Category: News

In a dazzling display of optimism for the future, the bigwigs of Britain’s channel scene are buzzing more than a hive in summer.

Agilitas IT Solutions’ latest interviews with 250 top brass from the UK’s channel firms reveal a confidence score of 7.9 out of 10. That’s the beefiest it’s been in half a decade.

The managers threw their weight behind snazzy innovations, sprucing up the customer experience and snagging the crème de la crème of talent.

A hefty 82 per cent reckon AI’s the bee’s knees for business. But only three-quarters are giving AI a whirl in their game plans. Read more…

Aussie order management outfit Fluent Commerce is making a splash with its new global channel partner programme.

It is rallying APAC, NA, and EMEA partners to ‘come and ride the OMS wave’ – and they’ve even got a dinky-di Aussie mascot to boot

The programme has three tiers—Wave Champion, Surf Pro, and Surf Community—each tailored to the partners’ tech know-how, experience, and project wins.

The programme is being mascotted by DOM, a surfing OMS nerd and Koala [not pictured] , which is apparently ready to show the ropes on the Order Management odyssey.

Since its 2013 debut, Fluent Commerce has gathered a hefty gang of over 200 seasoned partners, including top-tier heavyweights like Accenture and Capgemini, all churning out better projects. Read more…

Channel partners see data both as a pesky problem and a cracking chance as they gear up to hop on the gravy train of recurring revenue models, a new study has revealed.

Number crunchers at distributor Westcon-Comstor chatted with over 500 senior decision-makers at partners across nine countries. A smashing 97 per cent reckon data is crucial as they toddle towards a future chock-a-block with everything-as-a-service (XaaS).

The correct data is hard to get, and it’s the biggest problem blocking partners from bagging those sweet recurring revenues. In the UK, 56 per cent of managers are tearing their hair out over it.

The hot ticket is data that can sniff out and kick-start market growth chances. Read more…

Data centre colocation outfit Equinix has unveiled plans to turn a tired old paint factory in Slough into a cutting-edge data centre complex.

The blueprints feature a data hall, plush office spaces, and all the behind-the-scenes gubbins needed to keep the digital show on the road.

Equinix is going green in a big way. They’re decking out the new digs with all sorts of eco-friendly kit, from water-saving cooling towers to energy-sipping lights. And they’re not just saving the planet; they’re giving it a makeover, promising to boost the site’s biodiversity by at least 10 per cent with green roofs, native plants, and homes for our feathered and furry friends. Read more…

GenAI fuelled Oracle’s infrastructure revenue in its most recent quarter, and more profit is likely.

Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison told listeners on the company’s quarterly earnings call that Oracle was bringing GenAI to a wide range of industries – highlighting a digital assistant for ambulatory clinic systems and the technology’s work in aligning Albania’s laws with the European Union’s to speed up the country’s EU entrance.

“Oracle’s Gen 2 AI infrastructure business is booming. That’s become pretty clear to everybody,” he said, Read more…

It does not matter that Broadcom seems to have hacked off the channel with its VMware plans. Its CEO, Hock Tan, has declared that its VMware business is poised for a meteoric rise.

For those who came in late, Broadcom redid its channel policy to focus primarily on large channel partners. Tan has expectations of double-digit growth.

“We’re not just selling; we’re revolutionising the way our customers use private clouds,” Tan proclaimed as he unveiled his strategy to use VMware’s untapped potential. With a focus on upselling to 2,000 strategic customers, Tan’s vision is clear: to transform on-prem datacentres into powerhouses of efficiency and innovation. Read more…

STFC’s Hartree Centre is teaming up with the Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust to give a futuristic twist on healthcare by bringing in Artificial Intelligence.

The collaboration is a step towards realising the potential of advanced digital technologies in NHS healthcare, which can elevate the quality and effectiveness of patient care and contribute to healthier lives.

The announcement closely follows Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt’s budget announcement of £3.4 billion in funding to support digital transformation in the NHS as part of more comprehensive plans to boost productivity. Read more…

AWS has scrapped its data fees for customers who want to jump ship to a rival cloud service.

The EU’s Data Act forced the company to make the U-turn, which came into force in January and bans cloud providers from ripping off customers who want to switch.

Amazon’s announcement barely mentions the EU law, only saying that its move “follows the direction set by the European Data Act.”

Most AWS customers – the company says “over 90 per cent” – already get a free ride to move data to a competitor, as they get 100GB of free egress per month, and 1TB out of Amazon CloudFront. Read more…

Air IT has gobbled up another rival firm.

The Nottingham-based outfit has invested in SCS Technologies, a Lincoln-based company that provides IT support to small and medium-sized businesses.

This is the 12th takeover by Air-IT since 2020, following its swoop on Yorkshire’s Vital Technology Group last year.

Air-IT boss James Steventon said the deal will boost his firm’s services and profits.

He said SCS was a great team that knew their stuff and shared Air IT’s passion for delivering top-notch service and Microsoft products. Read more…

HP has given its partner programme a major makeover with new perks and tracks for its top sellers and a new AI training course co-designed with Nvidia.

The tech giant has launched Synergy and Power, two new tracks that will give partners access to more products and services.

Power track is for the big guns, who can earn the titles of Power Elite and Global Power Elite. These partners will be rewarded for making big bucks and having the best skills. Read more…

According to a new Dell’Oro Group report, the SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) market has boomed as more firms switch to online and remote work.

The report reveals that the SASE market smashed the $8 billion mark in 2023, growing by a whopping 31 per cent to $8.4 billion. For those not in the know, SASE is a cutting-edge technology that combines network and security services in the cloud, making it easier and safer for businesses to operate online.

Dell’Oro Group top expert Mauricio Sanchez said: “SASE is the future of cybersecurity, as it offers a complete and flexible solution for the digital age. The market growth shows that businesses trust SASE to protect them from hackers and cyber threats.” Read more…

Tillo has written a cheque for Jigsaw Business Solutions, a firm that runs gift card schemes for big-name brands like ASOS, Costa and Hotels.com.

The move will shake up the rewards and incentives scene as Tillo aims to boost its growth and innovation with digital gift cards.

The deal is a game-changer for Tillo, as it marks a new phase of expanding its skills and services to stay ahead of the global gift card game. It teams up Tillo’s cutting-edge tech and customer focus with Jigsaw’s wealth of know-how in managing full-on gift card programmes, making Tillo’s offer even more attractive for current and future customers. Read more…

Cybersecurity behemoth CrowdStrike has splashed the cash on a new security start-up and ramped up its revenue forecast after smashing its quarterly earnings.

The company’s shares rocketed by 25 per cent, to £291.56 a pop, in late Tuesday trading as investors cheered the stellar results and upbeat guidance.

CrowdStrike also revealed it has bagged Flow Security, a cutting-edge Israeli firm launched in 2021. The price tag of the deal was kept under wraps. Read more…

Technology leaders need channel partners to help them manage the complexity and data explosion of their multi-cloud and cloud-native environments, a new survey has found.

Security outfit Dynatrace announced the findings of an independent global survey of 1,300 CTOs, CIOs, and other technology leaders in large organisations. This shows a growing need for channel partners to help their customers tackle the complexity of modern cloud technology stacks.

Organisations are continuing to embrace multi-cloud environments and cloud-native architectures to achieve the speed, scalability, and agility needed to keep up with the rapid pace of digital innovation. Read more…

Cloudy security outfit Barracuda Networks has announced a massive boost to its global partner programme.

The Barracuda Success Programme, launched last December, aims to increase partner profits and skills by offering them more discounts, rebates, training and tools.

The company claims the programme has three main benefits for partners and distributors:

• More money in their pockets. Barracuda offers new and improved compensation models, including generous discounts and rebates for top-tier partners and more opportunities to sell their products and services.
• More customers in their books. Barracuda is helping partners and distributors grow their businesses by giving them better support and incentives to recruit and retain new customers and secure their networks.
• More knowledge. Barracuda provides access to four new partner technical certification courses and more technical resources, such as the Barracuda Email Threat Scanner, which helps partners identify and stop email attacks.

Read more…