Microsoft opens up Surface Hub to entire partner base
Vendor introduces dedicated Surface Hub partner programme and as-a-service sales model
Microsoft has opened up its Surface Hub product to its entire partner base through a new dedicated partner programme.
The Surface Hub Distributors Programme for Opportunity Resellers (VAD-OR) will allow Microsoft resellers to partner with Tech Data's audiovisual (AV) distributor Maverick and sell the Surface Hub into its partner base.
Microsoft's Windows and Surface lead Ryan Asdourian explained to CRN that the Surface Hub programme will present opportunities for partners already selling the likes of Office 365 and Skype for Business.
In line with the sales models of Microsoft's cloud products, the Surface Hub will also be available in an as-a-service package.
"The beauty of the programme is we're essentially saying that if you are a Microsoft partner, this is giving you the ability to transact Surface Hub through the distributor Maverick and it essentially will be able to, by default, grow that base of partners that are able to transact," he said.
"If you think about all the partners that look at Office 365 and Skype for Business, a place that Surface Hub really lights up, this is an opportunity to tie together the power of Office 365, Skype for Business and the device, to really light that up in a differentiated way.
"Adding it to 'as-a-service' - if you think about all the different options that people are buying and the way people are changing which budgets are funding devices, this is giving yet another way that customers can be flexible. Around seven months ago at WPC last year we announced Surface-as-a-service so this is about taking the next step when you think about the entire Microsoft portfolio."
Pricing
The as-a-service offering gives end users an alternative to buying the Surface Hub outright, with prices at the Microsoft US online store currently at $8,999 (£7,180) for the 55in model and $22,999 for the 84in model.
Barrie Guy, Microsoft business development manager at authorised Surface Hub reseller Carillion, told CRN that both products will see an 18 per cent price increase on 15 February as Microsoft brings the product in line with others in its portfolio.
"A lot of people knew [the price rise] was coming because Microsoft did do an increase on licensing and other Surface-related products. They are under pressure with things like exchange rates, Brexit, and all those types of things."
While Asdourian did not directly answer CRN's questions on whether the Surface Hub would be seeing an 18 per cent price hike, he pointed towards the try-and-buy programme and an offer currently in place that gives end users discounted installation as way for them to save money.
"Our partners set the pricing for how much they sell the Surface Hub," he said. "Right now we sell all of it through partners so I think they have to comment on prices that they'll be setting."
Stealth weapon
Carillion's Guy explained that the Surface Hub has allowed the reseller to step further into the IT channel, having previously focused predominately on the AV sector.
He said that IT resellers should see the Surface Hub as "a stealth weapon" that can help them exploit potential AV opportunities.
"It's funny because I read CRN and there has not been that much Surface Hub [featured] which is quite interesting," he said.
"It's a stealth weapon because it goes hand in hand with devices. If [clients] use Office 365 and Skype for Business, they are [also] using Surface Pros, tablet devices, and all those interact with the Surface Hub beautifully."
Partner base expansion
Asdourian explained that Microsoft initially sold the Surface Hub through a select few resellers while it fine-tuned its route to market, much in the same way as it did with the Surface tablets and laptops.
Having initially been criticised for taking Surface products direct, Microsoft onboarded a handful of specialist partners before opening Surface up to its wider partner base.
"We want to make sure that they're getting it delivered in the right way, which is why we kept the partner programme small at the start," he added.
"We've seen how we roll these out, we've learned, and we have availability now for customers everywhere to start deploying Surface Hubs as they want them.
"It was really also about making sure we continued to deliver it in a quality way and now with this expanded partner base we're ready to deliver these."
Microsoft partner EMIT has already sold Surface Hubs into its existing client base, despite not yet being an authorised Surface Hub reseller.
Managing director Eamon Moore explained that Microsoft has been directing partners to other partners that are already authorised, which he said is a beneficial approach for IT resellers that are not extensively experienced with AV solutions.
He said that there is still an opportunity for resellers to get involved with the Surface Hub, despite not yet being on the partner programme.
"We're not a recognised reseller but we've approached Microsoft - I think there is one, if not two, resellers appointed in Ireland - and said 'we're getting some interest from clients, can you introduce us?' And we struck up a relationship with the Surface Hub reseller," he said.
"It's a good approach because the danger with any new technology is if you try to latch onto it without much experience then it can be to the detriment of the solution that you put in.
"Typically, if you're an IT reseller delivering Microsoft Cloud technology, you may have never delivered AV solutions and that can be quite difficult.
"It's a good combination of the IT and the Microsoft partner working with the Surface Hub reseller to make sure they implement the [hardware] technology correctly and that we get all the Microsoft cloud technology put in correctly."