ThinkGrid, the cloud enablement platform vendor, has signed a deal with global distributor Ingram Micro (UK), a division of Ingram Microto offer ThinkGrid’s platform and complete array of cloud-based IT services. This joint go-to-market is an essential part of Ingram Micro’s drive to become the leading aggregator of cloud services to the channel and will expand ThinkGrid’s global reach, as a provider of channel cloud services enablement.
The ThinkGrid partnership supports Ingram Micro’s focus on cloud computing technology, following the launch of its Ingram Micro Cloud programme, which offers channel partners enhanced business, sales and technical knowledge for selling and supporting cloud services.
“Cloud computing is supporting innovation and results for businesses of all sizes,” commented Matt Sanderson, Ingram Micro Managing Director. “Resellers benefit from recurring revenues from the cloud model, and our stated goal is to become the Value Added Distributor of aggregated cloud technologies for the channel. ThinkGrid, with 100% channel focus, is an important partner in achieving this goal.”
Through this partnership with ThinkGrid, Ingram Micro can now offer ‘best-of-breed’ technology, which the channel can completely customise to solve their end users business problems. All of these are services delivered through ThinkGrid’s cloud platform, which fully automates provisioning, billing & resource management. This drives profitability for the partner by turning the delivery of cloud services into a low touch, monthly recurring revenue stream. Services available include ThinkGrid’s Hosted Virtual Desktop, which is the world’s first fully isolated, persistent virtual desktop from the Cloud along with other services such as VMware Virtual Infrastructure, Microsoft Exchange, Hosted VOIP & Online Backup.
Rob Lovell, CEO at ThinkGrid, concluded: “This partnership will help the channel overcome challenges around transforming from CAPEX- to OPEX-based business models. Like Ingram Micro, we believe the channel is central to the success of cloud computing. However, resellers need to be able to change to a value-based, cloud-led business as demand for this technology increases. The partnership will combine Ingram’s extensive global reach with our cloud technology and experience, providing resellers with the IT infrastructure and ongoing support they need to enable this transformation. They will benefit from in-depth training and guidance, helping them become experts in the cloud computing field and gain more customers within this environment. This expertise and support will then help the channel compete and win against the big vendors that are going directly to businesses with cloud offerings.”
Through the ThinkGrid / Ingram Micro partnership, resellers will have complete control over cloud services offered to customers. They will be able to build their own customer base, bill them directly and manage pricing models through the automated back-end system provided by ThinkGrid in unison with Ingram Micro. The flexibility of the IT infrastructure offered means that the solution will be scalable, meaning end users can add or take away certain services each month to suit their changing business requirements.