Dell SecureWorks

First, the news: These new services are focused on the cloud and Web applications rather than on-premises applications. As part of the VMS for Cloud service, Dell SecureWorks security personnel will conduct regularly scheduled or “on demand” vulnerability scans of a customer’s cloud services and applications, the company says.

During an October 2012 meeting with The VAR Guy, Michael Dell mentioned several recurring revenue and MSP-centric opportunities that will push the company forward — including AppAssure and PacketTrap.

Dell’s track record in the MSP market is hit and miss. Although AppAssure has been popular, earlier efforts like Silverback — a remote monitoring platform — fell flat with MSPs after Dell acquired the technology.

Overall, I sense that Dell continues to gain momentum in the channel. Plenty of skeptics remain but I hear from more and more MSPs and IT service providers that celebrate their Dell relationships.

One recent example: Integrated Business Technologies (IBT), a Tulsa, Okla., IT service provider,  earned Dell’s PartnerDirect channel program Partner of the Year Awards for Dell’s Fiscal Year 2013.