Microsoft Leads Vendors in Cloud Partnership
Say what you will about Microsoft being a laggard in the cloud computing era. Say what you will about the structure of Microsoft’s channel programs in the cloud. Say what you will about how competitors are leading Microsoft in cloud services and technology.
It doesn’t matter.
In a new research report by the Cloud & Technology Transformation Alliance (CTTA), solution providers give Microsoft top marks for partnership in cloud computing.
>> CLICK HERE to see the full list of best IT vendors to partner with in the cloud
Of the 419 solution providers and telephony agents surveyed by CTTA, Microsoft earned top marks by 28 percent and clearly topped the field of vendors by more than 6 points.
The survey provided participants with a list of suggested vendors that provide a variety of cloud computing services, software-as-a-service, infrastructure products and support.
The closest rival to Microsoft is Google, which is plying the channel with Google Apps and infrastructure services in competition with Microsoft’s Office 365 and Windows Azure. Google earned 22.1 percent share of the survey responses.
Rounding out the top three VMware (21.7 percent), the virtualization vendor forming the underlying technology that makes cloud computing and data center optimization possible.
Microsoft has taken a lot of heat from channel partners for its various channel initiatives, particularly in SaaS. Microsoft is often criticized for offering partners slim margins and limited after-market revenue-generating opportunities.
Microsoft isn’t alone in garnering such criticism from channel partners. The CTTA survey finds channel partners remain stymied in understanding the cloud business model and how to generate profits through private, hybrid and cloud services.
However, it may be Microsoft’s long record of being channel-centric and the fact that most vendors are still trying to figure their way into the cloud channel that are working in Microsoft’s favor.
CTTA will release the full results of its 2012 State of the Cloud Channel survey at the Channel Partners Conference and CTTA Summit March 27-29 in Las Vegas.
>> CLICK HERE to register for the conference
>> CLICK HERE to see the full list of best IT vendors to partner with in the cloud
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