Resellers being cut out of the cloud loop

End users overwhelmingly approaching vendors, not the channel, for advice on cloud adoption, according to Rise

Resellers are largely being cut out of the loop by end users as they look to migrate to cloud technology, according to a new poll.

The survey, carried out by channel-only hosted IT services provider Rise, found that just eight per cent of IT decision makers are engaging with resellers over cloud computing.

In contrast, 77 per cent said they would consult IT vendors, with 15 per cent saying they sought advice on cloud from the internet.

The poll also found that almost 70 per cent of businesses are planning to move to a cloud platform over the next two years.

Talking to ChannelWeb, Rise director Alex Hilton (pictured) said the research highlighted the need for more resellers to formulate a cloud strategy, rather than leaving it to the vendors.

"It seems as though a lot of firms are not asking their trusted advisers because they do not have that value proposition themselves but are relying on the vendors, who offer it directly, and are taking a referral fee," he added.

The poll quizzed about 100 SMB prospects of one of Rise's partners, Hilton said.

Some 90 per cent of respondents said they felt more education was needed on cloud computing, citing concerns over security and associated costs.

"Customers still require education and there is a big role for the reseller in this," he said.

Hilton admitted that end users may find it easier to work directly with a cloud vendor if they needed a vanilla solution, but stressed most would have bespoke needs that require the integration skills of a reseller.