ChannelE2E is closely tracking Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2016 (WPC16) as the Toronto-based conference shifts into high gear. Here are Microsoft WPC 2016 highlights for Monday, July 11. Check this blog entry throughout the day for updates.
1. Microsoft Cloud Partner Profits, Revenues: Channel Chief Gavriella Schuster points to several major cloud partner revenue milestones, as revealed by an IDC research report. The figures reveal plenty of partner momentum but ChannelE2E offers a reality check.
2. Microsoft and GE Pursue IoT: GE’s Predix platform for the Industrial Internet will soon be available on the Microsoft Azure cloud for industrial businesses. "The move marks the first step in a broad strategic collaboration between the two companies, which will allow customers around the world to capture intelligence from their industrial assets and take advantage of Microsoft’s enterprise cloud applications," the duo said. ChannelE2E's reaction? This is a huge move. Sort of like the original Windows NT Server winning Oracle's endorsement as an application server during the early days of Microsoft's enterprise strategy...
3. Cloud Momentum: eMazzanti Technologies, an IT consulting firm in New York, says its Microsoft Azure cloud services business has grown 60-fold over the past 12 months. The company cites new infrastructure as a service (IaaS) and disaster recovery as a service (DRaaS) offerings, expansion to the West Coast, and the support of high-level Microsoft resources as factors in achieving the growth. Impressive... but let's also keep things in perspective. eMazzanti didn't disclose the actual dollar figures involved...
4. Reselling Office 365, Azure: Rackspace will offer companies in the Rackspace Partner Network the ability to resell and refer both Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Office 365 from Rackspace as a 2-Tier Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP). This new offering will allow channel partners to deliver Azure and Office 365 to their customers, while receiving Fanatical Support from Rackspace. Hmmm... In some ways it sounds like Rackspace is competing with cloud distributors like Ingram Micro Cloud Marketplace.
5. More Cloud Momentum: SADA Systems says its Microsoft practice group grew revenues 74 percent for the fiscal year 2016 ended June 30, and the company now has 7.7 million Microsoft cloud product users. The consulting firm -- which promotes Microsoft Cloud and Google for Work solutions -- will share more details during WPC16.
6. Keep an Eye On: Cloud DC, a virtual hosted desktop provider that is expected to make one or more very interesting moves at WPC16. Hmmm... In somewhat related news, IndependenceIT, a cloud management platform provider, will demonstrate its latest generation software at WPC16.
7. Cloud Partner Profits, Continued: Jamison West, CEO of Arterian, is set to join a panel at WPC16 that will cover "three key ways how to build a profitable solution practice as a Microsoft Cloud Partner in the next 30 days." Three tips to generate cloud profits in 30 days? Catchy. I'm intrigued.
8. Azure Data Protection: Acronis has launched the Acronis Backup Cloud Extension for Microsoft Azure and Azure Stack. The new offerings enable Microsoft Cloud Services Providers (CSPs) to provision and manage a range of backup services across physical and virtual environments, the company asserts...
9. More Updates: Now that you've read our Monday updates, check out our Tuesday updates from WPC16.
Plus, visit here for all of our daily Microsoft WPC16 coverage.
