South African technology distributor First Distribution is hoping to take advantage in the booming market for cloud computing services by launching a new “cloud brokerage” called First for Cloud.
The company, which has already established itself as a distributor of data centre and enterprise solutions, plans to open up access to established cloud providers, which include Attix5, Google, Kaspersky, Microsoft, Oracle, Pamoja, Symantec and VMware.
First Distribution cloud and hosting business unit manager Kevin Derman says First for Cloud aggregates the world’s best global and local cloud services into a single marketplace.
First Distribution MD Debbie Abrahall says cloud adopters are already outperforming the competition and, in general, are delivering higher revenue and greater margins than their peers. “End users are beginning to expect and demand cloud services, and businesses that don’t provide these are starting to lag behind.”
First for Cloud is a Web store that operates in a layer between cloud vendors and private enterprises, integrating various services on one platform and making it easier for businesses to administer these.
The Web store is a white-labelled solution that gives resellers the ability to select which services they want to make available to their clients via their own branded Web presence.
“One of First for Cloud’s most important features is its centralised, detailed billing platform,” says Derman. “This means greater simplicity, transparency and control for both resellers and their end-user customers.”
Derman adds that a reseller can get a Web store up and running within 30 days, while a range of preconfigured solutions ensure they can stay focused on their businesses during the development process.
“We wanted to make it easy for resellers to access the world’s best cloud services without having to face the challenges associated with negotiating and organising their own set of services,” says Derman.
First Distribution says First for Cloud will add new vendors and services regularly. — © 2014 NewsCentral Media