Author: Nick Farrell

TD SYNNEX has launched its IBM watsonx Gold 100 programme, which aims to recruit 100 new partners and equip them to achieve IBM’s gold-tier partner status.

Gold-tier partners can take advantage of IBM Watson’s opportunities through a partnership of IBM technology and TD SYNNEX value-added capabilities.

The distributor is positioning this partnership as a key pillar of its AI enablement strategy as the channel moves to unleash the technology’s full potential.

According to the TD SYNNEX Direction of Technology report, the number of partners planning to offer AI solutions globally jumped 625 per cent in just one year. Read more…

Darktrace has started a new Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service.

MDR is a highly sought-after area, and the company is optimistic that its service, supported by round-the-clock assistance, will resonate well with users.

Darktrace chief revenue officer Denise Walter said organisations sought ways to enhance their security outcomes without increasing their team’s workloads.

With our AI-powered MDR service, our customers can rest assured that a dedicated Darktrace human expert vigilantly monitors their environment 24/7, ensuring their utmost protection. This level of expertise and dedication is what sets us apart.

Darktrace is aware that it is fulfilling a significant need. It conducted its State of AI Cybersecurity 2024 report, which disclosed that over 40 per cent of security leaders consider optimising their processes in the security operations centre a high priority. Read more…

The maker of esoteric, expensive business software, which no one is sure what it does, SAP is acquiring adoption platform specialist WalkMe.

SAP has agreed to acquire WalkMe for $14 per share in an all-cash transaction, representing an equity value of $1.5bn (£1.18bn).

SAP CEO Christian Klein said: “By acquiring WalkMe, we are doubling down on the support we provide our end users, helping them to swiftly adopt new solutions and features to get the maximum value out of their IT investments.”

“Applications, processes, data, and people are the four key elements of a successful business transformation.” Read more…

Cisco Systems has spent the week discussing its AI plans at its annual Cisco Live conference in Las Vegas.

The outfit announced a $1 billion global AI investment fund aimed at strategic investments in startup companies aligned with Cisco’s strategy and infrastructure.

The San Jose-based company also revealed the Cisco Nexus HyperFabric AI cluster offering, which combines Cisco’s AI-native networking with Nvidia’s accelerated computing and AI software alongside storage provided by Vast Data. Read more…

London-based service provider Six Degrees has appointed Brendan Lynch as its new chief revenue officer.

The London-based Six  Degrees recruited him from fellow Managed Service Provider (MSP) FluidOne. Lynch previously served as CRO at FluidOne for just over two years.

Lynch’s 30-year financial career includes stints at various MSP firms, such as Redcentric, Cyber Security Associates, and IT Lab. He also held roles at communication providers Azurri (now part of Maintel), EIR, and Virgin. Read more…

TD SYNNEX has expanded its NVIDIA AI offerings by adding NVIDIA RTX graphics processing units (GPUs) to its European portfolio.

NVIDIA RTX GPUs offer full-stack professional visualisation technologies, delivering real-time ray tracing, AI, computing, simulation and advanced graphics. They are designed to accelerate demanding computing workflows, from embedded devices such as kiosks or video walls to traditional servers and workstations.

The company said that its NVIDIA partnership has been extended to enrich its product lineup, introducing a potent and innovative set of professional visualisation technologies to TD SYNNEX partners and customers. Read more…

Zoom unveiled its new London Experience Centre, which is pretty much as “in presence” as you can get.

The idea is to showcase the Zoom brand, which is crafted to excite and engage visitors with Zoom’s offerings and principles.

The centre builds on the recent opening of Zoom’s Holborn office, the Zoom Engagement Hub, in August 2023. It provides Zoom staff with a vibrant office environment that sets the standard for a modern, hybrid workplace.

The Experience Centre, a unique addition to Zoom’s portfolio, is home to the Lens Wall, a 125-foot-long ambient wall. This innovative feature, the world’s first curved LED screen with multi-touch capabilities, offers an immersive 360-degree visual experience tailored for each visitor. The ‘Boardroom of the Future,’ another standout feature, showcases the future of meeting technology with its seamless curved 8K LED screen and top-notch audio, all powered by Zoom. Read more…

 Cloudy Pax8 announced that it named Nick Heddy president and chief commerce officer.

Heddy will continue leading Pax8’s global sales, experience, marketing, and community teams, working in close collaboration with CEO Scott Chasin to build the technology marketplace of the future.

Pax8’s Chief Executive Officer Scott Chasin said after working alongside Heddy for the past few years, he has seen how he leads with passion and approaches situations methodically.

“As we prepare for Pax8’s next era, I’m confident Nick has the talent and ability to strengthen the organisation and drive its vision forward effectively.” Read more…

Distie  Westcon-Comstor has now broadened its partnership with Juniper Networks to encompass the UK, Ireland, and France, which it claims will bring many new opportunities and benefits to valued partners and clients.

Under the deal, Westcon will introduce Juniper’s complete range of AI-driven networking products and solutions to the market, a strategic move aimed at driving growth with current and new partners.

This expansion introduces new territories to Juniper and Westcon’s existing partnership, including the Benelux countries, Cyprus, the DACH region, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the USA.

Following the introduction of Juniper’s new AI-Native Networking Platform and updates to its Juniper Partner Advantage program, this partnership is designed to assist partners in adopting AIOps and enhancing their managed networking services. Read more…

Fujitsu’s Horizon IT system, notorious for its role in the wrongful prosecution of numerous Post Office workers, might remain in service for another five years.

According to Computer Weekly, the Post Office is poised to finalise a £180 million agreement with Fujitsu, the system’s creator, to maintain its operation.

For those who came in late, more than  900 sub-postmasters were erroneously charged with financial irregularities due to the defective Horizon system between 1999 and 2015, as the software falsely indicated shortages in branch funds.

The consequences were dire, leading to imprisonment, financial devastation, and, tragically, the loss of lives for some.

In 2019, the High Court found that the software was riddled with “bugs, errors, and defects,” which resulted in the unjust prosecution of sub-postmasters. Read more…

The cocaine nose jobs of Wall Street gave Dell’s server sales a thumbs down when they saw how much margins the grey box shifter was flogging them for.

Dell Technologies’ server sales reached a record high last quarter, and the long-anticipated PC refresh is evident on the balance sheet. However, investors were disappointed with Dell’s margins on its leading servers, dropping the share price by over 20 per cent.

Sales increased by six per cent year-on-year to $22.2bn (£17.6bn) in its fiscal 2025 first quarter, ending on 3 May. Infrastructure business revenue was $9.2bn (£7.3bn), up 22 per cent year-on-year, while PC and peripherals sales remained steady at $12bn (£9.5bn). Read more…

Cloudy company M247 has launched a new partner programme to strengthen its indirect business strategy in 2024.

The programme aims to grow the number of partners with whom the firm works in London.

Based in Manchester, the company has enhanced the rewards for partners who join, with levels determined by equal contributions of growth and revenue.

Partners can gain more perks, such as using the My247 portal for support, a partner dashboard, and insights from cybersecurity assessments and reports after incidents.

M247 is also introducing exclusive events for partners, like the Channel Lunch Club, to foster networking and collaboration regionally. Read more…

N-able is exploring a potential sale after “attracting acquisition interest” from Barracuda Networks.

Sources familiar with the situation informed Reuters that the Burlington software vendor is engaged in a sale process that draws private equity firms.

N-able and Barracuda are keeping quiet about the deal for now.

Barracuda is owned by PE firm KKR, having been acquired by PE firm Thomas Bravo for about £3.42 billion in 2022.

In 2021, N-able became a public company after separating from software firm SolarWinds, which Silver Lake and Thomas Bravo had purchased for £3.85 billion in 2016.

With a market value of about £2.14 billion, N-able reported its Q1 2024 earnings earlier this month, noting a 14 per cent revenue increase year over year. Read more…

IT support and secure managed service provider Ramsac is one of the latest companies to start supplying CloudCover 365, the Microsoft 365 backup service created by channel-first cloud and disaster recovery specialist virtualDCS.

The two companies have worked together for seven years after Ramsac added virtualDCS’s Veeam Cloud Connect service to its product portfolio. Veeam Software has the most market share in the Data Protection and Ransomware Recovery market, and its Veeam Cloud Connect offers a way to transfer customer backups off-site to the cloud. The solution provides the additional benefit of air-gapped data protection, which is crucial in a ransomware attack. Read more…

CrowdStrike has broadened its distribution partnership with Ignition to introduce the AI-native CrowdStrike Falcon cybersecurity platform to Ignition’s partner network in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland.

The partnership was initially formed earlier this year with a distribution agreement to address the increasing cybersecurity demands in the UK. Read more…