Two heavyweight distributors have announced their participation in Microsoft’s Cloud Solution Provider programme.
Both Tech Data Europe and Ingram Micro have joined the programme, which is designed to strengthen customer relationships and expand cloud sales opportunities by enabling channel partners to provision, bundle, invoice, manage and support Microsoft cloud offerings – including Microsoft Office 365 and Windows Intune subscriptions – with greater ease and efficiency.
The first Ingram Micro European countries to participate in Microsoft’s CSP programme include Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK, with central and eastern Europe following shortly after.
“Ingram Micro was one of the first to join the Microsoft CSP programme in the US and has seen early success,” says Carl Alloin, executive director for cloud Europe at Ingram Micro. “Our goal is to differentiate Ingram Micro’s Microsoft CSP offering by providing the cloud solution plus the migration services and a 24/7 customer-facing help desk for partners that choose not to staff a support organisation.
We offer the complete lifecycle from sales to support to simplify success for our channel partners and speed adoption of Microsoft Office 365 and Windows Intune.”
For Tech Data, the programme will be integrated into Tech Data’s StreamOne Cloud platform. This will enable resellers across Tech Data’s European footprint to access this service as part of a progressive rollout expected to conclude within the next eight weeks.
Through its participation in the Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider Programme, Tech Data will consolidate monthly billing for Cloud Solution Provider subscriptions along with monthly bills for other cloud services, so reseller partners receive a single invoice each month.
“This is an important breakthrough for Tech Data and our resellers. Our mission is to enable our resellers to offer their customers the best products, services and the support needed through the sales, deployment and support lifecycle,” says Reza Honarmand, vice president, Software and Cloud, Tech Data Europe.
“The Cloud Solution Provider programme puts our partners at the center of the customer relationship,” says Phil Sorgen, corporate vice president, Worldwide Partner Group at Microsoft. “Through participation, these partners have demonstrated dedication to helping our mutual customers successfully move to the cloud.”
