Channel News
Steven Burke
Blockbuster acquisitions involving some of the most prominent technology vendors, companies hit by cybersecurity breaches and layoffs from tech stalwarts dominated the list of the most controversial companies in 2022.
Acquisitions of highly regarded channel favorites caused a big backlash in 2022, putting the buyers on the CRN 2022 Most Controversial Companies list.
The acquisition of one long-time MSP channel darling for $6.2 billion sent shock waves through the channel. MSPs voiced concerns from the outset that they would not get the same high-level partnership and channel-friendly experience as a result of the acquisition.
There was also backlash to the acquisition of a market leader by a global semiconductor maker looking to become a bigger player in the multi-cloud software market.
If that wasn’t enough, there were the reverberations from a pioneering software provider that was taken private in a merger with an enterprise software company in a $16.5 billion deal.
Security breaches landed three companies on the CRN Most Controversial companies list: a multicloud solution provider that was flummoxed by a ransomware attack, a CRN Solution Provider 500 powerhouse that was hit with a malware attack over the July 4 weekend and an identity security software provider that grappled with multiple breaches.
The list of the most controversial companies also includes a software behemoth implementing sweeping channel changes, a chip and processor channel champion and a cloud/database behemoth that were hit by layoffs, as well as a security software maker grappling with the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Here then are CRN’s picks for the Most Controversial Companies of 2022.
