How your Distributor can help to Transition your Customers to the Cloud.
Francis O’Haire
Group Technology Director
Francis is a proven thought leader with vast experience in both the technical and commercial aspects of the IT industry and a true technologist with a unique understanding of the needs of the channel and their end users.
If your customers are not already (partially) invested in cloud technologies, then it’s a sure bet that they will be - much sooner than later.
The so-called era of digital transformation is well and truly underway with businesses of all shapes and sizes looking to migrate operations to the cloud. And there has been an unexpected driving force, boosting cloud adoption massively - COVID. Various lockdowns and the ensuing remote/hybrid working scenarios have meant that organisations have turned to technology to help secure and manage a disparate workforce - and this is happening everywhere and to everyone.
So how can you help your customers with this transition into the cloud at such a compelling time? How can your distributor help you and truly add value here? Here are my thoughts.
Distributors can reduce a lot of the time and risk involved for partners in adopting new cloud technologies and exposing their customers to them. Distributors like DataSolutions go through a lengthy process of evaluating and selecting cloud services and technologies that:
Work as advertised
Create margin opportunities for channel partners
Solve real-world problems for end customers
Cloud licensing can be a complex sea to navigate but a worthy distributor can help their channel partners with accurate quotation and in making sure that, going forward, subscription renewals are dealt with in a timely fashion. Cloud service distributors are typically responsible for aggregating subscription billing from the reseller back to the vendor and can help the partner optimise this process.
It is a truism to say that resellers need the same (if not more) support to sell cloud technologies as they do with traditional on-premise solutions. A good distributor will help channel partners market, sell and support the cloud services they offer. Customers with legacy on-premise software often need guidance with the move to modern cloud options and distributors are there to support and help in this process by offering pre-sales, workshop and demo services.
Many established vendors are introducing cloud solutions and, in some cases, plan on transitioning completely to cloud offerings. This means that they are also evolving their channel programs to support these goals. Distributors are instrumental in helping vendors to roll out these new programs and also in assisting channel partners in the adoption of any new procedures or in meeting new requirements. A valuable distributor will ensure that their partners are maximising any incentive programs or discounts which vendors are using to promote their cloud transition goals.
In this defining era of digital transformation and cloud technologies, make sure that you turn to a distributor that truly understands this evolving landscape and all of its associated challenges. To truly help your customers make sure that you work with a distributor that is capable of adding value at every stage of the process.