5 Companies That Came To Win This Week (And A Bonus)

The Week Ending Nov. 20

Topping this week's roundup of companies that came to win is solution provider PCM, which is acquiring Systemax's North American B2B assets, the latest of several blockbuster acquisitions this year.

Also making the list this week are Google for hiring a big-name Silicon Valley entrepreneur to run its cloud business, Cisco's expanded partner certification requirements, Huawei's battery technology breakthrough, and Datto's big win in venture capital financing. And a breaking news bonus: Cisco's deal to buy startup Acano in a move to expand its collaboration and videoconferencing technology offerings.

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 5 Companies That Had A Rough Week roundup.

PCM Buys Systemax's North American B2B Assets

Solution provider PCM, which has already grown this year through several blockbuster acquisitions, struck a deal this week to buy the $800 million North American business-to-business assets of solution provider Systemax. The deal includes the coveted TigerDirect brand, a longtime direct marketer of IT products.

The move could push PCM, No. 29 on this year's CRN Solution Provider 500, into the top 20 companies on the list. Earlier this year PCM acquired $393 million solution provider En Pointe and $111 million Canadian MSP Acrodex.

The latest acquisition continues PCM's transformation into a larger, more diversified business integrator and opens the door for the company to sell more services to Systemax customers.

Google Hires VMware Co-Founder To Lead Its Enterprise Cloud Businesses

Google disclosed this week that it hired Diane Greene, VMware co-founder and a Silicon Valley power player, to take charge of the company's entire enterprise cloud services operations. The move signals that Google is doubling down on its efforts to push its cloud services into the enterprise arena.

Greene is seen as a cloud services pioneer and has sat on Google's board for three years. In the position created for her, Greene will run all Google for Work operations, putting her in charge of the Google Cloud Platform, Google Apps, Chrome for Work, Android for Work and Maps for Work.

Google also acquired Bebop, Greene's latest startup that had been in stealth mode as it developed a cloud-based development platform for enterprise applications.

Cisco Raises The Bar For Partner Certifications

Cisco will now assess and certify technology professionals not just on their expertise in specific technology domains, but also on advanced skills in emerging technologies including cloud and Internet of Things, the company disclosed this week.

The move is part of a new certification framework and standards initiative that expands the core competencies that individuals seeking to be Cisco-certified, including those seeking the prized Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) and Cisco Certified Design Expert (CCDE) certifications, must understand. The expanded requirements include such topics as cloud computing, IoT, business transformation and network programmability.

While it means more work – and possibly expense – for solution providers, partners praised the certification changes. One noted that in today's era of rapid change, being certified in a narrow technology subject isn't enough. Certified professionals need to be able to see the bigger picture to transform the way businesses operate.

Huawei Debuts Fast-Charging Battery Technology

Anyone with a mobile device knows that battery life can be a problem. Ever tried to get work done on a laptop for the duration of a cross-country flight?

So Huawei wins kudos this week for developing quick-charging lithium-ion batteries that can be charged 10 times faster than typical batteries – charging some devices up to 50 percent in five minutes or less, according to the company. The battery technology was developed by Huawei's Watt Lab.

Huawei hasn't said how long it will be before the technology appears in commercial products. Given that battery life is a challenge for all mobile devices, especially smartphones, any advance in battery technology of this scale marks a significant breakthrough.

Datto Raises $75 Million In Venture Funding

Hybrid cloud data protection technology developer Datto this week said it raised $75 million in Series B funding, bringing the startup's total financing to more than $100 million.

Datto is already turning a profit and doesn't need the additional capital to fund its operations, founder and CEO Austin McChord told CRN. Instead the company can devote the money to expanding its geographic reach, accelerating product development, and possibly making a key acquisition or two.

Bonus: Cisco To Buy U.K. Collaboration And Conferencing Tech Startup

We rarely high-five companies more than once in our weekly 5 Companies That Came To Win roundup. But Cisco gets a second round of kudos for its breaking-news announcement Friday that it will buy Acano, a U.K. startup that develops collaboration infrastructure and conferencing software. Cisco is paying $700 million in cash and assumed equity awards for the company.

Acano's technology includes gateways, and video and audio technology for connecting video systems from multiple vendors across cloud and hybrid environments, from conference rooms to mobile devices.

The acquisition marks a major step in Cisco's efforts to "deliver video everywhere" and is expected to significantly accelerate its collaboration technology strategy.