Cloud News Update: AWS Hits Channel with Smart City Competency
Plus, Ingram Micro Cloud debuts a key Microsoft integration, Salesforce provides a Genie update and more.
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Amazon Web Services is counting on public sector partners to build smart cities.
To that end, the world’s largest public cloud provider on Sept. 22 debuted its new Smart City Competency. The company also named the first partners to participate in the effort.
Smart cities have been a discussion topic for a long time. But it’s only with more widespread cloud and edge computing, as well as properly equipped IoT devices, that the idea has shifted more toward reality. In fact, IDC’s recent Smart City Spending Guide predicts that global spending on these initiatives will reach $190 billion in 2023. That’s largely because city governments — like everyone else, frankly — are facing greater pressure to spend efficiently while improving services such as water, sanitation and housing.
AWS, with its new competency, aims to help partners meet those needs.
“Interest in smart cities and spending on smart city capabilities is increasing around the world, and providing smart city services is absolutely a growth area for AWS partners,” Jeff Kratz, head of AWS’ worldwide public sector partners, told Channel Futures. “We believe that with this competency, partners and customers both win. Partners can differentiate themselves as they pursue business opportunities, and customers win in providing improved citizen services.”
On the next slide, find out which channel partners helped AWS develop the Smart City competency, and are the first to join the program.
Here are the partners who worked with AWS to create the Smart City competency:
• Arq Group, Australia
• Elitery, Indonesia
• FuseForward, Canada
• Kalkitech, India
• MioVision, Canada
• Quantela, India
• Rekor, United States
• Rubicon, United States
• Vianova, France
To learn more about what each of these partners specifically has so far done through the AWS Smart City competency, go to the Amazon Partner Network blog.
Meantime, here’s what Kratz had to say about the group: “This set of global launch partners is helping achieve something really special by bringing smart city capabilities to cities around the world. Smart cities will play a tremendous role in improving citizen services, and in helping us all be more sustainable. Our AWS Smart City Competency launch partners are using cloud-based capabilities like data management, machine learning and artificial intelligence to make citizen services more efficient, reliable and sustainable.”
As with all AWS competencies, approved partners had to complete rigorous reviews of their delivery models and technical skills, and provide customer success case studies.
This week, Salesforce introduced its Genie software, what it calls “the future of real-time personalized experiences.” Read the in-depth article here. What we didn’t have at the time of publication was insight from Salesforce into the implications for the channel. We do now, and here’s what the company is telling us:
“The Salesforce partner ecosystem, spanning AppExchange and consulting partners, extends the power of Genie by providing apps and expertise to help companies unlock automated, intelligent, real-time experiences across the Customer 360. The AppExchange Genie collection brings together apps from 18 new partners – including Criteo, LiveRamp and Neustar – that integrate seamlessly with Genie to enrich and activate data, and experts to help customers extend the power of real-time data with Salesforce. Meanwhile, consulting partners such as Accenture, Deloitte Digital, PwC and Slalom offer advanced knowledge on implementing real-time data platforms that change the way customers create highly personalized customer experiences with Salesforce.”
Salesforce also published a blog with more details for the channel.
Ingram Micro Cloud says it has completed worldwide integration of Microsoft Online Management Extension (MOME) on its marketplace. (Forgive us for our lapse into Lewis Carolldom over that one…)
Using CloudBlue Commerce, MOME provides automated management that lets Microsoft partners both sell and manage services one location. That means performing customer and domain management, as well as assessing Microsoft-assigned security scores, without having to access other portals such as Microsoft Partner Center separately.
“The MOME integration is a continuation of a long-term Ingram Micro Cloud strategy to help our partners grow faster and be more profitable,” said John Dusett, executive director of cloud services, U.S., at Ingram Micro Cloud. “Working closely with Microsoft, and actively listening to our channel partners, this Ingram Micro Cloud Marketplace enhancement delivers the most efficient cross-platform process and ‘single pane of glass’ workflow.”
Dusett said Ingram Micro Cloud will keep adding capabilities that help partners grow faster.
Eighty-one percent of IT leaders say their C-suite execs are telling them not to add cloud spending, or to cut it, as cloud computing costs skyrocket.
That’s according to a new report from cloud managed service provider Wanclouds. Its “2H 2022 Cloud Cost and Optimization Outlook” indicates that top-level business leaders are pulling back on cloud spending. That comes as little surprise as a global recession threatens to hit, as supply chain problems continue and as inflation shows no signs of relenting.
Wanclouds’ findings also show that a little more than half (53%) of IT leaders have dealt with higher-than-expected cloud bills in the first half of this year. Almost a third (29%) of firms have subsequently switched public cloud providers. Another 22% are thinking about doing the same. And 23% say they’ve adopted a multicloud strategy for more optimized costs for applications and services.
Interestingly, as more organizations deploy containers, 70% of IT leaders polled by Wanclouds say Kubernetes has ramped up their overall cloud spending. That makes sense. Without constant and, often, automated, management, containers make up one of the biggest culprits contributing to unforeseen cloud expenses.
Wanclouds surveyed more than 500 U.S. IT decision-makers in the third quarter in preparation for its report.
Organizations need more tech leaders with cloud skills.
That’s the big takeaway from Pluralsight’s “2022 State of the Cloud Report,” released this week. (Pluralsight conducts technology workforce development, incidentally.)
While the study found that 75% of tech leaders say they’re building all new products and features in the cloud, only 8% have significant cloud-related skills and experience. In addition, 64% of respondents say they’re new to cloud and looking to build basic fluency.
A dearth of knowledge puts organizations in a tough position. On the one hand, they cannot stop innovating in the cloud. On the other, they need people who know how to make that happen. In many cases, that’s where cloud channel partners can prove their mettle (even though MSPs and other partners are facing their own talent shortages).
“Tech leaders need a cloud strategy that provides confidence and predictability in their ability to build cloud maturity at scale and that starts with ensuring they can upskill their teams on cloud technologies,” said Drew Firment, vice president of enterprise strategies at Pluralsight.
According to Pluralsight’s report, the top personal cloud skills gaps among technologists emerged as:
• Cloud security (40%)
• Networking (37%)
• Data (31%)
Again, Channel Futures sees these gaps as prime opportunities for cloud channel partners.
Organizations need more tech leaders with cloud skills.
That’s the big takeaway from Pluralsight’s “2022 State of the Cloud Report,” released this week. (Pluralsight conducts technology workforce development, incidentally.)
While the study found that 75% of tech leaders say they’re building all new products and features in the cloud, only 8% have significant cloud-related skills and experience. In addition, 64% of respondents say they’re new to cloud and looking to build basic fluency.
A dearth of knowledge puts organizations in a tough position. On the one hand, they cannot stop innovating in the cloud. On the other, they need people who know how to make that happen. In many cases, that’s where cloud channel partners can prove their mettle (even though MSPs and other partners are facing their own talent shortages).
“Tech leaders need a cloud strategy that provides confidence and predictability in their ability to build cloud maturity at scale and that starts with ensuring they can upskill their teams on cloud technologies,” said Drew Firment, vice president of enterprise strategies at Pluralsight.
According to Pluralsight’s report, the top personal cloud skills gaps among technologists emerged as:
• Cloud security (40%)
• Networking (37%)
• Data (31%)
Again, Channel Futures sees these gaps as prime opportunities for cloud channel partners.
Cloud computing doesn’t just mean deploying a platform and calling it a day. No indeed-y, the technology has grown far more sophisticated than that. That seems to be the theme of this week’s cloud news roundup, which showcases — from Amazon Web Services’ new Smart City competency to a report on the cloud skills dearth — just how much organizations need cloud channel partners.
You already know that AWS develops a competency for just about everything. But now, with rising demand for governments to get more efficient while delivering better services, the applicability of a smart city certification has come to fruition. Find out what AWS public sector head Jeff Kratz tells Channel Futures about that initiative.
After that, if you’re looking for more information on what Salesforce’s new Genie platform means for the channel, we have some details. Recall, Salesforce debuted that “real-time” capability for all of its Customer 360 solutions at Dreamforce this week. The company is going so far as to call Genie “the most significant change” to its CRM platform ever. That’s a bold statement, so partners will want to understand the reason for it.
Up next, Ingram Micro Cloud has a big Microsoft integration announcement. The cloud marketplace provider calls that enhancement the “continuation of a long-term … strategy” to enable its partners. We go into what all of that is (and you’ll have to forgive us some Lewis Carroll “Jabberwocky” references. You’ll see why.).
Finally, we’ve got two new cloud studies that contain implications for the channel. The first, courtesy of Wanclouds, relates to cloud spending via a survey of more than 500 IT leaders in the United States. The second comes from tech workforce development firm Pluralsight. Moreover, that report pinpoints a lack of cloud skills within organizations. That ought to surprise no cloud channel partner, many of whom are dealing with their own talent shortages.
Kick off your cloud news update this week in the slideshow above with a look at the AWS Smart City competency, and understanding why that’s important.
Want to contact the author directly about this story? Have ideas for a follow-up article? Email Kelly Teal or connect with her on LinkedIn. |
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