Top 200 Cloud Computing Executives and Experts List, P-T
Top 200 Cloud Computing Executives and Experts List, last names P through T. You can also return to our main Talkin’ Cloud 200 center here.
P-P-P-P
Mont Phelps, CEO, NWN Corp. Twitter: @NWNtelligence
Phelps runs one of Cisco’s fastest-growing channel partners. NWN also works closely with VCE — the joint venture from VMware, Cisco and EMC that promotes Vblock solutions. His next move will likely involve building out a hosted PBX service for mid-market customers. Instead of white labeling a third-party service, NWN plans to build the hosted PBX atop Cisco technology, Phelps says.
Q-Q-Q-Q
Who’s going to be first here?
R-R-R-R
Stuart Raburn, CEO, TekLinks. Twitter: @teklinks
Stuart has positioned TekLinks to focus on multiple virtical markets in Birmingham, Ala. The effort included building out a TekLinks cloud powered by Cisco, EMC, VMWare, Citrix and Microsoft. The company’s branded services include TekVault (offsite backup), TekCloud (virtual servers), TekCare (managed network services and a range of hosted voice and telecom services.
Jaywant Rao, VP of global alliances, Savvis. Twitter: @savvis
Rao in March 2011 launched the Savvis Alliances Program, which strives to plug more partners into the Savvis cloud. Newly-minted Savvis channel partners can add colocation, managed hosting, network services and managed security services to their portfolios. Moreover, Savvis has quietly partnered up with Intermedia to offer hosted Exchange 2010 to end-customers.
Jason Reading, CEO of Comcity. Twitter: @Comcity
Comcity is striving to be a cloud computing leader in Australia. Lead by Reading, Comcity has launched Citrix Hosted Desktops, private cloud, managed and public cloud offerings, Sharepoint Solutions, centrally managed Firewall, email security, archiving , continuity and email hosting. We’re watching closely to see if Reading’s efforts drive growth.
Jim Reddy, VP of Sales Americas, InFocus. Twitter: @InFocusCorp
Our team met Reddy at the Kaseya Connect User Conference in May 2011. He’s working on something big — really big — for managed services providers. What’s cooking? Imagine a really big tablet computer that you can mount in a conference room. Then tie that touch-screen solution to back-end collaboration applications and video conferencing services. Now, imagine a business model where the solution generates recurring revenues for MSPs…
Huw Rees, VP of Business Development, 8×8. Twitter: @8×8
Rees’ focus on business development seems to be working. The cloud computing company had only 2 percent customer churn while revenues grew 31 percent for the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2011. Moreover, revenues from hosted communications services and cloud data jumped 42 percent, and now represent 93 percent of 8×8’s revenues. Rees previously was CEO of Centile, Inc., a former subsidiary of 8×8.
Scott Richman, Founder, Nerds Support. Twitter: @nerdsupport
Richman is building a Florida-based service provider that’s rapidly onboarding cloud customers. Partner of the strategy involves leveraging OS33, a hosted IT automation platform for VARs and MSPs. According to Richman, the company was looking for a cloud-based, productivity-boosting document management and collaboration solutions that they could resell to their customers. That’s when Richman says they turned to OS33 and its cloud services catalog.
Julia Rivard, CEO, SheepDogInc.ca Twitter: @sheepdoginc
Rivard is one of the top executives at this Halifax, NS-based solutions provider. The company focuses on Google Apps Engine, Amazon Simple Storage Service, and custom SaaS application development. So far, those efforts are going well. Cloud-related revenues doubled from 2009 to 2010, according to our Talkin’ Cloud 50 Survey.
John Robb, senior director, Zimbra products and marketing, VMware. Twitter: @zimbra
Robb is a key channel-focused leader within VMware’s open source email business. He has helped Zimbra to attract 600 (maybe more…) hosting partners who offer Zimba to end-customers. Next up, Robb is helping VMware to more effectively promote Zimbra into the SMB channel, launching a potential showdown against Microsoft Exchange Server.
Mike Ross, president, 4PSA. Twitter: @4PSA
Ross is building a VoIP cloud provider that works closely with the IT channel. 4PSA’s latest effort involves cloud unified communications in the academic market. We’ll continue to watch Ross and 4PSA closely, especially since some VARs and MSPs are taking a conservative approach to cloud-oriented voice services.
David Rowe, CEO, Easynet Global Services Twitter: @easynet
Rowe is positioning Easynet Global Services to promote HP Cloud Assure, IBM Smart Business Cloud, Rackspace and Salesforce.com solutions to its end-customers. The UK-based solutions provider focuses on managed networking, hosting and telepresence.
Scott Roza, CEO, Skytap Inc. Twitter: @Skytap
Roza has positioned Skytap as a cloud automation expert, helping customers and cloud services providers to run enterprise applications unchanged in the cloud. That goal almost sounds too good to be true but Roza has a history of success. He previously was VP of worldwide OEM and channel sales for HP/Opsware’s Business Service Automation business unit. In October 2007 HP acquired Opsware for $1.6 billion.
S-S-S-S
Tony Safoian, CEO, SADA Systems Inc. Twitter: @sadasystems
Plenty of VARs and MSPs continue to fear Google Apps, Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite and the forthcoming Microsoft Office 365. Instead of running for shelter, SADA Systems jumped directly into the cloud. The 35-person company now has about 2 million end users under contract to leverage cloud services. And while we can’t reveal company revenues, SADA’s total sales more than tripled in 2010.
BJ Schaknowski, director of channel sales and marketing, Intuit. Twitter: @Intuit
Schaknowski attended the Parallels Summit (Feb. 22-24, 2011) to discuss Intuit‘s cloud strategy — and the role of channel partners. In recent months, Intuit has been promoting SMB cloud services through partnerships with giants like Verizon.
Doug Shepard, CEO, Cloud Sherpas, Twitter: @cloudsherpas
Shepard is helping to build Cloud Sherpas into a top provider of managed Google Apps services. An eVault veteran, Shepard help to lead that cloud services firm from $2 million to $48 million in annual revenues. Seagate ultimately acquired eVault.
Biren Shukla, CEO and President, LevelCloud. Twitter: @LevelCloud
Shukla has extensive experience in the managed services market. Now, he’s helping MSPs, VARs and systems integrators become cloud service providers. LevelCloud has nine channel partners and expects to have about 30 by the end of 2012. LevelCloud’s cloud platform is based upon OS33.
Scott Spavero, CEO and Co-founder, iLand Internet Solutions. Twitter: @ilandcloud
Spavero is building a major cloud business in Houston, Texas, according to data supplied to our Talkin’ Cloud 50 survey. We can’t release complete financial details, but it’s safe to say iLand’s cloud-related revenues grew at least 33 percent in 2010 vs. 2009. The 30-person company has a major focus on VMware-related engagements. Indeed, iLand is a premier VMware Service Provider. It sounds like Spavero is pushing iLand deeper into the virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) market.
Dave Sobel, CEO, Evolve Technologies. Twitter: @evolvetech
Sobel is a familiar name in the IT services and managed services markets. A frequent guest speaker at channel conferences, Sobel has built one of Virginia’s best-known managed services providers. Now, he’s busy working on a cloud strategy, where his company’s revenues grew 400 percent in 2010 vs. 2009. Roughly 1,000 end-users leverage Evolve’s managed and cloud services.
Sebastian Stadil, CEO, Scalr. Twitter: @sebastianstadil
Stadil launched Scalr to offer open source-based cloud computing management software. He also founded the Silicon Valley Cloud Computing Group, a user group of over 6000 members that meets monthly to present the latest developments in the industry.
T-T-T-T
Eugene Tawiah, CEO, evolutionCloud. Twitter: @evoCloud
Tawiah positioned EvoCloud to offer a next-generation hosted desktop, which allows customers to use all applications — including line of business offerings — via the web. The effort focuses on any device, anytime access. Tawiah also is is know for his work as CEO of Complex Technologies, a managed services provider in New York. He’s partnered with such cloud companies as 6fusion.
Luanne Tierney, VP of Global Marketing, Juniper Networks. Twitter: @LDTierney
Tierney is a well-known marketing veteran and social media expert who left Cisco Systems in January 2011 for a similar position at Juniper. Back at Cisco, Tierney launched the annual Cisco Partner Velocity conference — which focused on marketing and social media strategies for channel partners. We’ll be watching to see if Tierney takes similar social media steps in the channel over at Juniper.
Ashutosh Tiwary, Co-founder, CEO and Chairman, Doyenz. Twitter: DoyenzInc.
Tiwary has positioned Doyenz as a cloud-based disaster recovery services specialist for the channel. And so far that positioning has paid dividends. Q4 2010 revenue grew 300 percent from Q4 2009. Also, the company’s channel partner base grew three-fold from Q3 2010 to Q4 2010. Doyenz has growing relationships with such companies as Intel, LabTech Software and StorageCraft.
Next Steps
That’s the end of P through T. Return to our main Talkin’ Cloud 200 center here to see the rest of the list.
