At some point all the discussion over cloud either has to produce something tangible or go away. What I mean by that is you can't have such a global discussion on cloud computing and yet have so many MSPs who are on the fence or outright reluctant about pushing cloud services to their clients. Why the hesitancy? Let's find out.
It seems that every time I talk to a MSP about cloud they ask me why. "Why should I push a technology that is only going to give me minimal profits, offer me minimal control, and put another company in between me and my client?" Well, it hit me that there is really a divergence happening in the cloud discussion between those cloud solutions that can be delivered directly to the end-user and those that need the assistance of the MSP. More specifically, there is a distinction between cloud offerings that are merely products that need to be resold and offerings that truly come to life in the hands of a capable and qualified MSP.
If you are a vendor looking to create a new set of solutions via cloud technology and the MSP is merely a reseller for you, then be prepared to meet some resistance. MSPs, as they tell me, are not willing to accept a business arrangement that will put them back in the same spot they were in when they were just garden variety Value Added Resellers. Things have changed and if your channel strategy hasn't caught up with that, then it might be a good time to rethink and retool.
If your channel strategy involves technology that enables a MSP to deliver cloud solutions to the end-user, without limiting the value add the MSP can provide (and at financial ranges that can be set by the MSP), then be prepared for tremendous growth. This is what MSPs want from their cloud vendors. This is what MSPs have always wanted from their vendors.
Cloud can and should be a major advancement in technology, for both MSPs and the end-user business community. If you are a technology vendor, please heed this advice and examine your cloud technology strategy and make sure it is MSP friendly.
