Google Apps Offers MSPs Payment Flexibility

Roughly 24 percent of the world’s top MSPs offer Google Apps to their customers. To further boost that figure, Google is rolling out more flexible payment plans to IT services providers, Talkin’ Cloud has confirmed. So what’s the upshot for Managed Services Providers (MSPs)? Here’s our spin.

Generally speaking, a lot of SaaS and cloud providers require up-front payment on full-year commitments. For smaller managed services providers (MSPs) and VARs, those full-year, up-front commitments can sometimes crush cash flow. On the flip side, some SaaS and cloud providers only offer monthly or quarterly payment programs — potentially forcing channel partners to manage a lot of recurring paper work rather than a one-time annual fee.

Google is aiming to give channel partners the best of both worlds — offering MSPs and their customers flexiblity on commitment length (1 day, 1 month or 1 year) and payment frequency (monthly or yearly), Talkin’ Cloud reported today.

Chasing Office 365 In the Channel

That’s good news — and the move comes at a critical time. The Google Apps team spent considerable time at MSP conferences in 2011 and 2012. But some of that initial channel chatter has since gone quiet. Meanwhile, Microsoft has significantly expanded its Office 365 channel partner program. The result: Nearly two-thirds of the world’s top 501 MSPs say they now offer Office 365 to end-customers, according to our 2014 MSPmentor 501 report, which will be published in February 2014.

We’ll be watching to see if Google’s added partner program flexibility attracts new MSPs to the conversation.