Wyse and Rise keep eyes on the cloud prize

Firms announce strategic partnership as they look to bring cloud benefits to channel partners

Thin-client specialist Wyse Technology has announced a strategic partnership with hosted services player Rise to open up cloud opportunities to their joint channel partners.

As a result of the partnership, existing Wyse partners will get access to Rise’s DataCentre on Demand product set to offer business-class cloud services to customers.

Rise’s partners will also have the option of becoming Wyse partners, gaining access to the vendor’s range of cloud end-point solutions based on its thin, zero and cloud PC client solutions.

Alex Hilton, managing director of Rise, said: “Trusted advisers are key to how we have grown Rise, so expanding the pool of partners through this relationship will be a significant step for us.

“Through partnering with Wyse, we are completing the circle of how Rise equips our newly expanded partner channel with the leading infrastructure and products that partners need to offer best-in-class cloud service solutions to their customers,” he said.

Andrew Gee, vice president of UK sales at Wyse, added: “Cloud computing is hugely lucrative for the channel. What is exciting about this relationship is how we are combining our leadership in cloud client computing solution with Rise’s datacentre-on-demand solutions, powered by Microsoft server virtualisation and cloud technologies and running on Dell servers.

“This creates a powerful vehicle for those partners that want to maximise their managed services expertise and offer complete end-to-end cloud solutions from virtual datacentres to desktops and mobile devices.”

Chris Ingle, vice president of consulting analyst IDC, said partnerships of this nature were the way forward.

“IDC’s research with enterprises shows that nearly all European companies are now using cloud in their IT strategy," he said. "There is a need for the IT channel to assist companies in developing their cloud strategy and in integrating multiple services. Partnerships such as that between Wyse and Rise are a step forward in promoting this integration.”