Getting Started Reselling Azure as a New CSP

Microsoft has opened the doors to their Cloud Solution Providers (CSP) to resell Azure Cloud Services! And continued adoption of Cloud Services by startups and SMB's, government agencies, non-profits, enterprise companies... you name it! EVERYONE is adopting the cloud and driving the need for Cloud System Integrator's, Consultants, Solution Providers, Cloud Application Architects, Migration Engineers, Solution Engineers, etc.

As a Microsoft CSP, you own and control the billing cycle. You provide a single bill to your customers for the cloud services you offer plus your own tools, products, and services.  You create financing options on your own terms. You are the first point of contact for your customers’ needs, and you are the center of the customer relationship and experience. You sell integrated cloud solutions and services in a single sales motion. In addition to Microsoft cloud solutions, you sell cloud applications, services and solutions from leaders in the industry plus your own value-added services, including deployment, migration, software customization or custom cloud application development, plus support, ongoing maintenance, or training.

With a defined Go To Market Strategy and a solid Cloud Services Practice offering, you are able to build stronger relationships with your customers and provide added value managing their end-to-end cloud experience.

Listed below are the best practice steps followed by partners to get started that went on to develop very successful Azure Businesses.

• Establish an Azure Champion: Assign a point person to be the go-to person for Azure within your organization. This person’s responsibility should be to stay up to speed on new Azure announcements, drive awareness and a training plan for both sales & technical resources, and be the go-to person for other team members to pull in for specific customer sales/technical questions.
• Set a GOAL 1-2 Punch: This is your investment in your company’s future, so you need to set a goal and invest. A good goal would be to have 1 customer deployed in the next 2 Months on Azure. The great thing is that once you get one customer deployed, the learning will spark lots of ideas for new engagements across your customer base. We typically see partners spinning up multiple new profitable customer engagements shortly after their first sale.

Take a look at this detailed resource @ "Getting Started Reselling Azure" as a new Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) 1-Tier Partner

For details, see the complete article published @
http://blogs.technet.com/b/uspartner_ts2team/archive/2015/04/22/getting-started-with-azure.aspx

For additional Azure Practice Development and Ideas:
https://mspartner.microsoft.com/en/us/Pages/Sales%20and%20Marketing/Cloud%20SureStep%20Azure%20page.aspx

Check out this extensive list of FAQ's about the Microsoft CSP partner program @
https://mspartner.microsoft.com/en/us/pages/solutions/cloud-reseller-faq.aspx#_

Containers-SWSOFT-Virtuozzo-SUN-Parallels-OpenVZ-Odin-CRIU-Docker

#ContainerCon 2015 Seattle was a hit! Well over 1,000 attendee's, speakers and sponsors and more sessions than one person could experience.  You definitely need to bring your team to such an event with a plan to divide to conquer!

My key takeaway? Although Docker was definitely the "theme", it is still a buzzword that is carrying the Container ecosystem rapidly forward. The "rising tide that floats all boats"!  And of course, along with such disruptive "new" technology, a vortex's of confusion is created.

The interesting thing for me? All paths keep leading back to one point in history. Virtuozzo.


From the "History" pages of founders in this technology "Linux Containers is an ancient technology, going back to last century. Indeed it was 1999 when our engineers started adding bits and pieces of containers technology to Linux kernel 2.2. Well, not exactly "containers", but rather "virtual environments" at that time -- as it often happens with new technologies, the terminology was different (the term "container" was coined by Sun only five years later, in 2004)."

http://openvz.org/History
http://openvz.livejournal.com/49158.html

James Bottomley, CTO Odin Server Virtualization, presents Odin Virtuozzo strategy in this podcast from the OpenStack Summit 2015 event @ https://www.youtube.com/embed/iVbpPthrNO4

I CONTINUE to be impressed with Virtuozzo; Linux Containers, Virtual Machines and High Availability Storage in ONE product.  Very cool.

Study the History > SWSOFT-Virtuozzo-SUN-Parallels-OpenVZ-Odin-CRIU-Docker=Containers

NEW - Microsoft Hosting Provider Partner Community site

Microsoft Partner Community for Hosting and Cloud Services Providers
 
Cloud and Datacenter Solutions Hub + Solutions & Design Guidance

NEW Site! Your one stop for guidance on these solutions:

• IAAS
• Hosted Desktop
• Database as a service
• Infrastructure Design Guidance
• Private Cloud

@ http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/cloud/dn142895

The Cloud in 2014. Are you ready?

Businesses around the world, from the smallest SMB to the largest Enterprise, continue to embrace cloud computing and its many benefits. And this paradigm shift has no end in sight.

IT Solution Architects, Engineers and Developers must fully understand the technologies that form the foundation to these Cloud Services and be prepared to guide their employers/customers throughout the 21st Century.

Whether its Enterprise Data Centers providing ITaaS via Private Clouds, or incorporating the many flavors of Public Cloud Computing such as SaaS, PaaS, IaaS, CCMaaS and/or VoIPaaS offered by the worlds growing number of Service Providers, or fully outsourcing IT to a Cloud Services Provider, the future is being written today and those who are prepared will be valued!

Here are a few of the key players in this new paradigm of Cloud Computing and highlights of predictions for 2014.

10 Cloud Predictions For 2014 Compiled by CRN - It's A Cloud World!
http://www.crn.com/slide-shows/cloud/240165202/10-cloud-predictions-for-2014.htm

1. Bridging The Public-Private Divide (Federated Clouds are in the future!)
2. Hybrid Cloud (Virtualization Platforms and Standards are key for workload migrations and management!)
3. HIPAA Compliance
4. Billing Model Change
5. MSP To Cloud Adviser
6. More Cloud Marketing
7. More Small Businesses To The Cloud
8. Partnering For Scale (Host, Syndicate, Broker and/or Hybrid)
9. Increased Competition (for VARs/MSPs/Hosters/Service Providers)
10. Increased Demand For Managed Services

Cloud Scaling - evolving the Cloud in 2014:
http://www.cloudscaling.com/blog/cloud-computing/evolving-the-cloud-in-2014/

(1) No More IT as Usual

(2) OpenStack is Coming to an Enterprise IT Portfolio Near You

(3) Public Cloud is No Longer the Enemy

(4) Public Cloud Becomes the Default Backbone for Enterprise IoT

(5) Big Data Becomes the Leading Use Case for Hybrid Cloud

(6) Software Defined Everything Marches Forward

(7) Brands Become Open Platforms for Collaboration and Innovation

(8) Cloud spending will surge by 25%, reaching over $100B

Add an Ecwid e-commerce solution to your Web Presence! Ecwid used by over 375,000 retailers in 175 countries

Parallels Presence Builder solution now includes a revenue share program for Parallels service provider partners. More @ http://www.parallels.com/products/web-presence-builder/

With more and more small businesses adding e-commerce, Parallels is making it simple for partners to deliver a full-featured e-commerce solution that their merchants won’t outgrow.

Parallels Service Provider Partners Now Profit from Each Sale of Ecwid’s Add-on E-commerce Solution; New Version Also Adds Improved Integration, Mobile Responsive Design, Other Features

About Ecwid: Ecwid is a full-featured, cloud-based e-commerce platform that allows SMBs to create professional online stores and embed them into any existing web, mobile, or social site. Ecwid, available directly or through trusted partners, has over 375,000 registered merchants in 175 countries, and is available in 45 languages. A free plan is available. The Ecwid Facebook app is the leading shopping cart application on Facebook with over 40,000 Facebook stores globally used by more than 300,000 monthly active users.

With just a few clicks, merchants using Parallels Web Presence Builder can add a full-featured online store with Ecwid. By offering Ecwid’s solution, hosters who offer Parallels Web Presence Builder and Infrastructure Providers who attach Parallels Plesk Panel to leased servers, can increase profitability through add-on revenue and also reduce customer churn. Partners require no additional resources to integrate Ecwid, since it is embeddable and a fully hosted SaaS solution.
    
“Parallels Web Presence Builder helps shared hosters attract new SMB customers,” said John Zanni, vice president, Service Provider Marketing and Alliances at Parallels. “By partnering with Ecwid to provide a full-featured, integrated e-commerce solution, our partners now also have the potential to realize significant additional revenue per Web Presence Builder customer without any additional effort.”
    
“Parallels Web Presence Builder is a critical ally in reaching small businesses, and we are excited not only to provide additional features and ease of integration, but also to add increased revenue opportunity for Parallels SP partners,” says Jim O’Hara, president of Ecwid, Inc. "With more and more small businesses adding e-commerce, Parallels is making it simple for partners to deliver a full-featured e-commerce solution that their merchants won’t outgrow.”

Additional details @ http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20131024005774/en/Ecwid-Adds-Revenue-Sharing-Parallels-Web-Presence#.UtMZ5Xt3vb1

Facebook page @ https://apps.facebook.com/ecwid-shop/?fb_source=fbpage

Demo @ http://www.ecwid.com/demo-frontend.html

Add an online store in minutes! Ecwid Home Page @ http://www.ecwid.com/

The Canadian Cloud Council and The Cloud Factory technology conference

The Canadian Cloud Council (cCc) is excited to announce an organizational restructuring, new website (www.canadiancloudcouncil.ca) and two new initiatives: patronage opportunities and the The 400 collective.  More @ www.canadiancloudcouncil.ca

The Cloud Factory is a premiere enterprise technology conference to be held in the stunning resort town of Banff, Alberta, Canada on April 7 and 8, 2014. This conference will bring together senior enterprise executives, corporate M&A teams, venture capitalists, startups, industry disruptors, technology thought leaders and global media to discuss disruptive innovations in cloud computing, big data and enterprise technology.

Each day will focus on a distinct theme – Democratizing the Enterprise, and Growth Hacking the Enterprise – featuring keynote presentations, fireside chats, panel discussions, startup pitches, demo alleys and post-event excursions and activities. The conference will culminate in the first ever Canadian Cloud Awards dubbed as the Oscar’s of Cloud Computing.
The Cloud Factory is the biggest enterprise technology conference in the history of Canada and is not to be missed.

Registration @ http://thecloudfactory.io/

VMware Races Forward on Hybrid Cloud Management... announced a series of significant enhancements...

VMware announced a series of significant enhancements to their virtualization and cloud management products. Some of the highlights of the new VMware releases are posted/reviewed over @ WindowsITPro

• vCloud Automation Center 6.0—Changes to the vCloud Automation Center enables customers to create their own custom IT services. In addition, the 6.0 release introduces support for VMware's vCloud Hybrid Service. VMware's vCloud Automation Center 6.0 is included in the VMware vCloud Suite 5.5.
• vCenter Operations Management Suite 5.8—The updated vCenter Operations Management Suite 5.8 now provides enhanced performance monitoring for business critical applications including Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft SQL Server. In addition, vCenter Operations Management Suite 5.8 provides deeper visibility into applications running on Microsoft Hyper-V and Amazon Web Services. The vCenter Operations Management suite is included in the VCloud Suite 5.5
• vCenter Log Insight 1.5—The new vCenter Log Insight 1.5 product delivers real-time operational insights by monitoring log data from applications and combining it with data analytics of structured and unstructured data for end-to-end operations management. VMware's vCenter Log Insight is priced at $200 per operating system instance.
• VMware IT Business Management Suite—The new VMware IT Business Management Suite Standard Edition 1.0 is designed to help smaller and medium sized organizations understand the cost and consumption of their virtual infrastructure across private and public cloud environments. In addition, the VMware IT Business Management Suite Advanced and Enterprise Edition 8.0 provides integration with VMware IT Benchmarking, allowing enterprises to compare the cost of their services against industry peers and other similar companies. The VMware IT Business Management Suite Advanced and Enterprise Editions are licensed per user.
• vSphere Data Protection 5.5 Advanced—Based on EMC's Avamar data protection technology, VMware vSphere Data Protection 5.5 Advanced provides network-efficient backup, data replication, and integration with EMC Data Domain. The 5.5 release includes a new Microsoft SharePoint agent and automated backup verification. VMware vSphere Data Protection Advanced 5.5 is expected to be available in Q4 2013, and is priced at $1,095 per processor

What's Next For The Cloud? The Intercloud...

Interesting news announced by Joe Weinman's @ IEEE...

"The IEEE—”the world’s largest professional association for the advancement of technology,” and the one that standardized Ethernet (IEEE 802.3) and Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11)—has brought together industry and academia to help develop Intercloud standards as part of its Cloud Computing Initiative and today announced an effort intended to test those standards under real-world conditions.(Disclosure: I am the chairman of the IEEE Intercloud Testbed executive committee)"

http://www.forbes.com/sites/joeweinman/2013/10/08/whats-next-for-the-cloud-the-intercloud-2/

TOPHOSTS.com - Web Hosting Resource Since 1997

TopHosts.com is the complete Web hosting resource. It combines years of experience and technology to give small business owners, developers, Webmasters and e-commerce businesses the most comprehensive, up-to-date information and tools available to launch your Service Provider business and sustain it's profitable growth.

Web Host Industry Review (http://www.thewhir.com/reseller-web-hosting/) 

Web Hosting Sales and Promos Roundup – October 25, 2013

Picking an Online Backup Service

Check out a great site! Online Backup Reviews (www.OnlineBackupReviews.com) - Provides insight into the Online Backup market with assessment of emerging trends and in-depth exploration of industry participants and their products and services.

Research the latest news and developments in the Online Backup Industry, check out new Articles & Guides that provide fundamental knowledge required to make purchasing decisions, review the Top 25 List of the most successful online backup providers in the market with the best solutions available to consumers and businesses of all size's, check out Company Spotlights on leading solution providers making an impact in the Online Backup business world.

Online Backup Reviews (www.OnlineBackupReviews.com)

Parallels Containers for Windows Server 2012 for Highest Virtual Environment Density

Parallels Containers for Windows Server 2012 for Highest Virtual Environment Density

Cloud Computing Conference during National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) event:
NAB Event Cloud Computing Conference; Communications and Cable operators have struggled with Server and Data Center Consolidation projects due to the nature of their applications.  Parallels Containers for Windows provides the highest density per physical server and includes application isolation and control no other virtual environment solution can provide.

Parallels Containers for Windows 6.0 - Application Isolation & Control with the Highest Utilization of your Physical Compute & Storage Assets.  (Maximum Virtual Environment Density)

Parallels Containers for Windows is the highest density, lowest cost virtualization solution for Windows. Parallels Containers for Windows is uniquely suited to cloud server virtualization, enabling near instant provisioning and on-the-fly modification of hosting and cloud server plans. And now Parallels Containers for Windows can be deployed together with Parallels Cloud Server and Parallels Cloud Storage to provide high availability Windows cloud servers. 

How can a VAR or Managed Service Provider Resell an Amazon Web Services based backup solution?