out in the cloud
with this understanding. Rather than climb the steep learning curve alone we’ve partnered with value-added distributor Computerlinks which already has the technology know-how and infrastructure in place.”
It’s still early days to say how the market is shaping up, but as it’s now more a case of ‘when’ to adopt cloud rather than ‘if’, those resellers who are prepared to make an early move will have the competitive advantage. “Our decision to develop a cloud portfolio was driven by the changing nature of our clients’ businesses and their need to reduce capex on IT and find more efficient ways to manage their computing resources,” added King. “The ready-made ALVEA solutions from Computerlinks made it easy to add to our existing portfolio and enter the market early with no up-front costs.”
A key concern is often security, particularly when data is no longer on-premise. “Because we’ve chosen cloud infrastructure and storage solutions provided by experts in security we haven’t had to make the investment ourselves, yet we have every confidence that the key pain points have been addressed,” added King.
Transparency with customers from the outset is key to offering cloud-based solutions so it is vital that there are open frank conversations from the beginning, according to Charles Barratt, Head of Cloud Computing and VDI solutions at Intrinsic Technology. “There is absolutely no point in hiding the small print until
further down the line and then fall down at the final fence,” he said.
Trusted advisors “Being transparent will also help drive trusted advisor status in all relationships. Resellers need to communicate the details of any contract. They need to ensure they have informed the client of all the details relating to any SLAs and KPIs involved. From this communication, the client needs to be able to understand how they will exit the cloud, how easy it will be the get the data back and how difficult it is to come to the end of any contracts.”
Cloud is something everyone wants to talk about at the moment and there is almost too many people using the word ‘cloud’, claims Barratt. “Annoyingly, it is also still lacking an actual definition,” he believes. “If a reseller is considering offering this solution they need to really identify what their strategy is and what makes their offering unique and more valuable than anyone else in the marketplace. Even more importantly, resellers need to have absolute faith in their cloud partners
and have reassurance that they are fully robust.”
Resellers need to understand the impact that the cloud will have on the traditional business model. Moving away from a pure project based capital outlay focus into more of a revenue/ operational model requires a shift in mindset for the business. Barratt commented: “Resellers need to therefore ensure that the business in question understands the changes and embraces the right technology subscription models.”
Analysis
Resellers need to understand their customers and why these new cloud services would work for their company. Look at how the solution benefits each company and be very clear what the return on investment will be. This isn’t a one size fits all by any means so work closely with your vendors to help get the solution across the finishing line. Don’t try to be all things to all men. Draw on the expertise of specialist partners and concentrate on understanding your client’s business needs.
We saw
a fantastic business opportunity with cloud services
Justin Thorogood To advertise in
contact The Sales Team on 01895 454411
www.comms-dealer.com
COMMS DEALER MAY 2011 47
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