intm cloud insights pack
TRANSCRIPT
2014
IntermediaCloud Insights
9.00 Registration and Breakfast
9.30 Welcome and IntroductionHost: Aidan Simister, Sales Director EMEA, Intermedia
9.45 Keynote: The Channel Meets the CloudSpeaker: Neil Cattermull, Director, Compare the Cloud
Presentation Overview: This session will discuss the advantages of Channel partnerships for Cloud Managed Services, the future for Cloud Computing as a Commodity and the importance of the right partner selection. Additionally, future technologies that will grow your business will also be presented, from a global perspective.
10.15 Keynote: a media perspective Speaker: Simon Quicke, Microscope, editor
Presentation Overview: Everyone is being told that they need to move to the cloud. There have been acres of news print spent sharing that view and plenty of people happy to paint a picture of a future of managed services and different relationships between partner and customer.
What has been the impact of the hype? What have been the mistakes made and where in the channel have there been examples of good practices? Between the headlines and wall of noise there can be little doubt that the world is changing and cloud needs to be taken seriously by everyone in the channel.
10.45 Keynote: Cloud computing - partnering for tactical or strategic reasons? Speaker: Clive Longbottom, Founder and Research Director, Quocirca
Presentation Overview: Cloud computing has raised issues for many in the channel. The possibility of disintermediation by the cloud operators and a need to change existing capital, licence and maintenance commissioning models toward a more subscription based approach is seen as threatening by many. However, there are cloud operators who understand that they cannot be the whole offer; those who know that they need the extra skills and capabilities that a trusted channel partner can offer. This session will take a look at why the channel should embrace cloud computing - and why this should be for strategic, long-term reasons.
11.15 Morning Break
11.45 Reality of the Cloud opportunity: partner commentary
12.15 Networking Lunch
13.15 Keynote: Quick Start to Profitable Partnering in the CloudSpeaker: Tracy Pound, CompTIA Faculty Managing Director, Maximity
Presentation Overview: This session provides attendees with best practices for getting more out of vendor relationships, including structuring business operations, goal setting and business planning, managing relationships with channel account managers, and investing in ven-dor relationship development. Understand channel pain points and recognize the major pitfalls and opportunities of picking the right partner. Attendees will also get access to the Quick Start to Profitable Partnering Guide.
13.45 Keynote: Cloud Business Opportunities Ready for the TakingSpeaker: Aidan Simister, Sales Director EMEA, Intermedia
Presentation Overview: This session will cover what VARs and MSPs need to focus on to maximise the opportunity the Cloud presents. Find out how you can transition your business operations to move to a services based approach - including new techniques to selling cloud versus on premise, and identifying those buyers who share the right values. The session will address the top five concerns end users have about the cloud, supported with practical steps on how to overcome them. And by using Intermedia’s cloud services portfolio you can be up and running quickly and immediately start to profit using the Cloud.
14.15 Panel Discussion: Review of the Day and Key Takeaways Moderator: Clive Longbottom, Founder and Research Director, Quocirca
15.00 Afternoon Break
15.30 Making it Happen: 1:1 Meetings/Networking
17.00 Close
Agenda
About the speakersNeil Cattermull, Director, Compare the CloudCompare the Cloud are a niche marketing and consultancy agency that services the Cloud marketplace, and only the Cloud marketplace. Each staff member has over 15 years of IT industry knowledge and understanding which ranges from Datacentre formation and operations, Managed Services Provisioning, SME business to business (B2B) channel formation, IT Business Development Advisory to ISV/ASP marketing and public relations. Compare the Clouds’ approach is very unique, in so much to say that they understand the technology for Cloud environments to an in-depth degree, and often become the Cloud trusted advisors for many SME and large cap technology firms.
Simon Quicke, Editor, MicroscopeSimon Quicke is the editor of MicroScope. He Graduated in Politics and Government, before pursuing a career in Journalism, where he took further study and gained a PG Diploma in Newspaper Journalism and an MA is Historical Research. He has been a journalist involved in covering the channel for over 15 years and has witnessed many changes during that time and is in a good position to comment on the channel’s continual ability to adapt and survive.
Clive Longbottom, Founder and Research Director, Quocirca LtdClive Longbottom is founder of Quocirca and is a highly respected and globally recognised industry analyst, covering a range of business and technology areas.
Clive’s primary coverage area is business process facilitation. Here, Clive covers the need for companies to understand their core processes across their value chains, and the technologies that should be used to facilitate them in the most flexible and effective manner. Clive also brings an understanding of how the collision of existing and emerging technologies requires
full business involvement to decide on the best direction forward for an organisation’s current and future needs. Like all Quocirca analysts, Clive believes technology is never a solution in itself.
Tracy Pound, CompTIA Faculty, Managing Director, MaximityTracy set up Maximity in 2000 and specialises in helping companies use their systems to full advantage and get accurate and timely information out of systems to analyse in order to run their businesses successfully and make solid business decisions. Tracy is a CompTIA Trustmark+ certified consultant, an Accredited Assessor, and a qualified Sage 50 Product Specialist.
Tracy has trained in excess of 3000 individuals across more than 70 different companies ranging from sole traders to multi-national organisations and has assisted over 30 companies with consultancy and project management work. She has additionally provided consultancy under Government funding via the Chamber of Commerce to provide free IT advice and support to local businesses and has also delivered work under Business Link’s Director Development Programme. Tracy is a PRINCE2 registered practitioner, a Member of the Chartered Management Institute and a Fellow of the Institute of Consultants.
Aidan Simister, Sales Director EMEA, IntermediaAidan has more than 17 years’ experience in the IT industry, with in-depth knowledge ranging from taking new technologies to market to driving new business growth through both direct and indirect channels. In this role, he will be looking to recruit VARs, SIs and MSPs to increase market adoption of Intermedia services in the UK.
Aidan has previously held sales and business development management positions at organisations including Netwrix, Access Information Security and Sophos.
ExhibitorsCompare the Cloud is the UK’s first and only dedicated cloud service comparison website. Because we only represent the cloud marketplace our website is unique. Compare the Cloud champions the adoption and value of cloud computing to businesses. It helps companies select services and providers best suited to their needs.
CompTIA is the voice of the world’s IT industry. As a non-profit trade association, they enable IT professionals and IT channel organisations to be more successful through education, certification, events and webinars and offer an array of additional services to members.
Quocirca is an independent firm of industry analysts meeting the demand of providing information to help the end user find their way through the ever-changing world of emerging, evolving and maturing technologies. Quocirca’s output is available free to all from its web site http://www.quocirca.com
MicroScope launched in 1982 to cover the birth pangs of the channel and has since followed the industry as it has matured and grown. The publication has contributed to and led debate in the industry, and the knowledge it has of the channel is second to none. MicroScope retains its commitment to objective reporting and informed analysis to maintain its position as the essential read for anyone working in the channel, and the number one news resource for computer resellers and suppliers.
Synaxon is the UK’s leading channel services dealer group. We help IT resellers and office products resellers buy better, sell more and reduce costs. We work with our members and with vendor and distributor partners to open up new routes to market, streamline purchasing processes and drive effective sales and marketing activity for the whole channel. In doing so, we help all our members and supplier partners to do more business and protect their margins.
We provide flexible, affordable and dedicated marketing resource for IT channel businesses needing help with strategy and planning, or an experienced pair of hands to deliver projects to increase revenue.
Cloud Telephones is a telecoms and connectivity wholesaler for Gamma BT,O2 and Talk Talk with its own white label billing engine offering lifetime recurring income and complete online transparency. Supported by excellent account management and innovative marketing programmes to drive resellers sales.
All brand names and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
About IntermediaIntermedia is a global one-stop shop for cloud business applications. Its Office in the Cloud™ suite integrates the essential IT services that SMBs need to do business, including email, file sync and share, single sign-on, security, mobility, archiving and more. Office in the Cloud goes beyond unified communications to encompass a much wider breadth of fundamental IT services, all delivered by a single provider.
Think of Office in the Cloud as your “Business Cloud Platform.” Intermedia’s services are integrated into its HostPilot®
Control Panel. There’s just one login, one password, one bill and one source of support, which creates significant cross-service efficiencies for both users and IT administrators. Intermedia offers enterprise-grade security, a 99.999% service level agreement and 24/7 phone support with typical hold times of less than 60 seconds.
Intermedia serves over 60,000 businesses and has more than 5,000 active partners, including VARs, MSPs, telcos and cable companies. Its award-winning Partner Program lets partners sell under their own brand with full control over billing, pricing and every other element of their customer relationships. Intermedia is the world’s largest independent provider of hosted Exchange.
Intermedia has over 600 employees worldwide who manage ten datacenters to power its Office in the Cloud—and who work relentlessly to assure customers and partners of a Worry-free Experience™.
