Cameyo Formalizes Channel Program as Remote Work Looks to Last

All credit due to COVID-19, remote work is here to stay.

Indeed, Global Workplace Analytics projects that up to 30% of the workforce will remain at home by the end of next year. And the trend is bound to go beyond 2021.

Acting on those expectations, Cameyo on Wednesday launched its bona fide channel initiative.

Cameyo’s Robb Henshaw

“We’ve never really had a formal program in place to make sure all our partners had everything they need to be empowered,” Robb Henshaw, chief marketing officer and acting channel chief at Cameyo, told Channel Futures. “So we’re putting all the processes in place to really turbo-charge the ability for them to target what is a massive opportunity in terms of market need.”

To be sure, the cloud-native vendor, whose technology delivers Windows desktop applications to any device through HTML5 browsers, already worked with partners. For example, in the past year, the Cary, North Carolina-based company has expanded from Google Cloud Platform to also include Microsoft Azure. It also recently launched Cameyo for MSPs, a platform for building and scaling virtual application delivery to customers.

Still, the lack of an official channel program was an obvious gap as the pandemic spurred demand for Cameyo’s platform.

“Some people simply aren’t going to go back to an office, ever,” Henshaw said. “A lot will but not in the same capacity as they used to. … Regardless, the reality is that everyone will need uninterrupted access to all apps to do their jobs from anywhere. The market is now shifting from finding temporary solutions to remote work to permanent solutions. It’s a massive opportunity for our channel partners.”

Cameyo Lets Partners ‘Metal’ in Sales

With that in mind, Cameyo spent the last two months constructing its global partner program. Like other vendors, Cameyo has chosen a three-tier structure: platinum, gold and silver. Distributors, resellers and solution providers all qualify. Here’s how the investments and subsequent benefits break down:

Platinum partners are automatically eligible to receive marketing development funds each quarter. Gold partners will earn MDFs based on …

… their quarterly performance. All partners get access to deal registration and the Cameyo channel portal.

Digging Deeper Into Cameyo’s New Program

Cameyo developed and delivers the training – sales and technical – each partner type must go through. The training takes just a couple of hours and it is done over the internet.

The company put quarterly business reviews in place for platinum and gold partners as a safeguard.

“We’re making sure there’s never a situation where we reach the end of the year and the partner hasn’t fulfilled requirements, and no one has said anything,” Henshaw said. “QBRs are our commitment to making sure we’re supporting and checking in with partners, so that we’re all achieving our goals together.”

Down the road, Cameyo may institute more reviews, more often, to ensure partners always have a tight line to the vendor.

And to help set up the channel for success, Cameyo is building a custom portal for each partner. Each interface will contain a style guide, one-click access to deal registration, solution briefs, customized sales decks, battle cards, case studies, a demonstration section and contacts at Cameyo, Henshaw said.

“Everything will be customized for GCP or Azure or whatever the partner needs,” he added. Plus, materials automatically will update when Cameyo makes changes on the back end.

“The partner never has to ask for updates,” Henshaw said.

‘As Little Ego as Possible’

Cameyo had 12 active partners going into its global channel program launch. Those companies included Achab, Amplified IT, Apisec, ASG Africa, Helio Summit, Neverware, Onix, Online Partner, Softwatch and Synnex. In forming the program, Cameyo explored the possible facets in depth with each partner.

“We wanted to know: What works for you when selling Cameyo today, where do you need more support, what best practices do you want, etc.,” Henshaw said. “We approached it from a place of as little ego as possible.”

That last part was essential.

“We’re growing quickly but we’re still relatively small,” Henshaw said. “We have to build what people need. This program will grow over time.”

It’s already growing.

On Wednesday, Cameyo said it has added two more big names – D&H Distributing and Datacom – to its partner roster. Datacom serves Australia and New Zealand, while D&H covers the United States and Canada.

“As organizations shift to remote work, technologies like VDI, DaaS and VPNs are straining to keep up,” Greg Furlong, Google Practice Lead – Australia, at Datacom, said. “Cameyo is the simplest and most secure way to deliver Windows and internal web applications to remote and on-site workers on any device, especially Chromebooks. We’re excited to partner with Cameyo to help our customers reduce cost and increase productivity as they enable remote work.”

D&H’s Jason Bystrak also is optimistic.

“Cameyo has built the right program to support channel partners,” Bystrak, vice president of cloud business at D&H, told Channel Futures. “The key to success will be …

… execution, and D&H and Cameyo have built a solid plan to get the word out, enable shared partners and support their efforts to deliver a superior remote work experience in the marketplace.”

D&H resellers and managed service providers will have all the tools they need to sell VPN-less, infrastructure-free digital workspaces. To that end, Bystrak said, “I’m not sure you can break out pieces of the program, since one of the best things about it is that it is integrated and comprehensive.”

Organizations Need Alternatives to Pricey, Heavy VDI

That’s critical as more enterprises and SMBs look for simple and affordable options to traditional virtual desktop setups.

D&H Distributing’s Jason Bystrak

“With remote work shifting from a short-term challenge to an ongoing, hybrid strategy for most organizations, our partners need a solution that will meet the unprecedented demand for secure digital workspaces,” Bystrak said.

Andrew Miller, co-founder and CEO at Cameyo, agreed.

“As the world makes the permanent shift to remote working – whether that’s some of the time or all of the time – organizations of every size need a long-term solution for enabling their employees to securely access all of the applications they need to remain productive from anywhere,” he said. “This presents a huge opportunity for our partners to differentiate themselves and increase their revenue by helping their customers achieve secure, productive remote work.”

It’s no surprise that COVID-19 fueled all the activity that’s pushing Cameyo. Henshaw said its partners all have customers, whether SMB, midmarket or enterprise, trying to figure out how to enable remote work for years to come. At the same time, organizations’ IT teams face severe budget cuts. Many are searching for a simpler, less expensive way to provision legacy Window applications without having to install them on individual laptops and terminals. Because users access those programs through modern web browsers, Cameyo’s technology meets the need for simplicity and less cost.

“The reality today is that even in larger organizations, some people may need a full VDI environment, but the majority just need access to what they need to do their jobs,” Henshaw said.

‘Partners Need Choice’

Speaking of the ability to perform work, Cameyo earlier this month officially extended its Microsoft Azure capabilities. Late last year, the vendor announced that it would shift from a fully hosted Google Cloud Platform-only partner to offer the same environment on Azure. On Sept. 9, Cameyo released that solution globally.

Partners now may offer complete integration with the Azure environment and dynamic usage that adjusts depending on demand. Unlike some other cloud vendors, Cameyo’s monthly per-head licensing fee includes all consumption. So partners can sell a licensing structure that does not come with usage costs on top.

“We’re enabling the greatest customer choice,” Henshaw said.

Still, there’s no “imminent deal” Henshaw could reveal for the other of the big three public cloud vendors — Amazon Web Services.

“We want to continue to expand and work with all the cloud providers,” Henshaw said.

Even so, partners can help organizations can self-host Cameyo in any environment they choose, including AWS and on-premises data centers.

“Partners need choice because their customers need choice,” Henshaw said.