HyperGrid targets MSPs with hyper-converged consumption model
Hyper-converged vendor offers cloud functionality for on-premise infrastructure solutions
Hyper-converged vendor HyperGrid is on the lookout for managed service providers (MSPs) in the UK as it looks to push its infrastructure consumption model.
Previously known as Gridstore, HyperGrid went through a period of transition last year which saw it acquire container specialist DCHQ and change its name.
HyperGrid director Chris Ayres told CRN that the vendor is now looking to recruit MSPs to use its hyper-convergence infrastructure-as-a-service model which allows end users to rent the hardware and pay monthly for on-premise solutions.
"We are looking for partners that have their own datacentres because traditional partners will get to a point and stop," he said. "They'll say 'I can do the hardware, I can do some of the services around that, but I can't put my own datacentre in'.
"We need to target MSPs because for them to put our equipment in their datacentres is an opportunity for them to service a number of smaller customers that we can't go to. An MSP can service smaller accounts on our behalf."
Unique business model
Ayres said that no one else in the market currently offers a solution the same as HyperGrid's consumption model - and that there is more to it than merely renting the hardware.
"This is not a leasing thing," he said. "People say 'well we do that, you can buy the hardware and pay for it over 36 months'.
"We're not saying that. We work out exactly what your requirements are, what storage you need, what compute power you need; we'll spec out a system for you and then there will be a per-month fee for that.
"At the end of the period the hardware comes back to us. If they want to renew the contract then they'd get more hardware coming in for a refresh, but unless they want to buy the hardware, they never own it."
Public cloud
Ayres explained that HyperGrid is also looking to steal market share from public cloud providers through its HyperCloud management system that allows end users to move workloads between on-premise infrastructure and the public cloud.
He said that while it is easy for end users to move workloads to the cloud, bring it back is more difficult and they are often "locked in". There are also concerns for businesses handling personal data around where the data is stored.
"We're offering a cloud service so as an end user you are going to consider us alongside 20 different clouds, but the big difference is that we'll do this on prem," he added.
"There's this issue of data integrity and not wanting your data to move to the cloud when new data laws come in later in the year, so we can offer those cloud services and economics but on premise so you keep control of your data.
"Because you don't own the hardware as well, if you need to scale up or scale down you can do that."
Graham Billsborough, managing director at HyperGrid partner GB3, said he is seeing traction in the education sector, having recently rolled out HyperGrid to a multi-academy trust in Bradford for 2,000 seats.
He added, however, that budget restrictions can make things difficult for the education sector when looking to upgrade infrastructures.
"We mentioned it to some other [academy trusts] and they've winced at the thought of capex," he said. "We mentioned that [with the] opex model, you can rent it, but that is a difficult one in education because most money comes from the EFA (Education Funding Agency) and they're not geared at the moment towards subscription-based purchasing of infrastructure.
"From a HyperGrid perspective we're going back to them and saying 'you need to keep that capex model because that could be a key thing for growth in the education sector'."
He said the commercial sector is more open to the opex model.
"We're talking to a couple of our commercial customers and they're very interested in the rental model because cash is king, and they don't have to go and find the capital budget."