Cloud needs disties too

Cloud software providers need the channel as much as any other software provider, especially when competition gets tough.

That’s the view of Phil Lancaster, director of distributor TrackITOnline, which has recently inked deals with cloud provider including Aware Technologies, MASS360 and Iaso.

“You hear a lot about how the cloud, and what it will do to distributors and resellers,” said Lancaster. “The fact is, there are a lot of cloud vendors out there searching for partners.”

In Lancaster’s view, cloud software is just software located somewhere else, and that fact does nothing to negate the need for a strong channel.

“The only time you don’t need a channel is if it’s pure web delivery of the software, and even then that only applies to companies that are streets ahead of their competition,” he noted. “Once you have strong competition in a given space, that’s where the channel comes into its own.”

TrackITOnline also represents PHD Virtual, which recenty acquired US-based VirtualSharp Software, a vendor of cloud-based disaster recovery software.

“Partners and Enterprise customers are only just understanding what DR assurance really involves and how VirtualSharps ReliableDR can automate much of this,” Lancaster said. `

Under the deal, which has closed, the VirtualSharp brand will disappear, with the reliable DR being sold under the PHD umbrella.

Lancaster said TrackITOnline has several dozen specialist resellers looking after PHD.