Dimension Data Partner Program Drives Managed Cloud Platform

Dimension Data will be working with cloud services providers through a new channel partner program. The Dimension Data OneCloud Partner Program is a new initiative from the information and communications technology services and solutions provider — a step in a new direction in which it will work with others in the channel to accelerate the adoption of its Managed Cloud Platform (MCP).

The vendor isn’t exactly new to working with service providers. Dimension Data has taken its cloud services selling to and with large services providers such as telecommunications companies, and the initial partners in the new program will be many of the same businesses it has already worked with. However, Dimension Data is also looking to expand beyond traditional services providers to work with what it calls “community services providers.”

A growing cloud services provider in its own right, Dimension Data really got into cloud in a big way earlier this year when it took the technology it acquired from OpSource and launched MCP.

Known more for its compute-as-a-service (CaaS) solutions, Dimension Data is latching on to the growing trend for cloud-based services for businesses, and the company has a plan to move forward by picking and choosing the partners it works with in the channel.

As a channel partner that works with a variety of vendors, Dimension Data has built the OneCloud Partner Program to take into account all the things its people like in a channel program. Whether the company has managed to build a program that really delivers on what it promises remains to be seen, but all the elements seem to be in place — joint marketing and MDFs, high-touch partnerships and an overall enablement program.

“With that, we think we’ll get the commitment we need to ensure that it’s acceptable for all the parties,” said Dimension Data COO Wes Johnston.

Dimension Data plans to keep the number of partners in the program to a limited number to build deep and solid relationships with its partners. Johnston told Talkin’ Cloud he has no specific number of partners in mind that he’d like to recruit, but he did mention the company will be taking it easy and be selective with the partners it chooses to work with.