D&H Distributing Co., of Harrisburg, Pa., has launched a self-service cloud marketplace for its SMB partners.
The new platform, which has been live since September 23rd, enables small business resellers to earn monthly annuities on a menu of cloud-based solutions that includes Microsoft Office 365. D&H plans to augment that menu with additional storage, backup, and security services over the months ahead.
“The Cloud Marketplace is a new business archetype for D&H, incorporating our SMB-centric approach,” said Peter DiMarco, D&H’s vice president of VAR sales, in a press statement. “It’s a versatile and robust transactional platform through which resellers can pick and choose what services they want to offer, track those services on a monthly basis, and consolidate billing all in one place.”
The new portal is accompanied by extensive support offerings, available both online and via D&H’s in-house team of cloud solutions specialists.
“D&H can deliver a consultative model that larger competitors typically can’t accommodate,” said DiMarco in the press release. “For a solution provider working in the SMB space, that can be the differentiator that drives them to offer new and potentially lucrative sales models.”
Users of D&H’s new cloud portal will have access to migration services as well via BitTitan Inc., a provider of cloud enablement and managed services automation services based in Kirkland, Wash.
“D&H Distributing is uniquely positioned to provide the tools and resources necessary for IT service providers in the SMB sector to succeed in the cloud,” said Lon Clark, alliance manager at BitTitan, in the press release. “By teaming up with D&H Distributing, we are fulfilling their cloud migration offering and concurrently providing guidance and assistance to VARs and MSPs looking to enter the marketplace.”
D&H plans to provide educational offerings to cloud partners at trade events and via its Solutions Lab training portal, and also offers resellers a customizable hosted services marketing brochure at no charge through its online marketing resource library.
The latest major distributor to offer a cloud computing marketplace, D&H joins a list of competitors that includes SYNNEX, Ingram Micro, and Tech Data. The new service comes at an opportune moment just days after Microsoft ceased paying commissions on sales of new cloud service subscriptions to members of its Online Services Advisor program. That policy change is designed to drive partners who wish to continue earning recurring revenue from Microsoft cloud offerings into the company’s Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program.
“We’re proud to support D&H in delivering its Cloud Marketplace model to our mutual resellers in the small business space,” said Jon Strausburg, Microsoft’s CSP cloud sales director. “D&H is well prepared to provide tailored support to resellers seeking to expand their revenues through cloud-based services. We’re confident that D&H will deliver the resources these resellers require, and can’t always find elsewhere.”
