Scale Computing, the hyperconverged solutions vendor, has launched an MSP programme with a new flexible pricing model that aims to reduce CapEx through a price per-node, per-month, OpEx subscription.
Created to boost partner profitability, says the company, the extended programme will also enable partners to sell additional services on top of Scale's HC3 appliances that meet growing customer requirements around disaster recovery-as-a-service (DRaaS), infrastructure as-a-service (IaaS) and remote management as-a-service (RMMaaS).
Jeff Ready (pictured), CEO at Scale Computing, said: “We are committed to working with the channel in a true partnership, and our updated programme is a reflection of this as we strive to enable our partners to maintain a competitive advantage. The market is dynamic, and channel partners need to adapt to meet new challenges and customer requirements. There is growth in value-add services, our updated programme enables partners to offer a differentiated service.”
Michelle Catterall, business development director at Neuways, part of the Neustro Group in the UK, said: “Scale Computing is perfectly aligned to meet many of our growing customer requirements, and with the new added ability to offer an OpEx-based pricing model the technology not only suits IT needs, but is now also more flexible in deployment.”
US-headquartered Scale Computing integrates storage, servers and virtualisation software into an all-in-one appliance-based system that is “scalable, self-healing and as easy to manage as a single server”.
- Aad Dekkers, marketing director, EMEA at Scale Computing tells IT Europa that this move will allow very flexible pricing for MSPs and others who want to be able to supply systems with a monthly charge rather than upfront payment. The company remains 100% channel, working through distribution to address the active SMB market.
“We see much more success and many opportunities using this model. Increasingly, the partners are moving to managed services; I would say that most are on a hybrid model now,“ he says. The hosting could be on their own data centres or using cloud. But the need remains, particularly in Europe for local services offered locally and supplying on a SaaS basis means customers being able to pay for the functions as delivered on a fixed term contract.
“They will buy or lease the hardware, perhaps from a distributor, and making the software and services component a revenue-payment item makes sense.” There is some flexibility in how the hardware is priced as well, so resellers can maximise returns.
He sees a lot of growth in the remote working, branch or edge computing environment: “we are seeing strong growth with customers who are highly distributed, especially in remote locations.”
VMware seems to be a particular target, where virtualised customers are finding it cheaper to move to Scale because of the high costs of licence renewal: “We have cases where the customers find it cheaper to replace existing infrastructure than renew with VMware or Microsoft hypervisors. And of course that means more return for the partner, especially when seen as a trusted advisor,” he concludes.
With a message of being simpler to manage and offering better returns, Scale Computing is still actively recruiting partners in EMEA.
