SPECIAL REPORT
Cloud tops the agenda O
utsourcery has emerged as a leader in the cloud arena with a talent for driving its message into the strategies
of the converted. The weight of meaning heaped into its persuasive arguments for cloud adoption tells us something about the future of comms, yet the full potential of cloud remains locked behind security concerns, according to the results of a survey conducted by Outsourcery. James Griffin, Director of Product Strategy, noted that the key to unlocking cloud potential is education and engagement with the channel and end users.
James Griffin
Outsourcery’s bid to introduce cloud into the portfolios of resellers hinged on bringing a moment of truth to many of the 162 delegates who attended its Future of Cloud event early last month.
“Outsourcery is offering consultancy and guidance to partners as they make the transition to the cloud,” Griffin explained. “The survey shows that while a large increase in cloud spending is predicted this year, many of the worries around security and development still exist. We offer support and advice as well as tailored packages to help companies understand cloud technology and develop and deploy the right product for their needs. We are not only making massive investments in technology innovation, making new things possible, but also championing putting cloud into the language of our customers.”
Consultancy is the natural next step on the road to cloud uptake, says Griffin. “We believe that the role of companies such as ours is developing,” he explained. “It is increasingly important that we offer guidance and support to our customers. We will also encourage our resellers to understand the technology they offer and so increase their ability to support their customers.”
Outsourcery’s consultancy offering is based on three main stages: Readiness (preparing companies for the move, helping them understand the technology and its benefits); transition (the act of transferring data to the cloud itself); and support (ongoing support for companies as they become used to the technology
24 COMMS DEALER JANUARY 2012
and helping should any issues arrive). “Consultancy such as this leads to close relationships between providers and customers, and we believe it is these relationships that will bridge the gap and lead to greater service for the customer,” stated Griffin.
Jumping into the cloud is not a leap of faith, it’s exactly the opposite, claims Griffin. “This is just about showing people there are different, more efficient ways of achieving a business outcome,” he said. “It’s not about persuading or preaching our way of thinking, it’s about understanding what our services can do to help businesses and partners, and talking to them about it in a language they understand.”
Cloud adoption Outsourcery’s survey also showed that 62.8 per cent of those questioned will increase their cloud spending this year, and that communication and collaboration would be the areas of intended adoption. As well as giving insights into its market research, Outsourcery also shared details of a new product strategy which in particular relates to cloud adoption and allowing customers to have choice and flexibility.
The products highlight a particular focus on Unified Lync and the O- Cloud, and include mobile Lync, call centres, the ability to replicate services in a second data centre, external videoconferencing, BYOD management and a private platform for technology partners. “These are products and services that allow our customers to increase productivity and flexibility in the workforce and allow companies to focus on other areas such as growth,” added Griffin. “We will only be delivering services that solve real business problems. Cloud is about how it impacts businesses not what technology it is built on and that’s how we intend to talk to our customers.”
Also in the pipeline this year is a connectivity solution. “We can’t give too much detail at this stage,” Griffin noted. “We place a high
value on the importance of 4G, which is critical and will be an important development in enabling the mobilisation of applications. 4G will also play a significant role in our plans to put Lync onto mobile devices, and we are keen to see companies start putting that all- important fibre into the ground.”
Griffin also told delegates that Outsourcery plans to double business in the near-term with 80 per cent of this growth coming from Unified Lync and O-Cloud servers. “We encourage our resellers within the channel to create their own position and strategy around cloud computing,” Griffin commented. “We aim to encourage customer loyalty which will allow our partners to take a greater share of the market while also ensuring that they have a clear and consistent position around offering cloud services to customers. The breadth of partner types that cloud appeals to has increased, meaning we have had to develop our commercial and contracting offerings. We are also selling to new types of partner such as systems integrators, distributors and other service providers.”
A takeaway from the Future of Cloud event has already influenced Outsourcery’s thinking. “Education and customer reference is key. This will totally influence our messaging and marketing strategy,” said Griffin. “The industry needs clarity. Part of the problem is that service providers are pushing out messaging into the boardroom telling them to reduce IT headcount. This is causing IT teams to be defensive, which is a shame as they can be one of the biggest beneficiaries of cloud.”
Apart from predicting an increase in consolidation in the cloud market this year and a significant rise in cloud spending, Griffin also observes other key trends. “We predict that this will be a year in which the consumerisation of workplace becomes a growing trend and discussion topic,” he added. “And Windows 8 is going to shake up the tablet market.”
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