Monday Morning Impact – August 10

By Ken Presti, Senior Consultant, Channel Impact

Logicalis Acquires MCPc’s Advanced Technology Integration Group

Logicalis, an international IT solutions and managed services provider, has conditionally agreed to acquire MCPc’s Advanced Technology Integration Group (ATIG), and integrate the Midwest focused solution provider into its US operation. ATIG provides IT and professional services including data center, unified communications, cloud and infrastructure integration throughout the Midwest, and also in select east and west coast markets of the United States.

ATIG also brings new consulting and professional services competencies focused on enterprise networking, data center and collaboration integration, and professional services. ATIG’s clients will have enhanced access to Logicalis’ managed services offerings as well as the company’s global footprint.

Terms of the agreement were not released. The acquisition is subject to a number of closing conditions and is expected to become effective in September.

Logicalis employs over 4,000 people worldwide, serving more than 6,500 corporate and public sector customers.  The company reports annual revenues of over $1.5 billion, from operations in Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia Pacific.

Channel Impact
This acquisition will likely enhance the Logicalis position throughout the entire Midwest.

Avnet Extends its Partnership with Veeam

Avnet Technology Solutions has expanded its distribution agreement with Veeam Software to include Veeam availability solutions in the United States and Canada.

The distributor has already been working with Veeam in Europe for the past five years.

Veeam is one of the primary virtual machine backup and replication solutions for VMware. Veeam-based availability solutions include high-speed recovery, data-loss avoidance, verified protection, and high visibility of the backup environment and virtual infrastructure.

“The addition of Veeam Software to Avnet’s portfolio in the U.S. and Canada will enable our partners to offer their customers a deeper level of protection and availability in the critical areas of backup and recovery,” said Sergio Farache, vice president, Avnet Technology Solutions, Americas, Solutions and Strategy group. “Our partners will be able to capitalize on Avnet’s unique position as a distributor of Cisco, HP, NetApp and VMware, to develop Cisco UCS, FlexPod and Vblock – the converged infrastructure solutions that include Veeam’s complementary software technology.”

Channel Impact
Vendors and distributors often begin working together in limited geographies, based on specific assets, strategies and relationships in those areas.  The extension of this relationship to North America likely reflects proof-of-concept and a higher level of maturity in the partnership.

Sage Rolls Out New ISV Program

Sage Software has launched a new, unified ISV program intended to streamline is SMB-related sales by replacing multiple regional-, product- and company-based agreements with a single program to support ISVs pursuing solution-led opportunities.

“Small & Medium Businesses represent a global opportunity for ISVs, and we want to make it possible for Sage customers to find the right solution with the right partner, regardless of where they are,” said Sage CEO Stephen Kelly.

An addition, a refresh for the company’s channel program is anticipated in October.  In the meantime, Sage will support partners through marketing support, marketing development funds, and also training and certification.

“It is our intention to build an industry-leading channel program, combining both on-premises and cloud, by 2016,” said Alan Laing, executive vice president, global strategic partnerships and alliances at Sage.

Channel Impact
This initiative reflects a changing market in which customers increasingly demand solutions that are flexible to their needs, delivered on-premises through the cloud or as a hybrid of the two.