SUSE Executive Kerry Kim Answers 6 SUSECon 2013 Questions

SUSECon 2013, the second annual SUSE Linux conference for partners and customers, will get underway next week in Orlando, Fla. (yes, that’s right, Disney World). We reached out to SUSE with a few questions so that we could give you a preview of what to expect.

SUSE Solution Marketing Direct Kerry Kim told us that channel partners can expect to hear more about the company’s plans to leverage the channel at SUSECon 2013, so we’ll be paying close attention. He also responded to questions regarding new applications for SUSE running in private and public clouds; progress with Attachmate (the company that acquired Novell and the SUSE business); and SUSECon 2013 expectations.

CJ: What can channel partners expect from SUSECon 2013?

KK: SUSECon will be a great place to get industry insight, technical training and content from SUSE experts and our partners about our joint solutions and technology roadmaps.

For channel partners, SUSE is hosting a Partner Forum — a dedicated event where channel partners can meet SUSE executives, network with peers, gain clarity around SUSE’s go-to-market model and learn how to best align their business practices around today’s hottest technology trends in order to grow their business and expand their bottom line.

CJ: What are some key trends that channel partners should pay close attention to during the rest of 2013 and into 2014?

KK: On the technology side, the big trend to watch this year will be the growth in commercial private and hybrid cloud solutions. Enterprises will be accelerating their production deployments, as POCs finish and vendors bring to market solutions that are easier to deploy and configure.

On the business side, the key trend to pay attention to is the increased marginalization of IT. More and more organizations are struggling to just keep the “IT lights on” and respond quickly enough to the needs of their business. Unless IT organizations can find a way to break out of the vicious cycle they are in, they will become less and less strategic to the organizations they serve. In other words, it will only get worse.

CJ: What makes SUSECon 2013 different than last year’s event?

KK: Based on attendee feedback from last year’s event, we’ve added an extra day which means we have more sessions, more speakers and expect more attendees this year than last year. We really view last year’s event as our coming out party. That is, there was a fair amount of information about us woven into every single component of the show. This year, we want to focus less on us and more on providing value to our current customers, including the insights gathered from our wide and diverse installed base.

CJ: What new applications can customers expect for SUSE running in public and private clouds?

KK: SUSE recently launched its latest cloud infrastructure product, SUSE Cloud 2.0. Based on OpenStack Grizzly, it’s the only enterprise-quality IAAS private cloud solution to provide multi-hypervisor support and an easy to use install framework, allowing firms to re-purpose their existing investments and vastly simplifying the deployment process. SUSE continues to see adoption of its platform in public clouds worldwide.

CJ: Does SUSE have its own channel strategy? If so, could you elaborate for our readers?

KK: SUSE utilizes both direct and indirect channels of distribution because this is how our customers like to buy. The vast majority of SUSE’s offerings are fulfilled through our indirect channels, a topic which we plan to cover more in-depth from the show floor and throughout a few of the planned keynotes.

CJ: How has SUSE performed under Attachmate’s ownership? Any changes?

KK: SUSE has blossomed under Attachmate’s ownership. The reorganization of resources under a distinct business unit has enabled SUSE to better focus on achieving its goals and objectives, and executing against its own strategy. As a testament to our continued success, in last fiscal year, SUSE’s bookings grew at above market rates.

We’ll be on hand at the event to provide the latest channel updates. Stay tuned early next week for SUSE announcements.