Programme

8.30 Registration

 

9.25 Chairman's welcome: Sara Yirrell, editor, CRN

 

9.30 Five tips for choosing the right cloud partner

As basic as this might sound, it really is an ongoing issue within the industry. Choosing the right business partner can be a tedious process, but in the long term, it will help resellers avoid unpleasant surprises.

  • Do you know what questions to ask before signing an agreement?
  • How can you make the most of the provider's experience?
  • Is it a win-win situation? What are you offering the cloud vendor, besides larger access to the market?
  • How do you distinguish yourself from other cloud resellers?

Andy Burton, Chairman, Cloud Industry Forum & CEO, Fasthosts

Download Andy's presentation here

 

10.00 Why the cloud forecast is great news

Increasing numbers of organisations are moving their IT solutions from traditional models to embrace the Cloud and take advantage of the many benefits such a move provides.

  • What are the current and future challenges facing IT in a changing environment?
  • How can Cloud Computing solutions address these challenges?
  • What economic benefits can organisations expect to gain through the Cloud and how flexible and scalable can those solutions be?

Bill Strain, Director, Westcoastcloud

 

10.30 Managing security in the cloud

One of the biggest challenges for businesses nowadays is to find enough storage space to hold all the data they have acquired. The cloud storage seems to be the answer to their problems.

  • Is this a 'one size fits us all' solution or can it be customised to your business needs? If yes, what are the cost implications?
  • Are you prepared to discuss with your partner about security measures? How private is a cloud?

Nigel Beighton, VP of Technology, Rackspace Hosting

 

11.00 Coffee and Networking

 

11.30 Understanding resellers' new role in the cloud

As the IT industry moves into a virtual space, resellers should redefine their whole business model, but do they understand their new position and responsibilities?

  • There are different ways resellers can get involved in the cloud channel, but how do you know where to start?
  • How can you identify the role that best suits you?
  • How will you deliver, maintaining a compelling service and a good pricing structure?

Chris Gabriel, Marketing and Solutions Director, Logicalis

Download Chris' presentation here


12.00 Challenging your sales team to embrace a new approach

Selling a cloud model takes more time and has less contract value. Your team is selling a service, not a product, so it is goodbye to instant results and upfront commission - you are looking at a much longer term investment.

  • Is it clear what a successful sales model looks like?
  • How will you get the right balance between the 2 different sales models (product-based vs subscription-based)?
  • What is the impact of this transition on your cash-flow?

David McLeman, Managing Director, Ancoris

Download David's presentation here

 

12.30 Lunch and Networking

 

13.30 Close

 

 

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