Staying informed is a constant challenge. There’s so much to do, and so little time. But we have you covered. Grab a coffee and take five while you nibble on these tidbits.
SYNNEX Summit update
In light of the pandemic’s trends, SYNNEX has decided to cancel the previously announced in-person component of its conference this year, replacing it with an entirely online SYNNEX Summit, October 4 – 8, 2021. The company says that registration for the virtual event will launch in the next few days.
The next in-person SYNNEX Inspire conference will be held October 3 – 7, 2022.
guardDog.ai launches dealer program
Cybersecurity vendor guardDog.ai is launching a dealer program for systems integrators, MSSPs, and IT security professionals on September 1. The company says the cloud-based service stops cyberattacks in under two milliseconds with its Autonomous Incident Response (AiR) technology, which uses artificial intelligence to detect cyber threats and instantly shut attacks down.
In the announcement, it says, “Dealers can proactively protect their clients’ valuable assets across their entire grid network with guardDog.ai. As part of the guardDog.ai program, registered dealers can become certified cybersecurity experts through the guardDog.ai integrator certification training program.”
Microsoft announces Office 365 and Microsoft 365 price hikes
Microsoft has announced that it is upping its prices for commercial versions of Microsoft 365 on March 1, 2022. Consumer and education prices will be unchanged.
Affected products include: Microsoft 365 Business Basic (changing from $5 to $6 per user per month, all pricings listed in U.S. dollars), Microsoft 365 Business Premium (from $20 to $22), Office 365 E1 (from $8 to $10), Office 365 E3 (from $20 to $23), Office 365 E5 (from $35 to $38), and Microsoft 365 E3 (from $32 to $36).
Canadian dollar pricing has not yet been revealed.
Ingram Micro Cloud now offers AWS services to the public sector
On July 29, Ingram Micro Cloud announced that it has become the first distributor in Canada to offer Amazon Web Services (AWS) in the public sector now that it is an AWS Public Sector Partner.
The distribution program also leverages expertise from Ingram Micro Cloud’s AWS team and programs, along with support from its AWS Cloud Center of Excellence (CCoE) team, and partners will benefit from AWS Professional Services, AWS Managed Services, AWS Well-Architected Tool, and Ingram Micro’s Cloud Marketplace, with access to automated go-to-market tools.
Salesforce announces Slack-First Customer 360
Now that its acquisition of Slack is complete, Salesforce is tying its functionality into what it calls Slack-First Customer 360. Slack will be the hub around which collaboration and communication will revolve.
Salesforce says in its announcement, ” With these new pre-built integrations between Slack and Salesforce, every department — such as sales, service, and marketing — can collaborate in channels that unite teams and streamline workflows built around CRM data, giving them a single source of truth for their business and a single, shared view of the customer. Business processes can be automated in Slack to make work simple, productive, flexible and pleasant. And with Slack Connect, companies can now work securely with external partners, vendors and customers, driving stronger relationships and faster results.”
Slack-First Sales, Service and Marketing capabilities will be available in pilot in fall 2021.
Slack-First Analytics, which will help users leverage analytics in Tableau, is expected to be generally available in fall 2021.
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS earns FIPS 140-2 security certification
Ubuntu Linux’s v20.04 long-term support (LTS) version has earned the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) FIPS 140-2 Level 1 certification for its cryptographic modules, a criterion in RFPs for many security-conscious industries as well as for governments. The certification applies to specifically approved combinations of hardware and Ubuntu and requires an Ubuntu Pro or Ubuntu Advantage subscription.