You Have No Business In the Cloud

All too often, when I watch the news or read the headlines of the day I find myself calling “BS” on the topic at hand. Lately, I find myself and others doing much more of this in our own industry – especially when it comes to those who say the solution provider and distributor have no role to play within cloud computing.

With the emergence of cloud computing, many of us are being forced to go toe-to-toe with industry experts, influencers–and even customers and vendors–to explain, and sometimes justify, the critical role the IT channel plays within the cloud.

Although some definitely get it, others insistently predict that as the cloud revolutionizes the industry it will render solution providers and distributors to die a slow and painful death.

I don’t know about you, but I am, for one, tired of hearing this nonsense. It’s simply not true, not only because it incorrectly discounts the value that solution providers and MSPs bring to the end-user but also because it sorely undervalues the aggregator, enabler role that distributors such as Ingram Micro offer the IT channel.

From my vantage point, the truth of how the cloud will play out is a bit less dramatic. Sorry, no channel Armageddon going on here.

Integration capabilities are, and will, remain a key component to bringing cloud computing mainstream and making it work for companies of all sizes.  Businesses can buy the latest and greatest technology innovations, but actually deploying the solution for meaningful use requires an expertise that lies almost exclusively with the IT channel.

Lead, Follow or Get Out of the Way

Over the next several months, those solution providers and MSPs who have not embraced the cloud will make a move. The savviest of the bunch will get on board before their customers start asking questions they can’t answer. Others will make good on the predictions of the IT industry nay-sayers and fall by the wayside, out-of-step with the new reality.

That’s the way it is in business. Some see the future, join in and move forward, some don’t.

For channel partners, margin resides in complexity. The intricacies of the cloud, especially with the limitless variety of applications set to be delivered, offers real opportunity for those partners capable of bringing all the pieces together to solve real business problems.

It’s where the channel’s real value proposition will come into play.

Cloud computing is real, it’s relevant; and it’s accelerating. Don’t sit on the sidelines and let others diminish your value and take your business. A great place to start is by calling your distributor to ask about available resources for the cloud.

If you’re doing business with Ingram Micro, be sure to check out our inaugural Cloud Summit June 7 in Dallas, Texas, which will be immediately followed by our annual Ingram Micro Seismic Partner Conference June 8-9.

Justin Crotty is Vice President Services North America at Ingram Micro, Inc. He oversees Ingram Micro Seismic. Monthly guest blog entries such as this one are part of MSPmentor’s annual Platinum sponsorship. Find all of Crotty’s blog entries here.