The virtual opportunity

Although virtualisation technology is not new, the emerging business needs which make virtualisation a good solution are. This is where the opportunity for resellers lies and is particularly so for those who have already successfully migrated their business from product margin to services.

Patrik Bihammar, senior analyst, software for analyst group IDC, believes that virtualisation provides a strong opportunity for the channel “in which vendors are now heavily leaning on it to provide consulting and integration services in order to meet demand”.

“With cross-selling opportunities including new servers, additional storage, thin clients for desktop virtualisation and vendors who are only too keen to provide training and other partner enablement, opportunities abound.”

Lightfoot agrees. “Virtualisation is an area that Getronics has spent a lot of time in developing, with a suite of services designed to help customers quickly assess a business case against various technology solutions. This involves not only defining a vision for the future, but also understanding the current baseline to ensure that the business case makes sense.”

He said that with Microsoft making its mark in the virtualisation arena, “the technology is within easy reach of most organisations, however many are still coming to grips with how it relates to quantifiable business benefits”.

A question of skills

The task of building a suitable skill base in any rapidly growing market often requires a lot of planning – a challenge that is aided by a host of vendor-run programs.

These can be beneficial as Lightfoot testifies. “Engaging with Microsoft on a strategic level helps us to plan for the future. We have access to resources that are not available to the general public and this has helped us keep our business aligned with market conditions.”

David Blackman, director of partner organisation for VMware ANZ, tells CRN that with knowledge of the technologies still comparatively limited – especially amongst smaller, often regional resellers – education and ultimately certification is the key to profit.

VMware offers a range of programs such as its VMware Certified Professional (VCP) certification and its Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) program.

“These are great starting points to understand virtualisation as we believe that there is a direct correlation between success and certification.”

Blackman said VMware has seen a rapid influx of partners, keen to use its virtualisation technologies as a big upsale opportunity across a range of marketplaces. Accordingly, he said, “resellers need to work towards their strengths, but also differentiate themselves from the competition”.

David Booth is HP national channel sales manager for enterprise servers and storage. He said it is “often those larger resellers that have a strong technical leaning, that seem to be really educating themselves about the benefits of virtualisation and applying this to customer needs”.

He maintains self-education is paramount if resellers want to avoid missing the virtual boat. “Talking amongst themselves, attending seminars and using associations such as the Australian Information Industry Association, are just some of the ways resellers can extend their understanding,” he said.

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