VMware encouraging more managed services sales

VMware is introducing a number of prescriptive offers that it hopes will help partners increase their managed services sales.

The vendor has cut the ribbon on its Cross-Cloud managed services offering, which is a reaction to growing customer demand for external providers to step in and help ease their skills shortages by delivering a range of IT services.

The plan is for VMware to offer a number of verified service offerings that target a range of customer needs. These will be delivered by partners and supported by the vendor’s go-to-market, sales and support motions.

The options include Cross-Cloud managed services for hybrid cloud, native public cloud and modern apps.  

Those that sign up will get access to a range of benefits and have the chance to earn the VMware Cross-Cloud managed services badge, which will show they are authorised to sell the verified offers.

“With our global ecosystem of VMware Cross-Cloud managed service providers, we will help customers to evolve from cloud chaos to cloud smart, while achieving outcomes faster,” said Zia Yusuf, senior vice-president of strategic ecosystem and industry solutions at VMware.

“VMware Cross-Cloud managed services is yet another example of how we will empower partners to expand and grow their VMware businesses while collaborating to help customers implement a cloud-smart strategy that accelerates their digital transformation.”

The vendor is promising a range of benefits for those that get behind the Cross-Cloud effort, with the option for badged partners to earn up to 40% more rewards for providing assessments and proof of concepts, and up to 100% more than non-badged partners for deployment services.

The vendor has also indicated that there will be robust deal protection on software-as-a-service (SaaS)-related sales.

The vendor shared reactions to the plan from a number of alliance and channel partners, with it clear that most saw the potential for adding more offerings to their MSP portfolio.

“With VMware Cross-Cloud managed services, we will expand our MSP portfolio to provide flexible and easy-to-consume services for our multicloud customers, accelerating their journey from cloud chaos to cloud smart,” said Gavin Jolliffe, CEO of Xtravirt, who echoed the views of many.

“The new prescriptive VMware Cross-Cloud managed services will also make it easier for us to align the best VMware services with well-defined and critical challenges we see our customers facing every day. This will accelerate their time to value,” he added.

VMware has been keen to encourage its channel towards SaaS and subscription sales, and last month unveiled an enhanced version of its Partner Connect programme that rewards those that offer customers more flexibility.