News

News

• April 13, 2016 13 Apr'16

  FalconStor primes FreeStor to analyze storage health

  The FreeStor Analytics upgrade integrates code licensed from Cumulus Logic to aid in capacity planning, service-level management and storage health monitoring.

• April 13, 2016 13 Apr'16

  Evaluating the risks of HCI buys from newbie vendors

  Deciding between the new guy and the old standby has driven purchasing decisions for decades, but what do users think when it comes to hyper-converged infrastructure?

• April 13, 2016 13 Apr'16

  Windows PowerShell tied to more than a third of cyber attacks

  Security firm Carbon Black confirms widespread abuse of Windows PowerShell by attackers flying under the radar in line with the trend of exploiting operating systems.

• April 12, 2016 12 Apr'16

  Cloud delivery: Ingram Micro launches platforms for channel

  Taking advantage of its purchase of Odin Service Automation, distributor Ingram Micro has launched cloud delivery platforms geared toward channel partners.

• April 12, 2016 12 Apr'16

  Microsoft: Channel companies to see revised competencies

  Microsoft said partners have 18 months to move toward its revised competencies, which aim to help customers select the appropriate cloud technology partner.

• April 12, 2016 12 Apr'16

  Cloudian HyperStore can find lost objects

  Cloudian adds stronger data durability and resiliency capabilities to its HyperStore object software. The management software now includes an object GPS.

• April 12, 2016 12 Apr'16

  April 2016 Patch Tuesday has complex patches

  Microsoft's April 2016 Patch Tuesday includes a patch for Badlock, a vulnerability which experts call "overhyped", but the most important patches may need extra care to apply.

• April 12, 2016 12 Apr'16

  Micron all-flash includes NVMe drive, VSAN, Ceph bundles

  Micron Accelerated Solutions includes recommended all-flash hardware configurations for VMware VSAN and Ceph storage in its most recent server-side storage launch.

• April 12, 2016 12 Apr'16

  Windows 10 upgrade offer drives enterprise adoption

  More businesses plan to take advantage of Microsoft's free Windows 10 upgrade offer before it expires in July, but IT pros still have concerns about cost and privacy.

• April 11, 2016 11 Apr'16

  Microsoft taps app developers to bolster Office 365 Groups

  The Microsoft Connectors feature in Office 365's Groups has been expanded, with more than 50 third-party partnerships, months after the feature's release last November.

• April 11, 2016 11 Apr'16

  Cisco HyperFlexes hyper-converged muscles

  Cisco's HyperFlex hyper-converged strategy depends largely on startup Springpath's file system performing better than those from Nutanix, VMware and other competitors.

• April 08, 2016 08 Apr'16

  Professional services business development focus of new Gigamon program

  Gigamon introduced a program to help VARs and SIs build professional services practices around its platform; other IT channel news from the week.

• April 08, 2016 08 Apr'16

  Zendesk integration deepens Microsoft collaboration

  In UC news, Zendesk integrates with Office 365 Groups for customer service collaboration. Also, a report on mobility trends reveals that security concerns are effecting adoption.

• April 07, 2016 07 Apr'16

  Riverbed Partner Summit: New program aims to boost marketing

  Riverbed took the wraps off a multicomponent channel marketing program that includes marketing value proposition development, localization and marketing automation.

• April 07, 2016 07 Apr'16

  Rackspace debuts OpenStack-based private cloud packages

  Rackspace claims pre-configured hardware, software and services stack will smooth enterprise path to OpenStack-based clouds.

• April 07, 2016 07 Apr'16

  App performance optimization is a multicloud affair

  As cloud-based services and providers proliferate, application performance optimization grows increasingly complicated. What to do?

• April 06, 2016 06 Apr'16

  Citrix partner program updated for midmarket push

  Citrix has revised its channel partner initiative with program updates and incentives that aim to help the company grab more midmarket share in keeping with its strategic focus.

• April 06, 2016 06 Apr'16

  Ceryx acquisition shows Microsoft's strength in UCC

  Dimension Data has acquired Ceryx to provide customers with the option of subscribing to hosted Microsoft products, such as Exchange, SharePoint and Office 365.

• April 06, 2016 06 Apr'16

  CIO: Reliability, flexibility keys for service providers

  Exits Inc., an international trade software company, found greater reliability, cost savings and flexibility after tapping a services provider to manage its IT infrastructure.

• April 05, 2016 05 Apr'16

  MSPWorld: Regulations, emerging competitors shape the market

  Speakers at MSPWorld pointed to an increasingly regulated environment as both an opportunity and risk for MSPs dealing with customers' data security and privacy issues.

• April 05, 2016 05 Apr'16

  Riverbed Partner Summit unveils major channel program updates

  Riverbed Technologies rings in 'Disruption 2.0' at its annual Partner Summit, introducing new channel partner programs, initiatives and other updates.

• April 05, 2016 05 Apr'16

  Ruckus to help, not solve, Brocade's campus weakness

  Brocade's acquisition of Ruckus Wireless would counter the stronger portfolios of Cisco and HPE for the campus WLAN.

• April 05, 2016 05 Apr'16

  EMC virtualizes Data Domain for remote offices, MSPs

  EMC unveils the virtual edition of its Data Domain disk library, DD VE, allowing the Data Domain operating system to run inside a VMware hypervisor and back up to any hardware.

• April 05, 2016 05 Apr'16

  Rupture framework makes Gmail BREACH easier

  Security researchers updated BREACH attack that would allow a Facebook Messenger or Gmail breach to be performed much faster, but the overall risk is limited.

• April 05, 2016 05 Apr'16

  SimpliVity gives OmniStack Hyper-V support

  SimpliVity's hyper-converged OmniStack platform now supports Hyper-V, intelligent workload optimization and multinode stretch clustering.

• April 05, 2016 05 Apr'16

  Intel's NVMe SSD line unveiled for cloud use cases

  Intel's PCIe-attached NVMe drive families include one for server-side enterprise apps and another to replace SATA SSDs in cloud environments.

• April 04, 2016 04 Apr'16

  Brocade/Ruckus buyout: No impact on partners for now

  Today’s news that Brocade Communications Systems Inc. has made a $1.2 billion bid for Ruckus Wireless will impact channel partners of both companies, but don’t expect details until the deal closes ...

• April 04, 2016 04 Apr'16

  MSPWorld 2016 highlights IT security opportunities, pitfalls

  Although IT security has emerged as a top growth area for managed service providers, MSPWorld speakers warned against plunging headlong into the market.

• April 04, 2016 04 Apr'16

  Will future data centers include disaggregation?

  Disaggregated servers are unlikely to go 'boom' in the market the way hyper-convergence has but figure to grow at a more leisurely pace.

• April 04, 2016 04 Apr'16

  ShoreTel plug-in targeted at customers with Office 365

  ShoreTel has announced a plug-in for Skype for Business that is targeted at customers who use the video conferencing software without the premium telephony services.

• April 04, 2016 04 Apr'16

  Brocade buys Ruckus Wireless to target 5G and IoT business

  Supplier plans to enhance its play in emerging networking segments such as 5G and the internet of things.

• April 04, 2016 04 Apr'16

  Digital transformation driving UC and security opportunities

  Microsoft's CEO might have spent the afternoon talking about digital transformation but he is not alone as the channel looks to make revenue out of the buzz phrase.

• April 01, 2016 01 Apr'16

  IT automation software: Atera offers all-in-one MSP platform

  Atera targets MSPs with a platform that incorporates remote control, remote monitoring and management, and professional services automation; more IT channel news from the week.

• April 01, 2016 01 Apr'16

  Streaming analytics put data in motion at Strata + Hadoop 2016

  Moving data is a must for many modern apps. As a result, streaming analytics with Spark, Kafka and other components are coming to the forefront.

• April 01, 2016 01 Apr'16

  Arista spine hardware aimed at largest data centers

  Arista has introduced the 7500R series -- a suite of third-generation spine hardware that has a maximum capacity of 115 Tbps.

• April 01, 2016 01 Apr'16

  Microsoft opens up to open source with SQL Server on Linux

  Microsoft put aside its rocky relationship with open source and will release SQL Server on Linux in mid-2017. This won't be a simple process, but it could net Microsoft new customers.

• March 31, 2016 31 Mar'16

  IBM cloud acquisition expands Salesforce consulting

  The latest IBM acquisition aims to unite cloud consultancy Bluewolf and the IBM iX practice to create a larger pool of resources in the Salesforce professional services arena.

• March 31, 2016 31 Mar'16

  NetEnrich teams with Microsoft on Azure channel packages

  Microsoft is working with NetEnrich, an IT infrastructure and operations management services provider, to capture small and midsize customers via a channel-ready Azure offering.

• March 31, 2016 31 Mar'16

  Viptela users can monitor SD-WAN architecture with SevOne

  Viptela has partnered with infrastructure performance monitoring software vendor SevOne, integrating the SD-WAN company's platform with SevOne's management dashboard.

• March 31, 2016 31 Mar'16

  Ransomware vaccine promises protection but experts are wary

  A new ransomware vaccine promises to protect against infections by popular ransomware variants like Locky and TeslaCrypt, but experts are wary about implementation and security.

• March 31, 2016 31 Mar'16

  Rancher launches Docker management with storage services

  Nearly 2,500 customers participated in Rancher Labs' beta for its container management software that is now generally available. The application includes storage services.

• March 31, 2016 31 Mar'16

  HPE launches NVDIMM, NVMe Persistent Memory products

  Gen9 ProLiant storage servers are the focus of HPE's Persistent Memory product launch, including an 8 GB NVDIMM module and a family of PCIe NVMe flash drives.

• March 31, 2016 31 Mar'16

  Hadoop core components may not be central to big data future

  At Strata + Hadoop World 2016, Hadoop co-creator Doug Cutting said the core of the distributed processing framework is likely to see its position at the center of big data systems diminish.

• March 30, 2016 30 Mar'16

  MIT forum debates data protection regulations

  In big data analytics, some want stronger data privacy regulations, while others want the government out of the picture.

• March 30, 2016 30 Mar'16

  NEC increases SDN scalability with latest upgrade

  In recent SDN-related news, NEC and PLUMgrid have both upgraded their SDN suites, and the CIO of the United States will address the Open Networking User Group's Spring conference.

• March 30, 2016 30 Mar'16

  Hyper-converged backup takes center stage at SimpliVity show

  Customers praise the data protection capabilities of SimpliVity's OmniCube and OmniStack hyper-converged systems that allow them to ditch third-party backup tools.

• March 30, 2016 30 Mar'16

  Users find harmony in Cisco, VMware SDN software

  Baystate Health and Sugar Creek Packing give Cisco and VMware SDN software separate chores in data center networks.

• March 30, 2016 30 Mar'16

  SD-WAN market swells because of cloud-based business apps

  IDC released its first study on the SD-WAN market, which is expected to hit $6 billion by 2020. The boom is driven by the growing popularity of cloud-based business applications.

• March 30, 2016 30 Mar'16

  SAP Ariba growth may come through SAP Business Network

  In an interview at Ariba Live, analyst Joshua Greenbaum discussed SAP Ariba's biggest challenges and opportunities in integrating with SAP technology and the SAP Business Network.

• March 29, 2016 29 Mar'16

  Cloud Workspace Suite: IndependenceIT updates platform

  IndependenceIT is targeting ISVs, MSPs and VARs with its retooled cloud workspace platform, which aims to ease the task of running workspace as a service and other workloads.

• March 29, 2016 29 Mar'16

  NTT Data to buy Dell's IT services business for $3bn

  As Dell looks to shift its non-core assets ahead of the EMC deal, Japanese giant NTT Data agrees to buy Dell Services for $3.05bn

• March 29, 2016 29 Mar'16

  Microsoft in talks with private equity firms to buy Yahoo

  Beleaguered internet giant gives potential buyers two weeks to submit preliminary bids for core business assets

• March 29, 2016 29 Mar'16

  OSNexus unlocks Ceph object storage in QuantaStor v4

  Software-defined storage maker OSNexus adds Ceph-based object storage to its QuantaStor product, adding it to block and file storage from ZFS, Gluster and Ceph

• March 29, 2016 29 Mar'16

  How SD-WAN could threaten the NFV business case

  In this roundup of notable blog posts from around the Web, one analyst says SD-WAN could render certain NFV services irrelevant; another has advice for green networking pros.

• March 29, 2016 29 Mar'16

  Report: 1.5 million Verizon Enterprise customer records stolen

  Krebs on Security reports 1.5 million customer contact records were swiped from Verizon Enterprise Solutions and offered for sale on Dark Web; customers are at risk for phishing attacks.

• March 29, 2016 29 Mar'16

  'Snow' day: CloudBerry Backup works with AWS appliance

  CloudBerry Lab's cloud backup service and AWS Snowball now work together to assist in large data transfers, including the initial backup to the cloud.

• March 28, 2016 28 Mar'16

  Analysts dissect public cloud adoption, Avaya's Zang

  Analysts dissect Avaya's relationship with its new CPaaS spin-off, the two trends pushing public cloud adoption and how to prepare for an SD-WAN implementation.

• March 25, 2016 25 Mar'16

  Vectra Networks launches program for network security partners

  Security vendor Vectra Networks unveiled a tiered partner program for resellers and systems integrators in the network security market; more IT channel news from the week.

• March 25, 2016 25 Mar'16

  Could Docker's ambitious business strategy backfire?

  IT pros are concerned Docker's meteoric rise will lead to a fall from grace as it stretches beyond its core competencies to pursue enterprise business.

• March 25, 2016 25 Mar'16

  Push for common MAM features could help IT

  Developing apps based on native, OS-level mobile application management features is a step in the right direction toward standardizing the technology.

• March 25, 2016 25 Mar'16

  Can automated backup inoculate a ransomware attack?

  A series of ransomware attacks have been reported at hospitals in the U.S. and Canada, leading to experts recommending automated backup for enterprises.

• March 24, 2016 24 Mar'16

  IT security skills, federal work drive Sirius' Force 3 deal

  Sirius Computer Solutions has agreed to acquire Force 3, a move that will give Sirius a federal government operation and a combined company with more than $2 billion in revenue.

• March 23, 2016 23 Mar'16

  CompTIA Channel Standards program takes on business best practices

  CompTIA will roll out a free program that helps IT industry companies adopt business best practices.

• March 23, 2016 23 Mar'16

  Legal help desk to field questions from channel partners

  CompTIA has unveiled an online legal services help desk in conjunction with InfoTech Law Advocates, a move that builds upon the organizations' earlier legal services program.

• March 22, 2016 22 Mar'16

  CompTIA members dig into vendor-partner relationships

  At CompTIA AMM 2016 in Chicago, managed service providers and vendors discussed key issues affecting the success of their relationships.

• March 18, 2016 18 Mar'16

  CrowdStrike sets cutoff point for channel recruitment

  CrowdStrike said it will keep a tight rein on its channel recruitment for the recently launched Elevate Partner Program; other IT channel news from the week.

• March 18, 2016 18 Mar'16

  How can HCI hook users beyond VDI?

  Hyper-convergence can simplify IT operations by bringing together compute, storage and networking hardware with virtualization and management platforms, but it must break out of limited uses.

• March 18, 2016 18 Mar'16

  Prototype promises automated penetration testing

  A team created a prototype machine learning vulnerability scanner that can think like a human in order to perform automated penetration testing.

• March 17, 2016 17 Mar'16

  Are you ready for a 15 TB SSD?

  The Samsung 15.36 TB SSD packs 32 NAND flash packages in 2.5-inch form factor. The vendor claims enterprises can double the number of PM1633A drives in 2U data center rack.

• March 16, 2016 16 Mar'16

  HPE hyper-converged strategy fleshed out with new appliance

  The HPE Hyper Converged 380 platform is intended for midsize enterprises and remote branch offices, and takes aim at market leader Nutanix.

• March 16, 2016 16 Mar'16

  Microsoft opens up to open source with SQL Server on Linux

  Microsoft put aside its rocky relationship with open source and will release SQL Server on Linux in mid-2017. This won't be a simple process, but it could net Microsoft new customers.

• March 16, 2016 16 Mar'16

  Java vulnerability report strains responsible disclosure

  A security researcher reports Oracle's 30-month-old failed patch for a Java vulnerability, and experts suggest it was an irresponsible disclosure, despite frustration with Oracle's patching process.

• March 16, 2016 16 Mar'16

  New version of Epicor ERP supports mobility and cloud

  The latest release of the Epicor ERP platform includes enhanced features for international business, new mobile access and cloud deployment options.

• March 15, 2016 15 Mar'16

  Cloud infrastructure security: A mixed message

  Cloud infrastructure security was once seen as a contradiction in terms. Customers now view cloud security more favorably, but with some reservations.

• March 15, 2016 15 Mar'16

  Does the channel love Microsoft loving Linux?

  Will Microsoft's sordid romance with its arch nemesis result in innovative solutions for the channel, or is Redmond simply attempting to siphon off some of that sweet FOSS nectar?

• March 15, 2016 15 Mar'16

  Enterprise UC managers rein in the cloud craze

  Debunking the cloud craze, a panel of IT architects at Enterprise Connect said many of their UC applications are still on premises, or at least hosted in a hybrid structure.

• March 15, 2016 15 Mar'16

  SanDisk storage VP: High-capacity flash drives down prices

  As it finalizes a merger with Western Digital, SanDisk Corp. focuses on innovations for high-capacity flash storage in enterprises.

• March 15, 2016 15 Mar'16

  Microsoft open tech promises switch hardware independence

  The latest Microsoft open tech takes the brains of data center networking out of proprietary switches and places it in hardware-agnostic software.

• March 14, 2016 14 Mar'16

  Big-name vendors lace gloves, box back at white box servers

  Top-tier vendors are speaking up, hoping to compete with bare-bones white box servers that are increasingly popular with cloud service providers.

• March 14, 2016 14 Mar'16

  Pure FlashBlade tackles scale-out unstructured data

  Pure Storage launches a blade-based, scale-out unstructured data all-flash system that handles NAS and object storage. The vendor also brings out an entry-level version of its SAN flash array.

• March 11, 2016 11 Mar'16

  Intermedia launches free marketing automation platform for partners

  Intermedia arms partners with a free marketing automation platform and new Intermedia University courses to boost sales; more IT channel news from the week.

• March 09, 2016 09 Mar'16

  IDC, Ingram Micro: Cloud holds key to channel future

  Ingram Micro and IDC executives speaking at a webinar encouraged channel partners seek out cloud opportunities in managed services, collaboration and innovative use cases.

• March 08, 2016 08 Mar'16

  Rumor had it right: Tiffani Bova joins Salesforce

  Long-time Gartner analyst Tiffani Bova has joined Salesforce in a new role the cloud company custom-designed for her.

• March 08, 2016 08 Mar'16

  Cisco Spark launches $150M developer fund

  At Enterprise Connect, Cisco announced a $150 million fund to invest in developers who build custom apps using the Cisco Spark collaboration service.

• March 08, 2016 08 Mar'16

  Microsoft, Cisco talk cross-vendor technology

  Microsoft and Cisco pledged video conferencing systems interoperability at the Enterprise Connect conference, but cross-vendor technology remains elusive.

• March 08, 2016 08 Mar'16

  In a UC market in flux, analysts pinpoint key trends

  The cloud, APIs and mobility are the major trends coming out of Enterprise Connect. Analysts break down how these trends are impacting the UC and collaboration market.

• March 08, 2016 08 Mar'16

  IoT boom spells PaaS opportunity for MSPs

  Gartner says that while IoT will drive the use of Platform as a Service over the next four years, more than 80% of organizations deploying self-managed PaaS will not achieve their lofty ambitions.

• March 08, 2016 08 Mar'16

  Aruba aims latest switches, software, APs at IoT

  Wireless networking company Aruba has introduced software upgrades, switches and APs for a growing IoT market.

• March 07, 2016 07 Mar'16

  New hyper-converged buyers expected to enter the game in 2016

  Hyper-converged infrastructure is set to replace some traditional hardware in the data center during the coming year, if enterprises can overcome organizational and budget worries.

• March 07, 2016 07 Mar'16

  Cloud-based technology is hot at Enterprise Connect

  Vendors meet in Orlando, Fla., for the annual unified communications-focused Enterprise Connect conference, where cloud-based technology is one of the most discussed topics.

• March 04, 2016 04 Mar'16

  Vertiscale workspace as a service targets healthcare vertical

  Vertiscale designed its new workspace-as-a-service offering for small and medium-sized healthcare practices; more IT channel news from the week.

• March 04, 2016 04 Mar'16

  Enterprises: CASBs are a must for cloud security

  Several CISOs discussed why cloud access security brokers are imperative to their respective enterprises during a panel discussion at RSA Conference 2016.

• March 04, 2016 04 Mar'16

  Vendors to announce new UC tools at conference

  Vendors will exhibit their latest UC tools at Enterprise Connect 2016, from team chat apps to virtual collaboration. Check out some of the announcements coming out of the conference.

• March 04, 2016 04 Mar'16

  DataON Storage 'cluster in box' supports Storage Spaces

  The DataON CiB-9112 V12 hyper-convergence is aimed at branch offices and small businesses and with small virtual machine farms that consume shared local storage.

• March 04, 2016 04 Mar'16

  Strategy delivering for Tech Data

  A strategy to focus on growth markets and keep an eye on costs has been heralded as delivering the right sort of results for Tech Data.

• March 03, 2016 03 Mar'16

  RSAC panelists disagree on what amounts to an encryption backdoor

  RSAC panelists had a spirited and nuanced debate about government encryption backdoors, and the topic is more difficult to parse than expected.

• March 03, 2016 03 Mar'16

  New cybersecurity checklist offers cyber strategy tool

  The U.S. Cyber Consequences Unit rolls out new version of their cybersecurity checklist they claim will help reduce attacks by increasing the costs of those attacks.

• March 03, 2016 03 Mar'16

  U.S. Cyber Command chief Michael Rogers asks for cooperation

  Private sector cooperation with the government is key to successful protection against cyberthreats, says U.S. Cyber Command chief Michael Rogers in an address to RSA Conference 2016.

• March 02, 2016 02 Mar'16

  Cisco Partner Summit 2016: Cisco DNA

  Cisco has unveiled its Cisco DNA architecture, which offers partners three ways to make money: Consulting, managed services and software development.

• March 02, 2016 02 Mar'16

  Veeam partner chief: We want to be more relevant to partners

  The Veeam partner community will see more enablement and support resources, a new emphasis on the enterprise market, and further expansion into the cloud.