As technologies and business models continue to evolve within our industry, it’s only natural that our channel partnerships evolve as well. These podcast interviews, co-hosted by ChannelE2E’s Content Czar Joe Panettieri and CompTIA President and CEO Todd Thibodeaux, talk with channel chiefs to get their perspective on how these relationships are shifting in the presence of innovation.
Microsoft’s Gavriella Schuster, general manager of worldwide partner programs, describes how partners are transitioning into Microsoft’s cloud solutions provider (CSP) program and what characteristics the most successful partners possess.
Q: How do you see partners evolving to address the cloud services opportunity at this point?
A: We’ve seen many partners taking advantage of this opportunity. In fact, 48 percent of our partners have already adapted their business models to offer project services, managed services and IT services in the cloud. And, I’ve heard from many more partners who are in the process of making this transition and who we’re assisting as they make it.
Q: How far along in the cloud solution provider program path do you think you are?
A: The cloud solution provider option is really a business model that allows our partners to manage the customer from end to end through whatever sales model they choose – whether they’re deciding to manage that relationship directly or indirectly utilizing some other partnerships like a distributor. Our channel has really gravitated to this new license model that is tailor fit to support the modern business partner. We now have more than 10,000 partners transacting in the cloud solution provider business model – which is certainly higher than we had anticipated in the first mainstream year.
