Today we’re announcing a global Reseller Program that enables IT solution providers to offer Syncplicity Business Edition directly to their customers. Customers who choose to can now work with their trusted IT solution providers as they migrate file management to the cloud with Syncplicity. Our channel partners will have an opportunity to build a business around cloud computing, benefiting from a new source of recurring revenue by adding Syncplicity to their product offerings.
File Management in the Cloud and the Channel
We’ve heard from many customers who want to migrate to the cloud with the help of their IT solution providers. We’ve also heard from hundreds of you in the channel that Syncplicity is a natural fit. Migrating file management to the cloud saves customers money and solves a long list of file management challenges that on-premise solutions don’t.
The channel has always played a role in providing file management solutions to businesses, so it makes sense that we’re seeing IT solution providers who are developing expertise in cloud-based file management. What we’re hearing in our own business tracks with broader trends we’re seeing in the market. File management solutions are used by every organization and make up a multi-billion dollar industry today. These solutions are historically deployed behind the firewall with some combination of file servers, backup solutions, desktops, point solutions and other IT infrastructure. These on-premise solutions often don’t meet the needs of today’s reality, where the Internet has become a part of the corporate network and islands of corporate data live on users’ computers, mobile devices, file servers behind the firewall, and in cloud services such as Google Apps.
Users just want things to work without having to do extra work: files synced and secure across all their devices, data backed up and never lost, files accessible anytime and from anywhere, and an easy way to share files and collaborate with colleagues. IT has a different set of needs: to secure and protect the company’s data assets at the right cost, to provide users with the tools and support they need to do their jobs and to have a set of tools to easily manage all this across teams or company-wide. These requirements are driving companies to seek file management solutions in the cloud. Cloud computing is growing this year at 40%, faster than virtually any other sector of the software industry.
IDG forecasts that 75% of all businesses either are today or will in the next five years be deploying enterprise-worthy cloud and SaaS solutions. Gartner says that 20% of all companies will have no physical IT assets in favor of the cloud by next year. So it’s natural that customers want the help of their IT solution providers in making this migration and it’s clear that the channel has a vital role to play.
The Opportunity for Channel Partners
I’m very excited at the success our early charter reseller partners have seen, from the US to Spain, the UK to Australia:
"Every demonstration we have held of Syncplicity with our customers has resulted in a sale. Our clients now expect continuous online backup and file sharing without user interaction. The push-button backup is dead. Syncplicity answers these customer needs and more with their full file management, sync and back-up solution.” - Simpleweb
“Our customers demand secure, universal access to their information from wherever they are, coupled with an easy way to share files and back up data. The old solution of corporate file servers is no longer viable as companies look for a better, less costly answer that leverages cloud computing. Syncplicity has the right cloud-based file management solution, and is a great complement to our Google Apps deployments. Within weeks of becoming a Syncplicity Reseller, we were able to sign up our first customers.” - Cloudpeople
With no upfront hardware or software investments, customers are able to see the value of the service immediately. Our charter resellers are generally setting up their customers with free 30-day trials within a week or two of signing up, and to date every one of those trials has resulted in a production deployment of Syncplicity Business Edition. Business Edition is turn-key, and can either work with or replace existing IT infrastructure depending on what a customer wants, making it simple to deploy in any type of environment.
Our goal with the program is to ensure the success of our channel partners as they work with their customers. We’ve been talking to IT solution providers over the past year to understand the tools they need to best serve their customers, as well as their shifting business model as they incorporate SaaS offerings into their businesses. A unique Reseller Console allows partners to provision free trials for customers, convert trials to subscriptions, place new orders, handle renewals, manage customer accounts, and access resources.
A remote administrative console within Syncplicity Business Edition gives IT solution providers the tools they need to be as involved as the customer wants them to be in the company’s ongoing file management. For more information about our announcement today please see our press release which includes highlights from the program. For full details on the new program or to apply, visit www.syncplicity.com/reseller/.
