Google Cloud Steers Partners to Generative AI with New Incentives, Rewards

GOOGLE CLOUD NEXT LONDON — Google Cloud’s focus on generative AI continues. The public cloud provider just announced that it’s ramping up funding to partners that implement generative AI and other strategic products.

Google Cloud is increasing funding by as much as 10X for both ISV and systems integrator partners offering generative AI.

Google’s Bron Hastings

“A number of customers want to understand [how can they] benefit from generative AI,” said Bron Hastings, VP, partnerships at Google Cloud. “The second part of it is that a number of partners are already building solutions that they can actually demonstrate to the customers where generative AI makes a material difference. Different customers are in different stages of their journey, but the partners are ensuring that we’re meeting the customer where they are.”

Google Cloud also is doubling rewards for services partners who drive more workload adoption and accelerate adoption of strategic products.

The announcements were made Wednesday at Next London 23 in London. They form part of a raft of updates to Google Cloud’s partner program across Google Workspace, Sustainability, SecOps, and its Delivery Readiness Index.

Google Cloud Generative AI Opportunities

A host of new partnerships were also revealed, including with Crayon, which is launching a Google Cloud AI Center of Excellence.

“We’ve made very public statements about being 100% a partner attach-with-engagements. That continues to be a substantive part of our business. We see several ongoing opportunities for partners for growth,” said Hastings.

Speaking to Channel Futures, Hastings said customers want help to realize the value of the technology they have bought. They also want deep domain specialization around areas like data and analytics, infrastructure, modernization and cybersecurity. And there is an opportunity in areas like Google Workspace, where technologies such as Duet AI are becoming part of the value customers are seeking.

“We’ve really looked at specialization as being a key element of what partners are serving the customer,” said Hastings. “We are increasing net-new logo incentives for partners that are helping us expand the business across both Workspace and Google Cloud. The second area is we’re significantly growing our presales funding …. so we are significantly growing that for workshops, proof of concepts, pilots, etc. The third area is doubling down on rewards for service partners that are driving the Workload. The way to think about this is time to value for the customer, which in parallel drives revenue acceleration. We’re really looking at partnerships where they are bringing that to the table. Their domain knowledge, their strength, are helping us drive that workload move, and that time to value at the customer level.”

See the slideshow above to find out where Google Cloud is investing in rewards and resources for partners.