5 Companies That Came To Win This Week

The Week Ending April 17

This week's roundup of companies that came to win include Docker's significant venture financing, Nokia's multibillion-dollar acquisition of Alcatel-Lucent, a key purchase by Microsoft in the mobile BI software space, WatchGuard's plans to step up its already robust channel game, and ScanSource's efforts to help its partners get a piece of an exploding market.

Docker Raises $95 Million In Funding, Now Valued Around $1 Billion

Docker, the startup that has led the container technology boom and redrawn the DevOps space, this week disclosed that it raised $95 million in Series D financing. The company has now accumulated $150 million in venture funding, putting its market valuation in the range of $1 billion.

Docker's ability to attract so much money is all the more remarkable given that it develops open-source technology. This week's round of financing is among the largest ever by an open-source startup.

Nokia Buying Alcatel-Lucent For $16.6 Billion

Some people might have written Nokia off, or not even have known the company still existed, after Microsoft acquired its devices business last year. After all, mobile handsets were what Nokia was best known for.

This week, Nokia jumped back into the telecommunications arena in a big way when it announced a deal to buy Alcatel-Lucent in an all-stock deal valued at $16.6 billion. The new company, called Nokia Corp., will accelerate the development of such technologies as 5G, software-defined networking, cloud computing and analytics. The acquisition brings to Nokia Alcatel-Lucent's vaunted Bell Labs research and development operations with its rich patent portfolio.

Nokia and Alcatel-Lucent had combined sales of $27.6 billion in 2014.

Microsoft Acquires Mobile BI Software Developer

Speaking of savvy acquisitions, Microsoft announced this week that it had acquired Datazen Software, a developer of mobile business intelligence tools for Windows Phone, iPhones and Android devices. The company did not reveal what it paid for Datazen.

Microsoft plans to integrate Datazen's technology with Power BI, its current business analytics software that works with the vendor's Office 365 cloud applications. Those plans fit in well with CEO Satya Nadella's "mobile-first, cloud-first" strategy.

Mobile software is hot. Business intelligence is hot. And mobile business intelligence software, well, you get the picture.

N ew WatchGuard CEO Vows To Strengthen Channel Program

Prakash Panjwani doesn't officially take over his new job as CEO of WatchGuard Technologies until May 4. But he's already thinking of ways he can build on the company's channel-centric approach to the market.

Panjwani was named CEO of the threat management and network security company this week. In an interview with CRN, Panjwani said much of his focus would be on strengthening the company's already robust channel program, including the WatchGuardOne program launched last summer.

Specifically, Panjwani plans to build more discipline into the partner program, including adding more partner performance metrics; build up the company's go-to-market and support infrastructure; and strengthen partner assistance and incentives by improving the partner portal and deal registration systems; and boosting market development funds and marketing support.

ScanSource Preps Partners For Point-Of-Sale Opportunities

With banks and other credit card issuers switching to cards with embedded, encrypted chips this year, retailers around the country are gearing up to install new point-of-sale terminals. And that is creating huge opportunities for solution providers with expertise in the retail, security and electronic payments spaces.

Kudos to distributor ScanSource, which is working closely with its solution provider partners to get a piece of the POS action. The company has put together its own POS security package called Retail Pro that partners can resell. ScanSource also has gone through the process of becoming a certified Encryption Services Organization -- a designation that allows partners to buy hardware directly from the distributor rather than a third party. The distributor also is leveraging its expertise in payment technology.