5 Companies That Came To Win This Week Jan 21

For the week ending Jan. 21, CRN takes a look at the companies that brought their ‘A’ game to the channel.

The Week Ending Jan. 21

Topping this week’s Came to Win list is Dell Technologies for a series of expansions of its Apex as-a-service offerings that the IT giant says makes the company a multi-cloud force.

Also making this week’s list is strategic service provider SoftwareONE for its own multi-cloud push through an alliance with Amazon Web Services. Datto wins applause for an acquisition in the all-important cybersecurity space, as does strategic service provider Computer Design & Integration for its own acquisition that expands its geographical footprint.

And cheers to the cybersecurity company created through the combination of FireEye and McAfee Enterprise for debuting its new name: Trellix.

Dell Unveils Multi-Cloud Vision With New Public Cloud, Apex Offers

Dell Technologies made a bid this week to become a leader in the multi-cloud space by integrating more deeply with the major public cloud providers, offering stand-alone software for public clouds, and expanding its Apex as-a-service portfolio and its geographic reach.

Dell unveiled its new Apex Multi-Cloud Data Services that provide file, block and data protection services for simultaneous access to all major public clouds from a single source of data. The service allows businesses and organizations to connect storage and data protection to preferred public clouds and services while avoiding public cloud vendor lock-in, expensive egress fees and cloud data migration risks, according to the company.

Dell is targeting later this year for making the new Apex Multi-Cloud Data Services available for channel partners to resell.

Dell also expanded the availability of its Apex Data Storage Services, launched last year, to 13 new countries in Europe and Asia-Pacific. Apex is also now available via colocation services with data center provider Equinix. Channel partners can now sell the service on a global basis.

Apex Data Storage Services cover SaaS applications such as Office 365, Salesforce and Google Workspace, as well as endpoints such as desktop and laptop computers and mobile devices.

Under the name Project Alpine Dell also said it is bringing its software intellectual property for block and file storage platforms to public cloud platforms.

SoftwareONE Goes Multi-Cloud With Strategic AWS Relationship

Sticking with the “multi-cloud” theme, global solutions and services provider SoftwareONE this week unveiled a strategic multi-year alliance with Amazon Web Services in a move to expand the range of cloud services it can offer its customers.

SoftwareONE has worked occasionally with AWS to meet individual customer needs, but until now the strategic service provider has largely built its cloud services around Microsoft Azure. The new deal with AWS provides SoftwareONE, No. 17 on the CRN Solution Provider 500, a second major cloud platform on which to build services for clients.

SoftwareONE made the decision to build an AWS practice more than a year ago, Ashley Gaare, president of SoftwareONE North America, told CRN. Such services are critical to support customers’ digital transformation initiatives, she said.

Datto Buys Threat Detection And Response Vendor Infocyte

Cyberattacks have become a major threat for managed service providers and their customers. MSP software developer Datto wins kudos this week for its acquisition of cybersecurity technology developer Infocyte in a move to help MSPs protect, detect and respond to cyberthreats against endpoint systems and cloud environments.

Infocyte offers both endpoint detection and response (EDR) technology and managed detection and response (MDR) services. Infocyte continuously collects and correlates data from endpoints to identify potential threats while Security Operations Center analysts respond to cyberthreats.

Datto CEO Tim Weller (pictured) told CRN that MSPs are fundamentally in the security business today and need the kind of technology, services and expertise Infocute offers.

Datto will combine Infocyte’s capabilities with the threat detection expertise it acquired from BitDam in March, as well as Datto’s organic security development efforts. Weller said the Infocyte acquisition will specifically bolster Datto’s RMM (remote monitoring and management) Ransomeware Defense and SaaS Defense application security capabilities.

CDI Expands Mid-Atlantic Presence With Clearpath Acquisition

Computer Design & Integration this week acquired solution provider Clearpath Solutions Group in a move that increases CDI’s footprint in the mid-Atlantic region and brings to Clearpath a portfolio of managed and digital transformation services.

CDI, based in New York and No. 61 on the CRN Solution Provider 500, acquired Reston, Va.-based Clearpath, No. 309 on the Solution Provider 500, for an undisclosed sum. The deal is the latest in a string of acquisitions CDI has made since One Equity Partners acquired a majority stake in the company in 2019.

CEO Rich Falcone said the Clearpath acquisition is important to CDI’s long-range goals in several respects including growing its presence in the mid-Atlantic area. CDI previously acquired Plan B Technologies, P5 Solutions and Kintyre in that region.

Clearpath also brings expertise in working with Dell Technologies and Pure Storage systems and depth in data services and managed services.

FireEye McAfee Enterprise XDR Business Renamed Trellix

FireEye and McAfee Enterprise, brought together by private equity firm Symphony Technology Group to create an XDR (extended detection and response) security powerhouse, this week unveiled the company’s new name: Trellix.

What’s in a name? With its extensive capabilities in the endpoint, network and security operations spaces, Trellix will be a major player in the cybersecurity arena. CEO Bryan Palma told CRN that it’s important that the company adopt a name that reflects where it wants to go.

“We really believe a lot of the things we’re doing are very different from what either of the companies [FireEye and McAfee] have done in the past,” Palma told CRN. “We think there’s a new way to represent where we’re going as an XDR business.”

Adopting the Trellix name will also help the company put more branding distance between itself and the consumer security software developer that still carries the McAfee name. That company, currently public, is looking to complete a $14 billion deal later this year to be acquired by a group of private equity and investment firms, including Advent International Corp. and Permira Advisers LLC.