5 Companies That Came To Win This Week

The Week Ending Sept. 26

This week's roundup of companies that came to win includes Apple's record-breaking iPhone 6 sales, Ingram Micro's UCC push, Amazon's big bet on the Internet of Things, Hewlett-Packard's software-defined networking application plans, and a channel initiative from an SDN startup.

Also, check out this week's roundup of companies that had a rough week.

Apple iPhone 6 Sales Top 10 Million In First Weekend

Apple said it sold more than 10 million iPhone 6 smartphones during the first weekend of the product's availability. That broke last year's iPhone 5S and 5c opening weekend record of 9 million units sold. It costs Apple about $200 to manufacture each iPhone 6, according to a CNET analysis. With the smartphone selling for about $650 without a contract, Apple is making about 70 percent margins on each unit.

Ingram Unveils UCC Initiative, Expands Vertical Industry Channel Support

Distributor Ingram Micro upped the ante in the Unified Communications and Collaboration arena this week, naming a new North American director for its $19 billion UCC business and detailing plans to add technical consultants and business development staff to help partners build UCC solutions and generate market demand.

The announcement came at this week's One Ingram Micro event in Las Vegas where the distributor also unveiled plans to expand its support for solution providers who work in the retail and financial services industries. Ingram has hired experts in those fields in recent months and early next year will roll out portals to provide channel partners a place to find training, case studies and white papers for the verticals.

Amazon Reportedly Investing Big In Home Automation

Online retail giant Amazon is pouring an additional $55 million into its Lab126 division in Silicon Valley to speed development of automated home security systems and appliances. The move could create new lines of business for IT resellers and systems integrators.

The Lab126 facilities in Sunnyvale and Cupertino are expected to play a key role in Amazon's expansion into the nascent Internet of Things market. That's expected to create business opportunities for solution providers who can sell, install and secure home automation systems.

HP Readies SDN App Store

Hewlett-Packard is ready to take a major competitive step in the red-hot software-defined networking arena with the launch of its SDN App Store next week. The online venue will provide HP's technology and channel partners with a platform for selling SDN solutions.

HP is encouraging partners to develop and contribute their own applications to the store. Last year the vendor debuted the HP SDN Software Development Kit and there are some 30 technology partners now working on SDN apps. Partners who are SDN certified can sell apps through the store and receive an HP App Store discount for purchases.

SDN Startup Pertino Launches Partner Program

Hewlett-Packard wasn't the only company making channel moves in the SDN arena this week. Monday software-defined networking startup Pertino unveiled its first formal partner program targeting managed service providers and cloud-savvy solution providers who are jumping on the network virtualization trend.

While Pertino has been selling its cloud-based networking solution through a select number of MSPs, the company is expanding its channel efforts with the new BlueSky Partner program. Company executives tell CRN that its ideal partner already derives roughly 40 percent of its overall revenue from recurring services sales.