Channel Trend: Partnering with DaaS Providers

Cloud adoption rates are increasing, and for good reason. Cloud based applications allow organizations to shift labor and time intensive app management to a third party vendor; cloud solutions offer more affordable and reliable disaster recovery; and users can access their data and applications from anywhere. With these compelling drivers, it’s no wonder that the channel has eagerly embraced cloud solutions and services to meet customer demands.

With the sharp rise of cloud services, there’s one vital area that’s been largely overlooked: the desktop. The desktop, in the broad sense meaning how someone accesses their applications and documents, is the glue that renders cloud solutions usable. Without a desktop (be it a laptop, PC, tablet or smartphone), you can’t access the cloud at all. Cloud delivered desktops offer the channel another tool in their toolbox and a way to get deeper into a client’s tech stack and needs. By extended services to the desktop, agents can better understand what applications are business critical and get a glimpse into what is driving an organization forward and where it’s focused. This allows agents to make a deeper connection to the application layer and better position their services.

Why Cloud Delivered Desktops

RightScale’s 2017 State of the Cloud Report found that 95% of survey respondents are using the cloud in some capacity, with 85% running a multi-cloud strategy. Clearly companies are no longer hesitant to adopt cloud solutions. At the same time, BYOD (bring your own device) is a growing trend (74% of companies have or are planning a BYOD strategy) and more than half of the workforce is predicted to work remotely by 2020.

These two converging trends create a new challenge: Ensuring all of these cloud solutions plus any necessary legacy applications function on an ever increasing range of devices and locations. (Not to mention the security implications caused by this widening data-access footprint.)

Cloud deliver desktops (also known as virtual desktops or desktop as a service) capitalize on these trends by offering a cloud-based solution that allows all necessary applications to function flawlessly regardless of the specific endpoint device. Because the desktop is virtual, data is also protected. With virtual desktops, data is stored in the cloud instead of on a personal device where it can be lost, stolen or compromised by poorly maintained antimalware and antivirus or bad personal cybersecurity habits (like clicking a link in an email from someone you don’t know).

Where Channel Can Capitalize on Cloud Delivered Desktops

As the channel begins to pivot to subscription-based cloud solutions, cloud delivered desktops allow agents to sell deeper. Agents and VARs can sell applications and now the endpoint that delivers those applications.

Being able to follow a customer’s need to this deeper level offers sellers a more in depth understanding of the client’s real needs, which can lead to discovering additional challenges and opportunities. You can also be sure that just about any application the client needs will be supported by the virtual desktop, especially when coupled with virtual application streaming.

Choosing the Right DaaS Partner

To maintain a good relationship, you ideally want to sell a service you can stand behind. This is particularly critical when working with virtual desktops. Early versions of virtual desktops infrastructure (VDI) and the resulting experience left many IT and business professionals with a sour impression of the technology. But as anyone who remembers life before the smartphone can tell you, technology can advance rapidly and what was once science fiction can become reality in a matter of years.

But some perceptions still linger, especially if internal teams have had bad experiences with specific providers such as Citrix. To avoid selling a service that disappoints, spend some time getting to know the industry and partner with a company that focuses exclusively on providing high performance virtual desktops.

Here are a few helpful resources to help you learn about cloud delivered desktops:

• It’s Time to Revisit VDI
• Virtual Desktop Playbook
• How Dizzion Solves Top DaaS & VDI Complaints

Working with a partner that aligns with your customers and expertise is also important. In a Channel Partners Online article earlier this year Margie Sims, VP of Sales at Dizzion, recommend VARs smoothly and successfully transition to supporting cloud offerings by specializing in a particular industry. This will allow the agent to become an expert in that field and make solid recommendations.

Agents and VARs that opt to dig into highly regulated industries like healthcare and finance services will find a particularly good partner in Dizzion. Our focus on creating a highly secure solution coupled with our independently audited and verified PCI and HIPAA compliant solutions make Dizzion an ideal expert partner for organizations concerned with data security and compliance.

Jumping on this Channel Trend

Virtual desktops and desktop as a service (DaaS) are beginning to gain attention – the market is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 11% through 2021. This represents a promising new line of revenue for channel with VARs and agents willing to adopt this innovative solution. The key is to understand its top use cases and benefits and partner with a service provider who will supply a reliable product and the support needed for continued education and mutual deals.

Interested in becoming a Dizzion Channel Partner? Download the Dizzion Prospective Partner Guide to learn more!

You may also like:

• Making the Business Case for Virtual Desktops
• Which “As a Service” Platform is Right for You?
• 29 Stats That Prove End User Computing is Changing