MSPWorld: Cloud Services Partner Programs Earn Spotlight

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First up, Enterhost has launched a Channel Partner Program. The company positions itself as an internet cloud services provider and Windows application specialist. According to a PDF posted on Enterhost’s website, the company offers:

The Enterhost Partner Program has four levels, according to a PDF posted on Enterhost’s web site:

Side note: I don’t have a feel for each level’s program requirements for partners. But we’re checking in with Enterhost for more details.

Updated, 12:20 p.m. eastern on Sept.14 : Ben Tiblets, VP of Enterhost, has provided me with revenue commitment figures for each partner level. The bullet points above are now updated accordingly.

GoGrid Referral Program

Meanwhile, GoGrid has launched a referral program to help MSPs and IT consultants grow their cloud businesses. GoGrid, which positions itself as a cloud infrastructure company, says the referral program offers the following benefits:

GoGrid’s web site says the referral program allows partners to “earn fees on accounts you bring to GoGrid” with no upfront commitment. However, the online information does not disclose how much money partners can generate from each referral. We’re double-checking to see if the GoGrid referral strategy involves one-time partner payments or recurring revenue payments

Veddio Cloud Dashboard

Finally, Veddio — a cloud aggregator — has demoed its new Nebula cloud dashboard. Nebula is a single, web-based view for Veddio’s channel partners to manage and provision the company’s cloud solutions. Veddio CEO Todd Myers went even further when I pulled him away from the conference to talk about the newly-released dashboard.

“It [Nebula] will give channel partners an additional recurring revenue stream,” he said. Myers brings a unique perspective when it comes to selling solutions to MSPs. He actually owns an MSP himself – Computer Sites – which he uses as “a guinea pig” for Veddio solutions. It’s all part of Myers’ goal of providing “a one-stop shop for the computer guy.”

Nebula is designed to help Veddio’s channel partners managed a customer base. It’s a white-label provisioning system that MSPs can use to deliver services and maintain a relationship with end-users, according to Myers. It offers quoting and billing tools, messaging and scheduling capabilities, real time support and instant provisioning, all through a single administrative viewing screen.

Veddio gives partners the option to charge its end-users one of two ways: per seat, or a la carte. Myers thinks the a la carte model is perfect for MSPs looking to go vertical because they can tailor Veddio’s platform to the needs of end-users. Veddio’s cloud platform is sold on a monthly subscription model. No long term commitment is necessary.

Veddio currently has 14 channel partners throughout Florida, Michigan and North Carolina. The company’s goal is to expand that partner base nationwide, and possibly even into Canada.

Questions Worth Asking

Clearly, cloud computing partner programs are dominating the vendor chatter at MSPWorld. But some of the announcements are a bit short on details. Among the questions MSPs should be asking before signing up for a cloud services partner program:

We’ll be back with more MSPWorld perspectives if we hear more chatter from the show.

Additional reporting and Veddio interview by Nicholas Mukhar.