Dell Broadens Range of Microsoft Cloud-Focused Professional IT Services

Dell is expanding its portfolio of professional IT services with a wider focus on Microsoft-based hybrid cloud technology. The new services, which Dell launched on Wednesday, include the development and deployment of hybrid solutions based on Microsoft Azure, modern workforce, applications modernization, security and availability.

While Dell already offers IT advisory services in partnership with Microsoft, the company primarily has provided modern workforce services. The expanded portfolio of services culminates an expanded alliance between the two companies. Microsoft worked with Dell to create the new professional IT services.

Dell’s Mark Cabot

“Microsoft worked hand in hand with us to develop the services, provided us cloud solution architects and the review of the services offerings that we created,” said Dell Services senior director of strategic partnerships and business development Mark Cabot.

While Microsoft won’t be co-delivering the services, Cabot said the two companies are looking at co-sell opportunities. Scott Bils, VP of product management for Dell Services, told Channel Futures that Dell will deliver the services, though partners will be able to resell them.

Dell’s Scott Bils

“For a number of partners, these are going to complement services that they provide today,” Bils said. “And they’re going to help them branch out into new areas and open up new opportunities for our channel partners as well.”

Dell Professional IT Services: A Lot of Certifications

According to Dell, the company has 47,000 technicians who hold Microsoft certifications. Further, Bils noted that Dell Services has met all six of the new Microsoft Cloud partner program competency requirements. Cabot said meeting them was no easy task, despite Dell’s size.

“Not only did we have to prove that we had certified people, but they had to pass Microsoft’s certification tests,” Cabot said. “We also had to show real examples of projects and validation from those customers that we did the work successfully.”

The Dell officials broke down the new professional IT services into four categories:

Also, Dell has added Advisory Services Subscriptions, providing a more affordable option for customers looking to connect with Dell’s Microsoft experts part-time. The services are monthly, annual and three-year subscriptions for Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365.

“With these subscriptions, we have our Microsoft SMEs come in and look at domain usage data and help optimize the configurations and uses of Microsoft services in those areas,” Bils said.

Some use cases might include strategies for migrating workloads to Azure, advice on how to optimize Azure architectures and how to optimize licensing.