Giacom latest to join Microsoft CSP scheme

Cloud distributor set to add Office 365 to its pan-European MessageStream cloud marketplace as a result

Giacom is the latest distributor to be added to the Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) programme as a two-tier distribution partner.

The partnership means Giacom will offer its MSP/reseller partners across the UK and Europe Office 365 and Windows Intune subscriptions, and will own the complete client lifecycle, including billing, support and customer experience.

Giacom’s MessageStream cloud marketplace is used by 2,500 partners, and it claims it is Europe’s largest channel-based cloud services platform.

Nick Marshall, managing director of Giacom, said: “Including Office365 into our MessageStream marketplace will further expand our growing range of cloud services, providing a wider choice for IT support businesses, system integrators, telecom companies and service providers operating within Europe. We're delighted to have been selected by Microsoft to join the Cloud Solution Provider programme, allowing Giacom to offer Office365 on a two-tier distributor basis."

Phil Sorgen, corporate vice president of the Worldwide Partner Group at Microsoft, said: “To meet the growing demand of our cloud-based solutions, we're thrilled to expand the capabilities for cloud partners under the Microsoft CSP programme. "By joining the programme, partners will deepen customer relationships and expand business opportunities in the cloud."

Matthew Barton, a representative from MSP Ostrich IT said the offering will help his business attract new customers.

"We offer a comprehensive range of support services and use Giacom's technology to provide a selection of own-branded products in our portfolio. With Office365 in MessageStream, we'll now be able to take on-board customers that exclusively want Microsoft's suite of cloud services. This opens a whole new recurring revenue stream for our business,” he said.