enablement resources. That includes pre-and post-sales experts to support partners with the delivery of complex Smartsheet solutions.

Sebastian Paasch is managing director at AMX.

“Smartsheet’s world-class partner program coupled with the tremendous growth of the CWM market has helped us quickly grow our business over the past four years,” he said. “From the increased visibility with Smartsheet’s customer base, to the recognition around our investments in their industry-leading platform, I look forward to building on our partnership in the next phase of the Smartsheet Aligned program.”

Sep 20

Latest M&A: HP-Poly, Accenture, Lumen, Rackspace, Thoma Bravo, More

By | Managed Services News

A $3.3 billion acquisition strengthens opportunities for hybrid work. Can you guess which deal?

As our latest M&A edition shows, we observed some of the same trends in August as we did in July. It appears there’s no hitting the brakes when it comes to cybersecurity mergers and acquisitions in particular.

For example, global investment firm KKR has acquired a prominent cybersecurity company with more than 200,000 customers worldwide. It purchased the company from another familiar face in the investment world, Thoma Bravo. This raises another point. Investment firms are as much a part the channel as other organizations.

We selected 18 companies that participated in M&A in August. Some deals got attention for their size, such as HP closing its Poly acquisition. We paid attention to others for their geographic reach. This included Pax8‘s acquisition of Umbrellar, which allows the cloud marketplace provider to expand into New Zealand.

Lastly, we focused on one acquisition across the pond: OpenText is acquiring its British rival, Micro Focus. Unfortunately, Micro Focus is dogged by a number of financial challenges. The bright side is that OpenText may be able to turn things around.

See our slideshow above for all of the latest channel-impacting M&A. Then, if you didn’t catch our previous M&A gallery, you can find it here.

Sep 20

2022 MSP Summit/Channel Partners Leadership Summit Expo Hall Photos, Part 2 – Exhibitors N-Z

By | Managed Services News

Attendees were treated to a full expo hall packed to the gills with top sponsors and exhibitors. This is gallery part 2, N-Z.

The MSP Summit and Channel Partners Leadership Summit boasted a number of excellent keynotes, panels on leadership and growth, and culminated in the MSP 501 awards gala. 

Topics ranged from leadership secrets, to women in tech (highlighting woman-owned MSPs several times), and preparing one’s business for the future. As a result, conference goers came away armed with knowledge to face what’s to come.

The conference also boasted a number of top sponsors and exhibitors. This gallery features booths from companies U-Z. 

See companies A-M here.

Sep 20

2022 MSP Summit/Channel Partners Leadership Summit Expo Hall Photos, Part 1 – Exhibitors A-M

By | Managed Services News

Attendees were treated to a full expo hall packed to the gills with top sponsors and exhibitors.

There was more than one defining moment at last week’s Channel Partners Leadership Summit that captured the spirit of the event, which was dedicated to advancing the skills of all leaders through peer engagement and sharing of best practices.

Three moments stood out above all others. One was Tim Pabich, CEO of Magnitech, telling the audience that organizations must be “cockroach-like” to survive in the world of managed services. There may have been a little tongue-in-cheek to Pabich’s comments, which got a laugh from the crowd, but everyone understood the serious undertone. In order to survive as an MSP or technology advisor/agent, you must be able to weather any storm or challenge that comes your way. Using the image of an insect that has survived millions of years certainly drove home Pabich’s point. His comments came during a panel moderated by Channel Futures senior news editor Allison Francis on leadership secrets from this year’s MSP 501 CEOs.

The second memorable moment came during a keynote panel featuring four well-known executives. These four shared their personal stories of success, failure and how they have grown as leaders. It was truly amazing to hear stories shared from the heart by consultant Amy Bailey and Sumo Communications founder Bret Hickenlooper. Bailey spoke about what she would tell her 20-something self, striking a chord with everyone assembled. She said, “Stay away from the gossip,” among other distractions. Hickenlooper’s recount of his days of struggle added to that when he said, “I had money come and go quickly.”

Making a Mark

At the event’s close, it was Peter Fidler, president and founding partner of WCA Technologies, who left an indelible mark on the Channel Futures MSP 501 gala awards ceremony. He delivered remarks upon receiving the 2022 MSP 501 Lifetime Achievement Award. As he prepares to turn his business over to the next generation of management, he wants to let everyone know he isn’t prepared to walk away. Not only that, he intends to stick around in a business and industry he loves. Fidler said his partner has exited the business but he has no intention of doing so anytime soon. His comments received applause from the nearly 300 gala attendees.

Those were some of the highlights of the three days of IT professionals at all leadership levels coming together to share how they are changing their styles, building upon success or learning from their failures. With so much uncertainty swirling about the economy, stock market and in the technology industry, leaders are trying to figure out where to invest so they can continue growing or better serve customers. In fact, during a fast-paced session featuring four prominent IT leaders who buy technology and communications services, they said their dependence on channel partners going forward will only increase as they stare down a coming recession or work with senior leaders who want to trim costs. 

Not only did our attendees have an opportunity to rub elbows with peers, but they also spent considerable time with technology and communications services providers who are doing their best to lead when it comes to product innovation. Our exhibit floor, as you will see in the slideshow above, was packed with providers from the entire IT and communications spectrum.

The MSP Summit/Channel Partners Leadership Summit Expo Floor

On the exhibit floor, more than 100 innovators engaged with MSPs, technology advisors/agents, VARs and consultants looking to add new products and services to their portfolios. At times it was difficult to navigate the aisles so deep with attendees engaged in conversations with the typical assortment of tchotchkes, giveaways, booth-based contests and tech demos. The exhibit floor featured a who’s-who list of technology providers that included some of today’s largest companies and up-and-comers with everything from cloud, SaaS, security, mobility, connectivity and infrastructure. 

Click through our slideshow above to see the sponsors and exhibitors from our expo floor.  This gallery features booths from companies A-M.

Go here for companies N-Z.

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