Dell sheds VMware in channel IaaS push

Stefanie Hoffman notes that Dell's cloud presence is maturing, and the channel will take a larger role

Dell is taking further steps towards cloud presence maturity, and toward self-reliance.

After a two-year stint, the Round Rock, Texas PC manufacturer is severing its ties with VMware as a public cloud infrastructure-as-a service (IaaS) provider and looking to distribute cloud IaaS services through its channel.

Dell announced this week that it plans to discontinue its IaaS vCloud Datacenter Service, while shuttering plans to launch an OpenStack-based public cloud and a public storage-as-a-service offering.

Instead, Dell will harness its channel competitive muscle in the IaaS space. The hardware firm is moving further into software and services, planning to act as a single-source supplier, offering customers a choice of vendors and technologies.

The promise is about "freedom from lock-in to a single platform or pricing model" and "a central point of integration and control", according to the vendor.

"Many Dell customers plan to expand their use of public cloud, but to truly reap the benefits they want a choice of providers, flexibility and interoperability across platforms and models, the ability to compare cloud economics and workload performance, and a cohesive way to manage all of it," said Nnamdi Orakwue, vice president of Dell Cloud.

"The partner approach offers increased value to Dell's customers, channel partners and shareholders, as part of our comprehensive cloud strategy to deliver market-leading, end-to-end cloud."

When applicable, Dell will use US partners for EMEA-based cloud and gain ground in IaaS markets via a new Global Service Delivery Partner programme.

The new cloud programme involves three new North American cloud provider partners.

*Joyent, an infrastructure-as-a-service provider geared toward real-time web and mobile applications. It offers compatibility with Dell's recently acquired multi-cloud management solution Enstratius.

*ScaleMetrix, a platform providing user control over functionality and performance via hardware, storage, security and niche DDoS mitigation services.

*ZeroLag, which combines VMware-powered on-demand cloud infrastructure with professional services and custom offerings.

Dell's reinvigorated channel focus around IaaS and other cloud services aligns with its ardent push to shed its hardware image for a sleeker software and services feel, while getting partners to catalyse its transformation.

Over the last year, Dell has raised its cloud and managed services profile with launches of managed SIEM, incident response and hosted email, as well as threat services that include vulnerability management and web scanning, and various threat surveillance services.

Dell is priming its channel to take on services distribution.

Last month, the company celebrated by uniting its channel under a revamped PartnerDirect Program, a move that converged its current and acquired programs and partners and realigned it with corresponding end-to-end offerings.

Dell's recent acquisition of Enstratius lets partners add a plethora of cloud management tools.

Dell's new investments in cloud management could allow for customised and high-margin channel offerings around IaaS - and be a sharp thorn in the side of competitors IBM and HP.

As part of our special editorial partnership, CRN is republishing this article from Channelnomics