C2000 grabs onto the cloud

Partnership with IT consultancy AIMS Online Services is aimed at helping resellers develop a cloud offering

Distribution giant Computer 2000 (C2000) has linked arms with channel-facing IT consultancy AIMS Online Services to help resellers develop their cloud offerings.

AIMS Online Services, spearheaded by Peter Kempton, has been formed entirely to help VARs with the adoption, investigation, migration and support of Microsoft Online Services.

Through C2000’s BPOS-Interconnect programme, the two firms will work together to recruit and activate reseller partners that are keen to build a cloud business.

Dwayne Earl, Microsoft business manager for C2000, said: “Everyone is talking about cloud computing and an increasing number of end-user customers are starting to approach their resellers to find out more.

“The focus will naturally fall on Microsoft and we see excellent potential with Microsoft BPOS here. Resellers that embrace the opportunity in the early stages will benefit most. Through BPOS-Interconnect and our alliance with AIMS Online Services, C2000 is giving them the opportunity to get into this exciting market early and acquire the skills they will need to make the very best of what we believe will be a very big opportunity indeed.”

AIMS’ Kempton added: “Over the past two years, interest in cloud computing has really accelerated and in our view, we’re now at the tipping point. The is the right time for resellers to start learning about Microsoft BPOS and the benefits it offers customers in terms of improved business agility, mobility and cost management.

"C2000 has high levels of expertise in Microsoft solutions and by combining that with our experience of actually implementing these solutions and making them work for customers, we can provide resellers with all the tools and resources they need to develop good value propositions around BPOS and take them to market effectively," he said.