The versatility offered by cloud services has allowed many companies to dramatically reduce operating costs and to efficiently exploit the use of technological infrastructure. "It is no longer necessary for them to pay for an infrastructure, with the cloud only being paid monthly for what is consumed, as is the case with electricity, water or cable television", says Felipe de Cabo, director of the LOL Cloud unit.
This change implies a new paradigm for these organizations, but it is also for distribution channels that are "fortunately" forced to rethink their business model. "For the channels in Latin America it is unfeasible to think about putting together their strategy based on the sale of equipment, where their margin has been continuously and inexorably shortened for years", says de Cabo. He adds: "For their fortune, in the cloud model things work differently and when you start, you build a cash flow more profitable than transactionality".
However, to take advantage of this modality, the channel must understand its new roles, such as, for example, to personalize customer service, reduce response times, offer satisfaction not once but day by day, improve the user experience, between many more.
The new model
This year, Licencias OnLine has focused on strengthening its cloud strategy to boost the business of its channels. Across the region, the cloud services portfolio of the value-added wholesaler is comprised of Acronis, BitTitan, Citrix, Check Point, Forcepoint, Imperva, Microsoft CSP, Microsoft SPLA, Rackspace, RSA, Veeam, VMware, Sophos. , Zimbra, among others. The availability of the cloud licensing of these brands varies by country.
LOL Cloud business unit enables business opportunities for different types of partners, whether they are service providers, software integrators or developers, or cloud resellers. How? "We are a business platform," remarks the executive. "In addition to the sale of subscriptions we make through the VARs, we are 'aggregator' of other infrastructure brands on which several telcos, carriers and service providers run".
Leveraging the transformation to the Cloud that manufacturers have already started, partners can sell products by subscription for several years, updating themselves in the use and development of tools and reaching their customers with an integral solution, which generates a recurring income. as the basis of your professional services.
In turn, more mature and specialized partners can offer a series of associated services that help the end user in the use and adoption of the tool. "This occurs naturally because the software is the base of operation that is strengthened by delivering additional services. Around the business, installation, training and certification services, technical support, consultancy in the use, adoption and development of tools are generated", explains de Cabo.
In this sense, the opportunity for the channels is that the commercial proposal of LOL Cloud goes beyond resale licensing. "Help partners to see how to optimize the infrastructure of end users, accelerate the return on investment, have a recurring billing and add value to your business", explains the executive and concludes: "In each of the cases a business plan is prepared with the channel where they include the marketing area. At the same time, it is important to highlight the consultancy that is provided in each project and the technical advice to the channel".