Canalys: Private cloud opens $36bn door to channel

Analyst claims private cloud is most obvious money-spinner for resellers

Private cloud sales could open up a whopping $36bn opportunity for channel partners, Canalys has claimed.

The analyst stated that the private cloud infrastructure offers the largest revenue opportunity for channel players in 2011.

Alastair Edwards, principal analyst at Canalys, said: “Private cloud initiatives provide the obvious choice for channel partners looking to grow new business. The IT partner community is as relevant as ever, thanks to its close customer relationships. Proximity, along with a history of product sales, gives channel partners a strong position from which to support internal cloud rollouts.”

"Its adoption is certain to accelerate rapidly over the next few years as technologies improve and comfort levels increase,” he added.

The company is currently plugging its annual Canalys Channels Forum, due to take place from 3 October to 5 October in Barcelona.

The analyst claimed the event will give channel partners the opportunity to meet privately with senior vendor executives, listen to keynotes from industry leaders and take part in regional breakouts and best-practice workshops.

Cisco, EMC and Juniper Networks, along with vendor Crucial, are some of the names due to appear at the forum to discuss the business of the cloud and its impact on technology spending across EMEA.