Monday Morning Impact – May 19
CompTIA: Turmoil Weighs on Tech Jobs Market
Tech hiring activity in April felt the weight of ongoing economic uncertainties and mixed market signals, according to an analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data by CompTIA, an industry association based in suburban Chicago.
Tech sector companies reduced staffing by a net 7,000 positions in April, according to the report, as hiring gains in the tech services sector were not enough to offset job losses in tech manufacturing, telecommunications and cloud infrastructure.
Across the economy, tech occupation employment declined by an estimated 214,000 positions. The unemployment rate for tech occupations experienced a corresponding increase, rising to 3.5% from the previously reported rate of 3.1%.
Job postings for technology positions declined modestly in April, though employers added nearly 203,000 new listings. In total, there were almost 450,000 active tech job postings last month. Software developers and engineers, systems engineers and architects, tech support specialists, cybersecurity engineers and analysts and network engineers and architects were in high demand.
Employer hiring for artificial intelligence (AI) positions or those that require AI-related skills continue to increase. New job postings for April stand at 55,726, an increase of 184% over the same month a year ago, according to CompTIA.
“It was not a great month of data, but expected given the circumstances,” said Tim Herbert, chief research officer, CompTIA. “Employer tech job postings continue to hold up, so a possible sign that hiring will resume as companies find their bearings.”
Employers continue to pursue skills-based hiring strategies. About one-half of all April tech job postings did not specify a need for a four-year academic degree.
On a geographic basis, California led all states with 26,280 tech jobs postings in April, an increase of 1,037 from March. Texas, Virginia and New York followed with the most postings among states, while Arizona, West Virginia and Maryland had the biggest month over month increases on a percentage basis.
Nine metropolitan areas each had more than 5,000 tech job postings in April, with New York City (12,526), Washington, D.C. (11,945) and Dallas (9,789) at the top of the list. Metro markets with double digit increases in job postings from March to April included San Francisco (+14%), Phoenix (+11%) and Trenton (+16%).
Channel Impact®
The data reflect the uncertainty inherent not only in the technology industry, but in the economy overall.
Cato Networks Transforms Global Partner Program for SASE
Cato Networks, a Tel Aviv-based security vendor specializing in SASE, has rolled out an upgraded partner program that introduces specialization tracks, tiers, and zero upfront financial commitment.
“When designing a best-in-class partner program, we landed on four key tenets: predictable profitability, flexibility, simplicity, and differentiation,” said Karl Soderlund, global channel chief at Cato Networks. “We’re making it radically easier for partners to scale their SASE business with a platform that’s proven to win in the market.”
The specialization tracks address each incumbent partner type, including value-added resellers (VARs), managed service providers (MSPs), service providers (SPs), distributors, and technology service distributors (TSDs)/agents. The new tiers—Starter (entry level) and Advanced (top level)—reflect a partner’s level of engagement, investment, and performance. New partners can start selling Cato with no upfront capital expenditure, and immediate access to onboarding, certifications, and tools. Every partner gains access to Cato MSASE, including certifications, co-branding opportunities, multi-tenancy, and upselling tools—with no restrictions based on partner type.
Cato will continue to offer the existing Cato Distinguished Support Provider (CDSP) accreditation, which recognizes partners with the technical expertise to deliver high-quality support independently and help customers resolve issues faster.
The Cato Networks Channel First Partner Program is generally available for partners globally.
Channel Impact®
Designed for flexibility and simplicity, the Cato Networks Channel First Partner Program promises to make it easy for partners to do business with Cato, as well as accelerate deal cycles, grow recurring revenue, and boost margins over time.
D&H Distributing and SonicWall Partner to Offer Comprehensive MXDR Solutions for MSPs
D&H Distributing and SonicWall have forged a new program for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) offering allied North American MSPs access to SonicWall’s SonicSentry Services, which provide a device-agnostic suite of managed extended detection and response (MXDR) services. In addition, the program offers interactions with a dedicated team of specialists, and promises to drive down overhead costs by reducing the need for end-customers to source additional resources, and helps to fulfill industry-specific compliance measures.
“D&H Distributing and SonicWall share a commitment to providing partners with state-of-the-art cybersecurity solutions that meet the moment,” said Jason Bystrak, Senior Vice President, Modern Solutions Business Unit, D&H Distributing. “As new vulnerabilities and increasingly sophisticated cyber threats continue to emerge, we remain steadfast in providing our partners and their end customers the tools to stay ahead and keep their organizations safe.”
“Our partnership with D&H Distributing is marked by our dedication to innovation and excellence,” said Jason Carter, Chief Revenue Officer, SonicWall. “The launch of SonicSentry underscores our commitment to delivering partners the solutions they need to remain agile and responsive. We are proud to extend our strategic partnership with D&H through this elite program, and we look forward to driving even greater success together as we continue to innovate and empower our channel community.”
Channel Impact®
The partnership is intended to unlock new growth opportunities for North American Managed Service Providers through access to turnkey cybersecurity solutions.
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