5 Companies That Came To Win This Week

For the week ending April 9, CRN takes a look at the companies that brought their ‘A’ game to the channel.

The Week Ending April

Topping this week’s Came to Win list is Google for the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Google’s favor in a long-running copyright lawsuit from Oracle.

Also making the list are Intel for debuting its long-awaited “Ice Lake” third-generation Xeon Scalable CPUs, next-generation database developer Redis Labs for an impressive nine-figure funding round, solution provider Pythian Services for a savvy acquisition that expands its SAP services capabilities, and Nutanix channel chief Christian Alvarez for winning the 2021 CRN Channel Madness Tournament of Chiefs.

Google Bests Oracle With SCOTUS Ruling In Java Lawsuit

Facing the possibility of having to pay billions of dollars if it lost, Google scored a major legal victory this week when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Google’s favor in a long-running copyright lawsuit with Oracle over Google’s use of Java software code.

In a 6-to-2 decision, the nation’s highest court ruled that Google’s use of Java code in the Android mobile operating system constituted fair use and was protected. The ruling overturned an earlier U.S. Appeals Court decision in the copyright case in which Oracle was seeking $9 billion.

The court’s decision was also seen as a victory for solution providers because it sets a precedent that could provide them with more flexibility in how they work with software APIs when building IT solutions for customers.

Intel Sets Ice Lake Apart From AMD EPYC With AI, Systems Approach

Intel launched its long-anticipated third-generation Xeon Scalable CPUs this week, which the semiconductor maker says out-performs AMD’s third-generation EPYC chips for AI, cloud and high-performance computing workloads.

The new “Ice Lake” CPUs, the first server processors to be produced using Intel’s 10-nanometer manufacturing process, feature up to 40 cores and offer new security features and workload acceleration capabilities for AI and cryptography.

Speeds and feeds aside, Intel said the bigger competitive advantage of the CPUs comes from Intel’s wider product portfolio and software investments. The company is also emphasizing the applicability of the Xeon Scalable CPUs to a wide range of workloads including cloud computing, 5G network infrastructure, IoT, AI and high-performance computing.

Database Developer Redis Labs Raises $110 Million In Late-Stage Funding

Open-source database software developer Redis Labs raised $110 million in Series G Financing this week, bringing its total funding to $347 million and pushing its valuation over the $2 billion threshold.

Redis is best known for its open-source Redis in-memory data structure store. Software that provides database, managed caching and message broker capabilities. The database is offered as a high-performing alternative to traditional relational-based SQL database systems.

The company will use the additional funding to continue development of its real-time data platform, based on its popular in-memory database, as well as expand the company’s global footprint and boost customer support.

Pythian Services Acquires ManageServe To Boost SAP Capabilities

Solution provider Pythian Services made a savvy strategic acquisition this week when it bought ManageServe in a move that boosts Pythian’s service capabilities around SAP’s ERP applications and HANA database solutions running on AWS, Google Cloud, Azure and SAP cloud platforms.

ManageServe, headquartered in Palatine, Ill., has 16 years of experience working with SAP and its software, specializing in SAP application hosting, implementation, migration, analytics and end-to-end managed services. The company is an SAP PartnerEdge and SAP-certified application hosting partner.

New York-based Pythian is a data, analytics and cloud services provider and more than one-third of its customers use SAP software. CEO Keith Angell said ERP systems are big data users and producers and the ManageServe acquisition will expand its SAP skills and expertise.

Nutanix’s Christian Alvarez Wins 2021 CRN Channel Madness Tournament Of Chiefs

Congratulations to Nutanix channel chief Christian Alvarez who was crowned the winner of the 2021 CRN Channel Madness Tournament of Chiefs this week.

Alvarez earned the title with a victory over Check Point Software Technologies’ channel chief Frank Rauch in the final round, garnering 57 percent of the vote to Rauch’s 43 percent.

The seventh annual Channel Madness tournament kicked off on March 18 with 32 of the IT industry’s top channel chiefs vying for votes from CRN readers through the five rounds of the single-elimination tournament.

Alvarez, senior vice president of worldwide channels, joined Nutanix less than two years ago but has already made a significant impact by launching Nutanix’s global Elevate Partner Program and playing a critical role in helping channel partners adjust their sales and go-to-market strategies amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.