By Trisha Leon
Source: CompTIA
CompTIA’s guide, “Accelerating Your Cloud Business a Practical Guide for Solution Providers,” explains how businesses can take advantage of opportunities in the cloud. Because solutions providers have gained their clients’ trust and have knowledge of their needs, they are in an excellent position to help their clients choose the best cloud options.
In building your cloud-based business, CompTIA suggests asking the following questions:
- Have you defined your business model and set metrics to track its progress? Having clear focus will allow solutions providers to set themselves apart. CompTIA lists business models that are broad enough to retain flexibility yet achieve focus that builds identity: Cloud Designer & Builder, Cloud Reseller, and Cloud Service Provider.
- Have you created and expressed to the market a new proposition based on your expertise? It is important that solutions providers offer application or vertical expertise in the form of services or support.
- Are you maintaining an expert staff? Providing sales and technical training and hiring to a new profile help support an overall cloud strategy.
- Do you focus on customer advocacy, add unique value to cloud services, and help customers decide between on or off premises options? Knowing the customer and helping them to make the right decision are the jobs of the solutions provider. They must be familiar with all the cloud options available—public, private, or hybrid—and assist their clients in choosing the one that fits best. Knowing their needs—email, BYOD, client-server business communications, and phone systems—is key in assessing their needs.
Ultimately, a focused plan and investments in employees, partnerships, and time, building playbooks, measuring success, and delivering unique services will lead to a successful cloud-based business.
In addition, CompTIA advises, stay aware of players and business models that are continually being added. Keeping up can be daunting; however, knowing the players in the cloud is essential. Here are six major groups to become familiar with:
- Cloud Service Providers. Companies like Amazon Web Services and Google that provide infrastructure or platforms to users. These can be potential partners or competition.
- Technology Vendor Cloud Providers. Integrated technology firms like Dell or HP that provide cloud services to end users and also provide anyone who wants to become get into the cloud game the technology to do so. CompTIA points out these can be a good first step to setting up a cloud-based business.
- SaaS Providers. Software firms that have added the cloud as a delivery model or who have designed software specifically to be delivered in the cloud. Microsoft 365 and Google Docs are examples. With firms such as these, service-heavy providers can add value vertically and through application expertise.
- Cloud Aggregators. Companies that distribute cloud services, serving as an intermediary between cloud providers and others.
- End Users. Customers who use cloud services but who could also become providers themselves.
- Channel Players. This is where solutions providers fit in. The terms cloud agent, cloud broker, cloud reseller, or cloud developer apply. These firms of all sizes add value with unique expertise.
Leave a Reply