https://www.channelfutures.com/wp-content/themes/channelfutures_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • SDN/SD-WAN
    • Cloud
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Telephony/UC/Collaboration
    • Cable
    • Mobility & Wireless
    • Fiber/Ethernet
    • Data Centers
    • Backup & Disaster Recovery
    • IoT
    • Desktop
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Analytics
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Channel Research
    • Business Models
    • Distribution
    • Master Agents
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Best Practices
    • Vertical Markets
    • Regulation & Compliance
    • Diversity & Inclusion
  • MSSP Insider
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • Apply Now
    • 2020 MSP 501 Rankings
    • 2020 Hot 101 Rankings
    • 2020 MSP 501 Report
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • From the Industry
    • Reports/Digital Issues
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Channel Educational Series
  • EMEA
  • Channel Chatter
    • Back
    • People on the Move
    • New/Changing Channel Programs
    • New Products & Services
    • Industry Honors
    • Channel Convergence
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Advisory Boards
    • Industry Organizations
    • Our Sponsors
    • Content Resources
  • Awards
    • Back
    • 2021 MSP 501
    • Circle of Excellence
    • Excellence in Digital Services
    • Top Gun 51
  • Events
    • Back
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • Channel Evolution Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
    • Industry Events
  • DE&I
Channel Futures
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • SDN/SD-WAN
    • Cloud
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Telephony/UC/Collaboration
    • Cable
    • Mobility & Wireless
    • Fiber/Ethernet
    • Data Centers
    • Backup & Disaster Recovery
    • IoT
    • Desktop
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Analytics
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Channel Research
    • Business Models
    • Distribution
    • Master Agents
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Best Practices
    • Vertical Markets
    • Regulation & Compliance
    • Diversity & Inclusion
  • MSSP Insider
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • Apply Now
    • 2020 MSP 501 Rankings
    • 2020 Hot 101 Rankings
    • 2020 MSP 501 Report
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • From the Industry
    • Reports/Digital Issues
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Channel Educational Series
  • EMEA
  • Channel Chatter
    • Back
    • People on the Move
    • New/Changing Channel Programs
    • New Products & Services
    • Industry Honors
    • Channel Convergence
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Advisory Boards
    • Industry Organizations
    • Our Sponsors
    • Content Resources
  • Awards
    • Back
    • 2021 MSP 501
    • Circle of Excellence
    • Excellence in Digital Services
    • Top Gun 51
  • Events
    • Back
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • Channel Evolution Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
    • Industry Events
  • DE&I
    • Newsletter
  • REGISTER
  • MSPs
  • VARs / SIs
  • Agents
  • Cloud Service Providers
  • Channel Partners Events
 Channel Futures

New/Changing Channel Programs


Strategy

Rackspace’s Wetzel Initiates New 5 Pillar Partner Strategy

  • Written by Edward
  • September 28, 2016
A new leadership team, which includes a mix of former CenturyLink and current Rackspace channel executives, is already in place to lead the five partner communities.

Edward Gately**Editor’s Note: Click here for a list of August’s important channel-program changes you should know.**

Blake Wetzel has been Rackspace’s channel chief for a little more than three months and already the company’s channel strategy is undergoing a substantial makeover.

The new channel strategy will include five go-to-market pillars with five different segments of partners. The five pillars include: global and regional SIs; technology go-to-market partners, such as OEMs, software and cloud companies; agents; VARs and distributors; and ISVs.

Rackspace's Blake WetzelWetzel tells Channel Partners a new leadership team, which includes a mix of former CenturyLink and current Rackspace channel executives, is already in place to lead the five partner communities.

“What we wanted to do is be very proactive and prescriptive about the types of partners we are going after and developing a depth of expertise around specific practice areas where we felt there’s a great intersection between the migration of cloud technologies to these types of communities of partners,” he said.

SIs not only have a “big play” in customer cloud migrations, but can help Rackspace “fill some gaps” as third-party organizations, bringing their expertise to the market and helping to complete customer offerings, Wetzel said.

Technology go-to-market partners include organizations like Microsoft, Amazon and EMC, he said.{ad}

“This will be an interesting area because as we develop these joint solutions with those organizations, if all parties are in agreement, we will want to go together and do joint releases … roll out collectively and take it to market collectively,” Wetzel said.

Rackspace is actively recruiting agents, and its redefined contract is now “sitting in the hands of a number of new partners who have been interested in working with Rackspace,” he said.

The ISV business is being built on the foundation of Rackspace’s digital practice, Wetzel said.

“Our first ISV is actually launching [its] cloud platform powered by Rackspace,” he said.

Previously, Rackspace’s partner strategy included a larger number of partner communities with leadership spread across all of them, Wetzel said.

“It was very inconsistent because each of those pillars [is] going to have …

{vpipagebreak}

… disciplines and ways of going to market that are different from each other,” he said. “By actually setting them as separate organizations and having ownership of those accounts inside of those organizations, we’ll actually be able to go very deep with those organizations and know … the best practices of how to work with an ISV or how to work with an agent, or how to work with a tech partner.”

Rackspace is still going to offer its entire portfolio to partners, just not present the entirety to every partner. The company will be more specific about what it markets with specific partners moving forward.

“It’s going to be much more of a laser-focused approach with each of the organizations and going deeper with a lot more expertise in these particular types of partners,” he said.

Late last month, Rackspace announced is it being acquired by Apollo Global Management. When the $4.3 billion acquisition is complete, Rackspace will switch from a public to a private company.

“We’re very excited about the new opportunities that it will open up,” Wetzel said. “There is a lot to be determined yet. Obviously we can’t do very much until the acquisition is closed. We want to get the (channel) strategy in place and see the traction that it has in the market … a very hungry market and a community of partners that have been very excited to work with Rackspace, so I don’t think [going private] changes anything right now. We’re just aggressively going out and implementing the strategy, and seeing the traction, and we will be working with Apollo once we get closed.”

Tags: Agents Business Models Cloud New/Changing Channel Programs

Related


  • Growth
    ARG Acquires Another Consultancy, Seeks 'Growth-Minded' MSPs, Agents
    ARG is seeking MSPs and agents who would like to form an alliance.
  • SASE network edge
    Aruba Fully Integrates Silver Peak SD-WAN, Unveils SASE Strategy
    HPE bought Silver Peak last year and brought it into the Aruba business unit.
  • Workforce reinvention
    Five9 Shares Insights on Implementing a DE&I Strategy
    A culture of awareness and empathy starts with listening and sharing.
  • Convergence
    New, Changing Partner Programs: HPE, Zoom, Fortinet, Microsoft, More
    Telecom and IT vendors are courting partners to sell their solutions.

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your Channel Futures account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • TBI Adds Rival Intelisys Alum, Tech Data, 8x8 Vets
  • 8x8 Joins Microsoft as Westcon Partner to Spur International Growth
  • Convergence in the Channel: Is It Happening, and What Does This Mean for MSPs?
  • SASE Takes: Service Providers Mull SD-WAN Complexity as Comcast, Versa Enhance AI Capabilities

Galleries

View all

New, Changing Partner Programs: HPE, Zoom, Fortinet, Microsoft, More

April 12, 2021

Industry Perspectives

View all

Exercising Your Organization’s Data Loss Recovery Abilities

April 13, 2021

Why MSPs Need to Shift from Cyber Security to Cyber Resilience

April 13, 2021

Why Every MSP Should Consider TCO When Selecting a BCDR Solution

April 9, 2021

Webinars

View all

Top 3 Intel Security Technologies To Help Against Advanced Cybercrime Attacks

April 15, 2021

What to Look For: 2021 Threat Report

April 22, 2021

Health Care and SD-WAN: A Seller’s Guide

April 27, 2021

White Papers

View all

Top Tips: How Resellers Can Leverage Rackspace to Enhance Customer’s Cyber Security Protection with Microsoft 365 Security

March 30, 2021

Top Tips: Optimize Your Microsoft 365 Investment with Rackspace Technology

March 30, 2021

The Smart Approach to Cloud Workload Placement Decisions

March 19, 2021

Upcoming Events

View all

Channel Partners Conference & Expo

November 1, 2021 - November 4, 2021

MSP Summit

November 1, 2021 - November 2, 2021

Channel Evolution Europe

November 30, 2021 - December 1, 2021

Videos and Fastchats

View all

FASTCHAT: How Fortinet Reduces Complexity Through Networking, Security

Strong Customer Experience Needs Strong Partner Experience

December 22, 2020

Happy Holidays from Channel Partners & Channel Futures!

December 21, 2020

2021 Excellence in Digital Services Awards App Open

December 9, 2020

Twitter

ChannelFutures

.@RickRibas99 of @FusionConnectSM and Seth Penland of Evergreen Technology Partners join #CoffeeWithCraigAndJames..… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

April 14, 2021
ChannelFutures

.@SophosLabs discovers #cryptojacking amid @Microsoft Exchange exploit. dlvr.it/RxcM6f https://t.co/xPkTsL57Pg

April 14, 2021
ChannelFutures

See the full insights within our 2020 MSP 501 SMB report dlvr.it/RxcCsh https://t.co/noKPsIr2SR

April 13, 2021
ChannelFutures

The ability to recover from #dataloss is a measure of cyber fitness. @Carbonite #datarecovery #dataprotection #MSP… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

April 13, 2021
ChannelFutures

.@FireEye @Mandiant report highlights continuing diversity of threat landscape. #ransomware dlvr.it/Rxc3pm https://t.co/wT0gpy01lL

April 13, 2021
ChannelFutures

#SMBs will look to #MSPs to protect their businesses and help them achieve #cyberresilience @Webroot… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

April 13, 2021
ChannelFutures

.@JuniperNetworks EMEA #channelchief Sander Groot reveals changes to vendor’s partner organisation amid its enterpr… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

April 13, 2021
ChannelFutures

.@FireMon rolls out updated partner program. #cloudsecurity dlvr.it/Rxbwh4 https://t.co/i7bmS1TNFB

April 13, 2021

MSSP Insider

Business advice for MSSPs and news from the broader security channel.

Newsletters and Updates

Sign up for The Channel Report, Channel Futures Update, MSP 501 Newsletter and more.

Live Channel Events

Get the latest information on the next industry-leading Channel Partners event.

Galleries

Educational slide shows and images from live events.

Media Kit And Advertising

Want to reach our audience? Access our media kit.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • Channel Partners Events
  • Telecoms.com
  • MSP 501
  • Black Hat
  • IoT World Today
  • Omdia

WORKING WITH US

  • Contact
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Newsletter

FOLLOW Channel Futures ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2021 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X