Shutterstock
Channel Partners’ Top 12 Stories in August
Here you'll also find highlights from Verizon, Comcast and Avaya.
Who’s buying whom? Who’s going where? How can new technology make me more money?
Those are just some of the questions you wanted answers to when you read these stories that comprise Channel Partners’ top 12 from August.
Per usual, our results are an aggregate of online page views and weekly newsletter results.
What was No. 1? Click through our gallery to find out!
Looking for more top stories? Click here to see our most-read posts in July.
Follow executive editor @Craig_Galbraith on Twitter.
#12 — Comcast's Verizon Acquisition 'Should Happen'
You sat up and took notice last month of a story that we posted at the end of July. Can you imagine a Comcast-Verizon tie-up? There's been scuttlebutt, despite the really tough regulatory road such a merger between two giants would likely face.
A Citi analyst wrote in a research note that such a purchase could be worth $215 billion and "should happen." But not so fast. Stratecast/Frost & Sullivan research manager Michael Jude told us that it's "improbable" and "although they are both pursuing content creation, that is not a large part of either business yet and would likely not serve as a sufficient foundation for a merger."
Channel implications would be huge, but don't hold your breath.
You sat up and took notice last month of a story that we posted at the end of July. Can you imagine a Comcast-Verizon tie-up? There's been scuttlebutt, despite the really tough regulatory road such a merger between two giants would likely face.
A Citi analyst wrote in a research note that such a purchase could be worth $215 billion and "should happen." But not so fast. Stratecast/Frost & Sullivan research manager Michael Jude told us that it's "improbable" and "although they are both pursuing content creation, that is not a large part of either business yet and would likely not serve as a sufficient foundation for a merger."
Channel implications would be huge, but don't hold your breath.
#11 — Carbon Black Hires Well-Known Channel Leader
Thomas Hansen obviously is well-known in the channel based on the number of you who read our article describing his move from Dropbox, where he was global VP of revenue, to Carbon Black. The endpoint security provider grabbed Hansen to serve as chief revenue officer and executive vice president.
Channel sales will fall under his purview.
Thomas Hansen obviously is well-known in the channel based on the number of you who read our article describing his move from Dropbox, where he was global VP of revenue, to Carbon Black. The endpoint security provider grabbed Hansen to serve as chief revenue officer and executive vice president.
Channel sales will fall under his purview.
#10 — Who's Going Public Next Year?
Success in software-defined networking (SD-WAN) might lead a handful of companies to unbridle themselves from private life and file an initial public offering.
That's according to a study by Futuriom that predicted at least two significant SD-WAN vendors will go public in 2018. Among the possibles; Aryaka, Cisco's Viptela, Cradlepoint, FatPipe Networks and Silver Peak.
Success in software-defined networking (SD-WAN) might lead a handful of companies to unbridle themselves from private life and file an initial public offering.
That's according to a study by Futuriom that predicted at least two significant SD-WAN vendors will go public in 2018. Among the possibles; Aryaka, Cisco's Viptela, Cradlepoint, FatPipe Networks and Silver Peak.
#9 — New, Changing Channel Programs
Our monthly list of new and changing channel programs highlighted important moves at a number of major telecom and IT players.
They included AT&T Partner Exchange adding new mobility tools and IoT training certification; Microsoft's move to bring its partner-facing roles into the organization to inspire partner innovation; and Intelisys' new financial program that allows its partners to leverage their monthly MRR to buy hardware via ScanSource, its parent company.
Our monthly list of new and changing channel programs highlighted important moves at a number of major telecom and IT players.
They included AT&T Partner Exchange adding new mobility tools and IoT training certification; Microsoft's move to bring its partner-facing roles into the organization to inspire partner innovation; and Intelisys' new financial program that allows its partners to leverage their monthly MRR to buy hardware via ScanSource, its parent company.
#8 — SDN, NFV Drive a New Networking Age
Many of you were interested to learn the four ways that SDN and NFV are driving a "new networking age."
Happiest Minds Technologies' Dharmraj Jhatakia laid them out in a guest column for Channel Partners. Missed the article? The list is here.
Many of you were interested to learn the four ways that SDN and NFV are driving a "new networking age."
Happiest Minds Technologies' Dharmraj Jhatakia laid them out in a guest column for Channel Partners. Missed the article? The list is here.
#7 — Hyperconvergence Leaders
Hyperconvergence presents a prime opportunity for partners. But don't just take our word for it.
A report last month from Transparency Market Research noted that the hyperconverged integrated systems market is poised for a spectacular 37 percent CAGR over the next eight years. The research firm ID'd Nutanix, Oracle and Pivot3 among the key players. Who else cracked their list? Click here.
Hyperconvergence presents a prime opportunity for partners. But don't just take our word for it.
A report last month from Transparency Market Research noted that the hyperconverged integrated systems market is poised for a spectacular 37 percent CAGR over the next eight years. The research firm ID'd Nutanix, Oracle and Pivot3 among the key players. Who else cracked their list? Click here.
#6 — Channel People on the Move
We probably don't have to explain our Channel People on the Move segment anymore; our monthly list of new hires and promotions in the channel is the go-to for keeping up with friends, colleagues and rivals.
This edition featured moves at Verizon, Rackspace, BCM One, Intelisys and more.
We probably don't have to explain our Channel People on the Move segment anymore; our monthly list of new hires and promotions in the channel is the go-to for keeping up with friends, colleagues and rivals.
This edition featured moves at Verizon, Rackspace, BCM One, Intelisys and more.
#5 — Avaya Hires New VPs
Did someone say people on the move?
In addition to naming a new CEO effective Oct. 1, Avaya, which emerges from chapter 11 bankruptcy soon, hired Bruce Rosen and Jim Haigh as area vice presidents for the western region and South, respectively. Rosen's career includes senior VP status at Verizon, while Haigh was at Microsoft for 20 years.
Did someone say people on the move?
In addition to naming a new CEO effective Oct. 1, Avaya, which emerges from chapter 11 bankruptcy soon, hired Bruce Rosen and Jim Haigh as area vice presidents for the western region and South, respectively. Rosen's career includes senior VP status at Verizon, while Haigh was at Microsoft for 20 years.
#4 — Blockbuster M&A Update
Want to keep up with the latest merger-and-acquisition activity in the channel? We have a page dedicated to it.
Our recurring gallery highlighting the M&A with the biggest channel impact scored again in August — no doubt due to the huge deals that were either announced or had significant updates last month. Mitel-ShoreTel and Windstream-Broadviiew were among those featured in this edition.
Want to keep up with the latest merger-and-acquisition activity in the channel? We have a page dedicated to it.
Our recurring gallery highlighting the M&A with the biggest channel impact scored again in August — no doubt due to the huge deals that were either announced or had significant updates last month. Mitel-ShoreTel and Windstream-Broadviiew were among those featured in this edition.
#3 — CenturyLink's Level 3 Acquisition Almost Complete
And speaking of M&A, our story on the final stages of CenturyLink's acquisition of Level 3 Communications drew some eyeballs.
The companies reported their second-quarter earnings last month, with both turning a profit, but less compared to the year-ago quarter.
And speaking of M&A, our story on the final stages of CenturyLink's acquisition of Level 3 Communications drew some eyeballs.
The companies reported their second-quarter earnings last month, with both turning a profit, but less compared to the year-ago quarter.
#2 — Telecom/IT Layoff Tracker
Another post from July skyrocketed (almost) to the top of the Channel Partners charts last month. While you were interested in seeing people successfully moving to new positions, you were even more curious to see which companies were shedding jobs in the first half of 2017.
Our telecom-IT layoff tracker provided a recap of jobs lost at Windstream, Zayo, Vonage and more. Many of them came as a result of acquisitions these companies have taken on over the last couple of years.
Another post from July skyrocketed (almost) to the top of the Channel Partners charts last month. While you were interested in seeing people successfully moving to new positions, you were even more curious to see which companies were shedding jobs in the first half of 2017.
Our telecom-IT layoff tracker provided a recap of jobs lost at Windstream, Zayo, Vonage and more. Many of them came as a result of acquisitions these companies have taken on over the last couple of years.
#1 — Mitel-ShoreTel Merger Reaction
The impact of Mitel's purchase of competitor ShoreTel will be multifaceted, but one arm of that is the soon-to-be-combined company's play in communications platform as a service (CPaaS). That's one of the key benefits Mitel gains from its $430 million buy that was announced at the end of July, noted Raul Castanon-Martinez of 451 Research. And it could set up some major showdowns among vendors.
"This is a key trend in the UCaaS space: providing modularity and integration for clients to embed communications services into their applications and services," he told us. "This will help Mitel catch up with the likes of Cisco, Vonage and RingCentral.”
Read more here.
The impact of Mitel's purchase of competitor ShoreTel will be multifaceted, but one arm of that is the soon-to-be-combined company's play in communications platform as a service (CPaaS). That's one of the key benefits Mitel gains from its $430 million buy that was announced at the end of July, noted Raul Castanon-Martinez of 451 Research. And it could set up some major showdowns among vendors.
"This is a key trend in the UCaaS space: providing modularity and integration for clients to embed communications services into their applications and services," he told us. "This will help Mitel catch up with the likes of Cisco, Vonage and RingCentral.”
Read more here.
