Cross Channel: VMware Cloud Opportunities And Canon Partner Apprenticeships

Welcome to Cross Channel, a weekly round up of the most pertinent stories from our sister site ChannelBiz, where you can find out all the latest developments, views and strategies from the world of the channel.

VMware trumpets partner opportunities from cloud

VMware is promising more business for its partners as a result of its hybrid cloud tie-in with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and the launch of new cloud services, unveiled at this week’s VMworld customer and partner conference in Barcelona.

The move follows confirmation that VMware would be working closely with AWS to allow its virtualisation software customers to easily move and process their on-premise workloads in the AWS public cloud.

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Canon launches print apprentice scheme with its partners

Canon launched its Partner Apprenticeship Programme, designed to support channel partners address the industry skills gap whilst providing young people with attractive career opportunities.

Working in collaboration with CompTIA, the IT industry trade association, Canon has designed a programme of training, on-the-job experience and a professional certification.

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Ingram offers Azure to resellers via cloud marketplace

Ingram Micro added Microsoft Azure in the UK to the Ingram Micro Cloud Marketplace, the automated cloud services platform that allows partners to purchase, provision, manage and invoice cloud technology.

Ingram Micro partners can now offer Azure in a flexible consumption-based, pay-as-you-go pricing model through the Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) programme.

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VMware warns channel digital transformation laggards

VMware warned the channel to pick up its ideas around digital transformation and meeting the needs of customers, otherwise see the business opportunities snatched by the consulting companies who are moving down the food chain.

Phil Croxford, director of alliances and channels for the UK and Ireland at VMware, told ChannelBiz at this week’s VMworld conference in Barcelona: “In the digital transformation sphere organisations need help through partners, as many are simply stranded. But many in the channel are not moving fast enough to get the right expertise in to help them. Consulting firms such as PWC are creating regional businesses to move in and fill the vacuum. Traditional channel players are getting their lunch eaten by these system integrators and they need to do something about it.”

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