Datto CEO Resignation, RingCentral Update, CenturyLink SD-WAN Made the Week Interesting

Written by James Anderson
October 26, 2018

The biggest story in the channel was a sad one.

Sweeping changes are coming to several companies in the IT industry.

We noted last week that some of the biggest story lines surprisingly revolved around such docile subjects as SD-WAN and security education. Our story with the most traffic was an executive profile. Education? A personality profile? ‘Have you all gone soft?’ we asked.

But the news cycle swung back into normalcy this week. We returned to the regular gamete of M&A announcements, security-breach drama and news of a resignation that shocked the MSP community.

Check that — I meant to say “gamut,” not gamete,” but hopefully you’ll forgive. It’s Friday, after all.

Below, dear readers, are the seven most viewed Channel Partners articles of this week. Rest up this weekend, and we’ll catch you on Monday.

7. Facebook Might Target FireEye to Restore Reputation After ‘Embarrassing’ Security Breaches

A media report suggested that Mark Zuckerberg’s colossal repository of my high school classmates’ unfortunate memes might buy a security company in an effort to recover from multiple data breaches. The author mentioned Milpitas, California-based FireEye as a potential target.

The 2112 Group CEO Larry Walsh told us that FireEye could very well fit the bill, seeing as it’s a software company and Facebook doesn’t want to buy a hardware business.

Walsh served up a bit of downer statement – albeit a true one – about the type of company Facebook will likely acquire; Facebook is just as interested in protecting its reputation as it is actually protecting its users, so it would be important for the acquired vendor to have name-brand recognition.

“Facebook is investing in perception over reality, but it doesn’t want to take on a losing bet,” Walsh said. “Any acquisition will need to be fiscally sound.”

Edward Gately wrote this speculative piece.

6. RingCentral’s Long: Customers Demand Partners Provide UCaaS

Zane Long, RingCentral’s senior vice president of global channel sales, updated us on the growth of his company’s channel business and how more partners are coming to RingCentral looking for help in transitioning their customers to UCaaS.

Long gave a lengthy interview with Edward Gately about the growth of UCaaS and RingCentral’s channel program.

5. Extreme Networks Launches New Online Partner Training Program

We wouldn’t typically describe partner training announcements as red meat for online traffic, but readers flocked to Extreme Networks‘ Extreme Dojo Progam.

It’s a free course with four levels focusing on Extreme’s business model, portfolio, vertical targets and selling strategies. The Dojo Program originally targeted Extreme employees, but the company made it widely available after piloting it with 100 partners.

You can read more about it in Edward Gately’s article. That Gately fellow — he was a force of nature this week. One might even categorize his effort as … extreme.

Anyway.

4. Bitdefender, Fortinet, eSentire Lead Big Day in Cybersecurity M&A

You folks like stories about security companies getting bought, don’t ya? If so, this week was your kind of week. In addition to the Facebook acquisition speculation, there …