Google Apps Reseller Program Hits the Road
Google may dominate the online world, but the search giant is attending regional face-to-face events to evangelize the Google Apps Reseller program to potential partners and VARs. Here’s the scoop from The VAR Guy.
Jeff Ragusa, a developer programs evangelist at Google, described the Google Apps Reseller program to the Carolina IT user group on March 11. The VAR Guy pinged Ragusa to see how the event went.
Ragusa’s reply:
“You don’t miss a thing. Yeah, I wanted to learn more about the Culminis group and see if they’d be a good conduit for getting the word out. Talked about the cloud, about Apps, and reselling, and about how it could help with their current local situation where the economy seems to be killing them.”
Culminis is a major IT organization that also includes a solution provider network. Assuming Ragusa succeeds in evangelizing the Google Apps Reseller program to Culminis members, Google could quickly build a next-generation SaaS (software as a service) IT channel.
Gaining Momentum?
Hmmm. The VAR Guy must concede: He wasn’t sure whether VARs would embrace the Google Apps Reseller program when it launched in January 2009. And Channel Insider raised a concern about the Google program lacking deal registration to protect VARs from direct sales conflict with Google.
Still, The VAR Guy believes the Google Apps Reseller program is gaining significant momentum.
True believers include Allen B. Falcon, CEO of Horizon Info Services, a solutions provider that offers a range of Google Apps to its customers.
One Man’s Opinion
By the way, Falcon will describe his experience with the Google Apps Reseller program during The VAR Guy: Live webcast scheduled for April 15. Details will be announced soon. For the early scoop, email theVARguy [at] ninelivesmediainc.com.
In the meantime, The VAR Guy continues to watch Google’s Ragusa closely for more hints about the partner programs’ evolution.
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I’ve heard Jeff speak about the program and I do see profit opportunities for partners. The only concern I have involves keeping my brand in front of my customers. It’s one thing to use Google’s online software. It’s another thing to lose your brand identity to Google. I won’t let that happen and I expect my company to succeed with Google Apps.
This is great news for SaaS providers in general. With Google taking their Apps reseller program on the road, it’ll open up some people’s eyes and bring more awareness to SaaS in the channel overall. It should help SaaS providers trying to grow their own channel program.
Sean: Stay tuned. Several leading VARs will describe their Google Apps and Amazon Web Services strategy during The VAR Guy: Live (a webcast) on April 15. Details to be announced soon. Sorry for the shameless plug, but this is going to be a great event.
Google today announced a program enabling technology solution providers to sell Google Apps™ to businesses around the world. Authorized resellers will be able to sell, customize and support Google Apps Premier Edition for customers of all sizes, creating new revenue opportunities for partners and easier access to Google’s popular cloud services for more businesses.
Google Apps has reached a level of maturity where it is useful and valuable for almost any business” said Dave Girouard, President of Enterprise, Google. “This program gives IT solution providers an easy way to introduce cloud computing to their service offerings, while helping more businesses make the transition to this new era of technology.”
Google will provide resellers with training, support, and tools for sales and marketing, as well as access to tools for integrating Google Apps into their customers’ business operations. Resellers will bill their customers directly, enabling them to retain a close relationship with customers. Resellers can also bundle additional services and support with Google Apps. Google Apps customers will benefit from the additional attention to their specific business and technical requirements. Google has already rolled out the program successfully to more than 50 pilot partners worldwide.
ServerSupport: Hmmm. The VAR Guy needs to spend some time exploring the Google info you offered above.
GoogleApps reseller program is a joke. Google has zero idea what to do with resellers as 100% of Google’s profits are from DIRECT business via search and paid ads.
Look what Google did to Postini resellers! The Google Tax that Postini resellers were forced to endure was outrageous.
At least MSFT understands and assists resellers!
LA Tech: Give us more background. Are you going to embrace Microsoft Windows Azure or Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS)? Why? Why not? Sounds like you’re loyal to Microsoft and The VAR Guy would like to learn more… …
Actually, we resell Postini to over 1500 small businesses across the USA. We will never resell Google apps because Google takes over total control of customers.
Hey LA Tech: Thanks for the perspective on Google Apps. How is your Postini business going? The VAR Guy would like to hear more.