(NOTE: This article was originally posted to CRN.com Nov. 11.)

The technology channel witnessed a big week in M&A activity, starting with Insight Enterprises, which bought data center solution provider Datalink for $258 million.

The company said its purchase of Datalink will boost its offerings around hybrid cloud, converged and hyper-converged technology.

Datalink has 570 employees and more than 2,000 clients.

The deal is expected to close in Q1 of 2017.

Telecom providers Windstream and EarthLink also anounced a $1.1 billion  merger this week, with Windstream shareholders owning approximately 51 percent of the company. EarthLink will hold 49 percent.

Windstream President and CEO Tony Thomas will stay on in those roles at the new company.

Both companies expect the deal to close during the first half of 2017.

And cloud-based VoIP and UC provider NWN acquired a Cisco contact center specialist this week.

NWN acquired Collabramind but did not disclose the terms of the deal.

NWN plans to leverage the company's contact center database expertise in its "phone company of the future" strategy.

Collabramind is based in Dallas and has 10 engineers with deep cloud-based contact center expertise.