Fujitsu steps up support for MSPs

Fujitsu has launched a managed services pilot programme that has been designed to deliver high levels of customised support to channel partners.

The firm is aiming to increase its involvement with those partners that already describe themselves as managed service providers (MSPs), as well as using the scheme to encourage more to take its products out to market as part of a services proposition.

The Managed Service Provider programme pilot will run for a year and the UK scheme is being mirrored in some other countries across Europe as the vendor continues to step up its commitment to the channel.

Paul Mclean, director of channel sales at Fujitsu, said it continued to make investments in the channel and wanted to increase the support for MSPs, having made some key hires to add to the depth in its own team.

“We want to build a partner ecosystem, and in order for us to do that it is a different way of operating [moving away from a purely product focused approach to increase services],” he said.

The emphasis on collaboration and customisation is the main highlight of the MSP programme, which promises partners the chance to co-create solutions with the vendor.

Leigh Schvartz, head of cloud and managed service provider offerings at Fujitsu UK & Ireland, said the channel was moving more to a service-based model and it saw co-creation as the key to success.

“We are supporting partners with individual service and support offerings,” he said, adding that the pilot was designed to make sure the programme was fit for the long term.

Schvartz added that there were opportunities for partners in helping customers manage applications and data, infrastructure and next-generation solutions.

With more users looking for help with digital transformation projects, the vendor would also be helping MSPs by developing products to help IT managers get a single view of their operations.

Fujitsu is looking at rolling out more products and services this year that lend themselves to an MSP approach, and Mclean said it was building on positive momentum from last year.

“In terms of profitable growth, it was fantastic in 2017 in the enterprise space, and we will invest and improve the portfolio. There was also growth in the storage business and we have seen success with our all-flash offering,” he said.

The plan is to significantly grow the indirect share of the product business, with the aim of taking it from the current levels of around 65% up to 90% in the next six quarters.

“We will continue to invest in the channel, with people and funds, and we are seeing growth with all three of our distributors,” he added.