Microsoft, HPE Form New Alliance via Cloud28+
MICROSOFT INSPIRE — HPE and Microsoft on Monday announced a go-to-market alliance through Cloud28+, making Microsoft a premier Azure Stack technology partner. The company made the announcement at Microsoft Inspire, being held this week in Washington, D.C.
HPE’s Cloud 28+ is a global open community promoting enterprise cloud adoption. The community promotes cloud services and knowledge sharing, serving customers, cloud service providers (CSPs), solution providers, ISVs, systems integrators, distributors and government entities.
HPE’s Xavier Poisson
The HPE Cloud28+/Microsoft alliance will create a joint Azure Stack ISV onboarding program to facilitate connecting software vendors to HPE and Microsoft solution and service providers. The goal is to help partners increase their market visibility. The HPE Cloud28+/Microsoft partnership will create a joint Azure and new revenue streams. The tech alliance will also offer partners lead-generation campaigns and sales enablement.
HPE’s Xavier Poisson, vice president of indirect digital services, worldwide, contends that the Cloud28+ platform is different from other cloud marketplaces.
“We don’t monetize it [Cloud28+), as the transactions are done between vendors and partners. We’re also different in that we have partners interacting within the platform, share knowledge, connect and innovate together,” he told us.
“HPE and Microsoft are taking a step together to enable the channel in a new way and its ability to compete effectively in a digital, platform-driven world,” said Crawford Del Prete, executive vice president, worldwide products and chief research officer at IDC. “This is an important partnership for HPE and Microsoft. Combining the power of the HPE channel community through Cloud28+, with all the possibilities of Azure Stack, makes for a strong partner value proposition and a compelling environment for customers to more easily engage,” he added.
Some benefits to partners from Monday’s announcement:
- Access to the Cloud28+ digital marketing engine. Partners can publish thought-leadership content, launch online campaigns tied to their offerings and easily track results.
- Access to a worldwide community and digital business platform to increase visibility and new go-to-market avenues. Partners can build new alliances and position their offerings on the market.
- A ready-made ecosystem to accelerate and differentiate HPE ProLiant Microsoft Azure Stack ISV readiness and offerings to increase sales. Partners gain time to market with Azure Stack investments and go-to-market engines; rich ISV content; and technical readiness with dedicated Microsoft and HPE training and events. In the future, Cloud28+ will also enable a customer transaction link to the Azure Cloud Solution Provider marketplace, according to HPE.
Cloud28+ is open to all customers to join free of charge. There is no cost to search the catalog or connect with partners. Likewise, customers can submit their request for proposals directly through the Cloud28+ portal for a customer response from the community. Microsoft ISV and HPE Partner Ready partners will now have immediate member access to Cloud28+, as part of their respective Microsoft and HPE partner programs. There is no cost for partners to join Cloud28+, nor are there any brokerage fees through the platform.
Learn more about Cloud28+ from HPE’s Poisson in our Channel Partners podcast.
