Talkin’ Cloud at the end of each day pulls out five must-read cloud computing stories from the news cycle for its readers to review in the morning. Today’s column features Nokia (NOK), Alcatel-Lucent (ALU) and Microsoft (MSFT).

Some of these stories have been gathered from Talkin’ Cloud’s article database, while others have been collected from elsewhere. If we missed something, feel free to leave a comment below. We might just add it into the mix.

Here’s today’s list of must-read cloud computing stories.

2015 TC 100 Survey Now Open. Welcome to the fifth annual Talkin’ Cloud 100 survey. Each year Talkin’ Cloud collects data on cloud services providers (CSPs) in the industry to provide channel partners with a ranking of CSPs dominating today’s market space. TC’s staff uses various metrics —  including annual recurring cloud revenues, seats under management, growth rates and more — to identify and rank the world’s top 100 CSPs.

Nokia To Acquire Alcatel-Lucent For Nearly $17 Billion. Nokia today announced plans to acquire Alcatel-Lucent in an all-share transaction valued at approximately $16.6 billion. Each company’s board of directors has approved the terms of the proposed transaction, which is expected to close in the first half of next year.

7 Business Leadership Tips From Talkin’ Cloud 100 Honorees. Looking to become a better cloud-focused leader in the channel? Several Talkin’ Cloud 100 honorees are happy to help. Here are seven leadership tips from some of the top executives at Talkin’ Cloud 100 companies.

Click here for Talkin’ Cloud’s Top 100 CSP list

TC 100 Profile: How Are Partners Key To Microsoft’s Cloud Success?. Redmond, Washington is approximately 15 miles northeast of Seattle, boasts a population of roughly 54,000 residents and is home to a slew of theaters that host a variety of events, including everything from Broadway-style shows to classical music performances. The city also might be considered one of the world’s top technology meccas, thanks in part to the presence of a globally recognized Talkin’ Cloud 100 honoree — Microsoft.

My Digital Shield Appoints Bluebox Founder as Board Member. Security-as-a-service provider My Digital Shield has appointed Caleb Sima, executive chairman and co-founder of Bluebox Security, as a new advisory board member. In his new role, Sima will help MDS expand its expertise within the security space and accelerate the company’s growth in the IT channel and SMB markets, according to the announcement.

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