Your profitability in the cloud has been a priority for the Microsoft Partner Network for the past few years. Earlier this year, we began releasing new IDC research commissioned by Microsoft as a series of eBooks about the modern Microsoft partner. And, in response to requests from partners to provide them with deeper guidance about building a profitable cloud practice, the US Partner Team now has the cloud ready initiative, built in collaboration with the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Group and Microsoft partner Meylah.
Over the past three months, we have engaged more than 300 US partners in the cloud ready initiative, and helped them identify about $18 million in cloud-based revenue.
Defining the cloud ready business
What does it mean to have a cloud ready business? It means that your business has the ability to attract new customers and generate recurring revenue by offering solutions and services that scale easily to meet customer demand.
Cloud ready partners create and sell more packaged offerings and services, with ISV solutions included. For ISV partners, cloud readiness includes offering a partner program that provides margins to partners such as managed services providers and systems integrators, companies that can help drive new monthly recurring revenue streams.
Assess your cloud readiness
The new Cloud Ready Business Toolkit includes a 15-minute assessment that provides you with a report card. This assessment will help you identify areas to invest resources and budget, and provide you with a 100-day action plan so you can start winning cloud customers.
All of the partners we have worked with so far in our cloud ready initiative started their cloud transformation journey by taking the assessment. I encourage you to take that first step too.
Take the cloud ready assessment at aka.ms/iamcloudready
Cloud ready at WPC 2016
If you’re attending WPC in Toronto, take the assessment and bring your report card with you to discuss your results.
Attend session US04, Building a #cloudready business
Join Karen Fassio and me for this session on Tuesday at 1:00PM or Wednesday at 1:00PM and learn how to incorporate managed services, build and package your IP, and partner with ISVs to capitalize on the cloud opportunity.
The session will include a panel with partners Invitix, Meylah, and SkyKick,who will share their insights about how they made the transition to the cloud, the roadblocks they experienced, and how they are helping partners transform their business.
Add session US04 to your schedule in Connect
Meet the #cloudready consultants in the US Regional Lounge
In the US Regional Lounge, Karen, our partner panelists, and I will be available to talk about your cloud ready assessment results. Bring your report card and meet us during these hours:
- Monday: 11:30AM–12:30PM and 3:00PM–4:30PM
- Tuesday: 11:30AM–12:30PM and 2:30PM–3:30PM
- Wednesday: 11:00AM–12:00PM
I encourage you to review the Cloud Ready Business Toolkit, take the assessment, and use your results and action plan to identify your opportunities for business growth in the cloud. If you haven’t downloaded the Modern Microsoft Partner eBooks, those are also essential resources for every partner.
- Review the Cloud Ready Business Toolkit
- Take the cloud ready assessment
- Download the Modern Microsoft Partner eBooks
Share your plans about building your #cloudready business with me by email at sharonl@microsoft.com, Twitter (@whatsup_sharon), LinkedIn, and Yammer.
