Westcon: Preparing Cloud Aggregator Strategy?

By samdizzy

For the third time in recent weeks, a major distributor has been talking about cloud aggregation. That is, helping VARs and MSPs to piece together cloud services from multiple partners. The latest cloud aggregator chatter comes from Dean Douglas, president and CEO of Westcon.

During a sit-down interview with Contributing Senior Editor Charlene O’Hanlon a few weeks ago, Douglas described Westcon’s networking industry focus. Douglas also touched on the cloud topic, predicting Westcon will ultimately help VARs and MSPs to source multiple cloud services. Moreover, Douglas predicted Westcon will assist channel partners with their monthly cloud billing capabilities. Douglas shared those thoughts and more in a TalkinCloud FastChat Video (left).

Familiar Chatter

Douglas certainly raises valid points about the challenge and opportunities awaiting VARs in the cloud. But Westcon isn’t the only distributor thinking — and talking  — about cloud aggregation.

Earlier this year, Ingram Micro VP of Managed Services and Cloud Computing Renee Bergeron claimed Ingram had already emerged as the leading cloud aggregator distributor. And earlier this month, Arrow Fusion VP Lee Fawcett explained how Arrow Enterprise Computing Solutions also had a cloud aggregator strategy.

That theme will likely continue in June, during the Ingram Micro Cloud Summit in near Phoenix, Ariz. At last year’s summit, Ingram announced partnerships with Amazon.com, Rackspace and Salesforce.com. More recently, Bergeron told me that Ingram’s cloud partnerships were definitely designed to generate revenues for Ingram.

Translation: The cloud aggregator relationships are more than marketing handshakes.

TalkinCloud will be watching to see if Westcon makes formal cloud aggregator moves of its own in the weeks ahead.

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