Scale Computing Aims to Grow Private Cloud Opportunities for VARs

Scale Computing, which provides hyperconverged solutions that combine servers, storage and virtualization, has launched a formal channel partner program to help drive its products through the channel as the need for virtualization and private cloud solutions continues to grow. The new Scale Computing Platinum Partner Program was developed to provide the company’s VARs with new revenue opportunities for private clouds in the midsize enterprise market.

According to Doug Howell, director of Channels at Scale Computing, the new partner program combined with Scale Computing’s technology provides the channel with an opportunity in an underserved market. Whereas vendors and partners have been providing high availability and disaster recovery to the enterprise in a way that is typically overpriced for the midmarket, Scale Computing aims to bring that solution downstream in a way that is priced right for the market but also provides the features the midmarket needs.

“This is a product that I think the channel has been waiting for for quite awhile. Many of the channel partners that we talk to have tried to sell the traditional way of providing high-availability disaster recovery to their customers, and they’re trying to sell it to the midmarket the way they sold it to the enterprise,” Howell told Talkin’ Cloud.

Treating the enterprise and the midmarket the same is a recipe for disaster frequently enough, though. Because of the price point, Howell said Scale Computing’s HC3 product has a relatively short sales cycle, and partners have the benefit of bringing a more cost-effective solution to customers used to paying enterprise-level costs. HC3 fits better for the midmarket in terms of pricing and features, he said.

Vanessa Alvarez, Scale Computing’s head of marketing, noted that the company is going to market 100 percent through the channel, and it’s only been a rare occasion when it has had to do a direct deal with customers. The launch of its first channel program is simply a way to put some structure behind a go-to-market model that has been there for some time.

“We want to make sure we arm the channel with the right tools and sales collateral to ensure their success with their customers. At the end of the day, if they’re successful, we’re successful,” Alvarez said.