Building your own cloud embassy
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This document discusses building your own "Cloud Embassy" by partnering with a managed service provider to offer cloud services. It outlines three key lessons learned from a cloud provider's experience: organic growth is not sustainable, redundancy is needed to handle life events, and services must be mature at launch. It recommends becoming an ambassador by bringing together best cloud offerings simply while providing single contact and billing. Partnering with a tier 1 host can provide complete Microsoft stack, backup solutions, white labeling, and tools to market services under your own brand.
Building your own cloud embassy
- 1. Building your own Cloud Embassy Presented by JJ Milner Managing Director of Global Micro Microsoft Hosting Solutions Partner of the Year 2010 WINNER
- 2. What is cloud? ∙ Cutting through the hype: To a managed service provider, cloud differs from the traditional approach to outsourcing • On demand provisioning • Pay as you go – pay as you grow • Much lower cost as economies of scale are assumed • Near infinite capacity ∙ Cloud is not virtualisation ∙ Cloud is not finance / off balance sheet financing
- 3. Challenges of Achieving Scale – Lessons learned after 10 Years as a Cloud Provider
- 4. Lesson #1 Organic Growth is not an option ∙ You need a minimum of 100 000 Users to break even ∙ New entrants to the market have a lower cost base ∙ Disruptive pricing can invalidate your assumptions
- 5. Lesson #2 Life Happens ∙ You have to build redundancy for every possibility ∙ 100 000 + users means that every one of your assumptions will be tested 24 x 7 x 365
- 6. Lesson #3 It takes time to build immunity ∙ Services need to be mature when they are launched ∙ Learning on job means death by a thousand needle pricks ∙ Don’t Bluff, the Cloud Services will expose your weaknesses
- 7. Show me the money The rule of 78 Question If you add R1,000 in new recurring business every month, how much will you bill by the end of year 1? Answer R78,000
- 8. Show me the money The rule of 78 Question If you add R1,000 in new recurring business every month, how much will you bill by the end of year 3? Answer R666,000
- 9. You’re going to be rich! ∙ Where do I start? What’s the catch? • Upfront Investments are considerable • Any delay in growth means you are un-profitable • A new competitor can enter the market and change the rules • Margins are thin… Pennies only count when you have hundreds of thousands of them ∙ Don’t build your own • Take a predictable margin (profit every month)
- 10. Become a cloud Ambassador in your own Cloud Embassy ◉ Bring together to best cloud offerings – but keep it simple ○ 73% of customer’s IT stack today are based on Microsoft Technologies ○ Using the MS as cornerstone of your cloud practise, means easier migration and no learning curve for your customers ◉ Provide a single point of contact to your customers for all vendors, services and products ◉ Provide one statement / bill each month for all ◉ Go beyond the router ○ Leverage cloud based services to support your customer’s on premise requirements today.
- 11. Cloud is in Vogue - Tourism is booming ◉ The Cloud is a competitive landscape so make sure you are equipped to market yourself effectively ○ Invest in Search engine Optimisation and speak to a wider audience ◉ Vanilla or “Good enough” offerings are a no-go ○ Your services must provide features relevant to local customers ○ France is not the same without Cheese and Wine … So add your own flavour to the mix.
- 12. Protect your sovereignty ◉ The cloud means everyone can talk to your clients and invite them to visit their Cloud Offerings ◉ Offer a premium Service Level Agreement to protect you and your customer ◉ Set your own prices ◉ Protect your Territorial Waters ○ Keep your Service Providers Honest ○ White Label Everything ○ Provide a single sign on experience ○ Register All your Leads
- 13. Look for a Tier 1 Hoster that provides: ◉ The complete Microsoft Communications Stack (Exchange, Sharepoint, Lync) ◉ Hosted backup solutions ◉ White label offering – so that you can promote your brand and own the client ◉ Automated Provisioning and administration portal for you, and your customers ◉ Integrated ticketing to your help desk ◉ Syndicated website SEO optimised website content and brochures with your branding and contact details
- 14. Look for a Tier 1 Hoster that provides: ◉ Lead registration ◉ A partner manager who will ride along to customers to help you close deals ◉ A white label recurring billing solution ◉ White label RMM tools that interface with SCOM ◉ SLA with penalties on every service – this is your name on the line ◉ An opportunity to set your own prices.
- 15. Learn More ◉ Visit our Website ○ http://www.globalmicro.co.za/PartnerPrograms ◉ Contact JJ Milner ○ jj@globalmicro.co.za ○ +2783 602 6601
- 16. © 2010 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows, Windows Vista and other product names are or may be registered trademarks and/or trademarks in the U.S. and/or other countries. The information herein is for informational purposes only and represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation as of the date of this presentation. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information provided after the date of this presentation. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.