5 Companies That Came To Win This Week

The Week Ending Dec. 14

Topping this week's roundup of companies that came to win is Dell Technologies for winning shareholder approval for its plan to go public through a VMware tracking stock swap.

Also making the list this week are Intel for providing a peek at some leading-edge technologies it will launch in 2019, Avnet for a savvy acquisition in the Internet of Things realm, Arctic Wolf for its acquisition of RootSecure, and big data platform developer AtScale for securing an impressive $50 million in venture funding.

Not everyone in the IT industry was making smart moves this week, of course. For a rundown of companies that were unfortunate, unsuccessful or just didn't make good decisions, check out this week's Five Companies That Had A Rough Week roundup.

Dell’s Plan To Go Public Again Wins Shareholder Approval

After months of discussions, negotiations, opposition and a lawsuit, shareholders this week approved a plan for Dell Technologies to go public through a VMware stock swap. The plan was given the green light by 61 percent of shareholders on Tuesday.

Dell will become a public company again on Dec. 28 when its shares begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Dell was a public company from 1988 to 2013, at which time Michael Dell (pictured) and private equity firm Silver Lake Partners took the company private.

Michael Dell initially proposed a deal that would have exchanged each share of VMware tracking stock for Dell Class C common stock at a value of $109 per share. But the plan was vigorously opposed by some shareholders, most notably activist shareholder Carl Icahn who waged a brief proxy battle and filed a lawsuit arguing the transaction was severely undervalued.

Dell ultimately increased the offer to $120 per share and that was enough to win over a majority of shareholders.

Intel: New 3D Chip Packaging And API Software Technologies On Tap

Intel made some big revelations this week about its technology roadmap and upcoming products that are expected to create new opportunities for channel partners in the new year.

The announcements at Intel's Architecture Day included what partners can expect in the chipmaker's next-generation 10-nanometer CPUs in 2019.

The briefings also covered a new 3D chip packaging technology called Foveros that will change how Intel chips are made, and a new suite of software tools called One API for mapping software to specific hardware.

Intel also revealed that its next-generation Xeon server and Core client CPUs due out in 2019 will be based on the new Sunny Cove microarchitecture that increases "performance per clock" and power efficiency for general purpose computing tasks. And Intel said Gen11, the chipmaker's next-generation integrated graphics technology, is designed to exceed the 1 teraflop performance barrier.

Avnet To Acquire Softweb To Boost AI, IoT Capabilities

Distributor Avnet made a game-changing move this week when it struck a deal to buy Softweb Solutions, a technology consulting firm that specializes in developing artificial intelligence and Internet of Things solutions.

Avnet said that Softweb's AI software for IoT, as well as its data services and digital process capabilities, will give Avnet the ability to design, develop and deploy IoT projects faster. It will also provide Avnet with an enhanced ecosystem of software solutions that the company said creates "new and recurring revenue opportunities that improve margins."

The distributor said the acquisition, expected to close by the end of the month, would allow it to bring greater value to channel partners as a single resource for IoT solutions.

Arctic Wolf Buys Vulnerability Assessment Startup RootSecure

Security operations vendor Arctic Wolf Networks has acquired RootSecure, an up-and-coming developer of vulnerability assessment technology, in a deal that Arctic Wolf will use to help mid-market customers better assess and manage their cybersecurity risk.

RootSecure’s risk management technology is complementary to Arctic Wolf’s focus on monitoring customer IT environments and identifying potential points of failure. Customers will benefit from the combination of the two companies’ technologies, providing risk assessment and continuous monitoring capabilities working in tandem.

The acquisition is Arctic Wolf’s first. The move will also provide the two companies’ channel partners with a more comprehensive security portfolio to sell.

Big Data Platform Developer AtScale Secures $50M In Venture Funding

AtScale, which is taking on suppliers of legacy data warehouse systems with its data warehouse virtualization technology, announced this week that it received $50 million in Series D financing.

The company, which hired former Vertica Systems CEO Chris Lynch as its new CEO earlier this year, plans to use the new financing to fuel its growth by expanding its sales and marketing efforts, both in North America and internationally.

The company also wins applause for its plans to expand its channel operations in 2019, including hiring a dedicated channel chief early in the new year and developing a comprehensive partner program.