Resellers share 2011 tips and predictions

CRN Fast50 resellers contacted by CRN this week have tipped cloud and mobility as top of mind in 2011, mirroring analyst forecasts.

While the definition and rate of adoption of cloud was mixed, all agreed that cloud services would grow.

Stephen Sims, general manager of sales and marketing at Brennan, was so confident in the mid-market's use of cloud that he predicted the demise of the term itself.

"The cloud will continue to assert itself in the new year, but we’re likely to see a lot less hype around the topic for the simple reason that, in 2011, cloud computing will become the norm.

"The term ‘cloud computing’ will see a lot less use as the model becomes just another way of delivering ICT Services," he said.

Matthew Wood director of Bounce (CRN Fast50 No.23) said cloud was becoming “a real option for small businesses”.

"We are very reactive to what customers are asking and it’s derofinitely something they’re asking for," he said.

Wood said Bounce "actively" sold Microsoft BPOS (Microsoft Online Services). 

“A lot [of SMBs] can’t afford new servers. And we’re not stocking servers nearly as much as we used to. We definitely see server installs falling away," Wood said.

He said he saw businesses moving ERP services to the cloud with vendors such as NetSuite.

“Which is not good for us,” he said. We’re pushing the payment concept of per user, per month for general IT support.

“It’s hurting but helping as well,” he said. 

CRN Fast50 No.25 Evologic Technologies’ Chris Davies defined cloud as an “IT department in the cloud”.

“A service you use locally and is available elsewhere,” he said. “Being SME focused there is a big push to make data more available and that’s enabled by a lot of cloud these days," he said.

A Microsoft partner but not yet selling Microsoft Online Services, Davies encouraged businesses to look at the business case.

“Quite a lot of customers have established infrastructure and they need to have a clear business case to make the move.

“It’s a matter of moving specific services. We used to look at infrastructure and now we look after people and data," he said.

Intelligent Pathways' chief executive Peter Robertson (CRN Fast50 No.32) said people are looking to access information where ever they are.

Cloud is “top of mind” for the reseller and he planned to focus on specialising in the environmental sector, e-health and the aviation.

Mobility

CRN Fast50 winner Anittel’s Ilka Tales said mobility was a key trend in 2011 with a shift from PCs to mobile devices to continue unabated.

Tales predicted that between 4 percent to 6 percent of PCs and laptops used by consumers would shift to tablets, largely led by Apple's iPad.

NBN

With the NBN rollout ramping up, CRN Fast50 No. 43 Comscentre's Ben Shipley said he was focused on incorporating video on top of voice telephony and internet services in the mid-market.

“We’re concentrating on building video our managed backbone offering as far as our managed services offering.

“NBN is positive for us but we’re yet to see anything. It’s a growing part of the business,” he said.