What is Cloud Computing – A Sales Guide For IT Providers
In our “How to Sell Cloud Computing” overview, we demonstrated a framework for improving your cloud services sales pitch to help you acquire new clients. This sales guide is an in-depth follow-up designed to help IT service providers define cloud computing. After reading this guide, cloud providers, channel partners and value added resellers will gain the authority and fluency they need to elegantly and informatively provide and answer to “What is Cloud Computing” while presenting cloud computing to prospective clients. We’ll review the definition, background, growth and benefits of Cloud Computing, and even show how some of the leading firms have gained substantial benefits through its implementation.
- What is Cloud Computing
- Points to Note When Defining Cloud Services
- Cloud History & Growth: When it started and how it is evolving
- Cloud Computing Benefits for Resellers
- Cloud Reseller Success Story
- Wrapping Things Up
What is Cloud Computing?
Defining cloud computing can prove to be complicated – different people have different explanations, but at the root, they’re all saying the same thing. As a cloud service provider or reseller, keep this comprehensive definition in mind when providing and answer to What is Cloud Computing:
Cloud Computing refers to the delivery of IT Infrastructure, applications and services to organizations and end users, on an on-demand basis –remotely, via the Internet.
Cloud computing enables the delivery of virtually all IT resources to any user, regardless of their physical location. This is inclusive of dedicated servers, enterprise class applications, single file storage to multiple gigs of data, and more.
Points to Note When Defining Cloud Services
When elaborating on the above definition of “What is Cloud Computing” always relay to your clients that they will be charged monthly for the services that they use, as opposed to being charged for the entire infrastructural suite. They will also be able to request additional IT resources, where applicable, as necessary. The same rule applies to cloud resellers, i.e. they can instantly provide on-demand IT resources on a monthly pay-as-you-go billing system, or for the services/resources used.
Some other similar technologies that resemble cloud computing or the concept of it include: client/server architecture, grid computing, utility computing and peer-to-peer computing.
Cloud History & Growth: When it started and how it is evolving
The term “cloud computing” has no clear background, but we understand where the concept itself stems from. When offering an explanation to “What is Cloud Computing” remember a cloud is a collection, and in this case, it refers to the collection of IT resources. Before cloud computing, the cloud symbol was used to represent the Internet. At its core, cloud computing isn’t new and we can see its predecessors in the introduction of telecommunication services such as VPNs (Virtual Private Networks), web hosting and in general, the consumer adoption of the Internet. After that, many companies offered web-based services and applications.
In 2006, Amazon launched Amazon Web Services (AWS) – the first ever on-demand utility computing service, that provided cloud-based computing, storage and networking services. Since then, cloud computing has seen tremendous growth throughout the world, specifically in North America. According to Gartner and IDC, the size of the Cloud Computing industry is expected to reach $150 billion by 2014 as compared to $46 billion in 2008, of which 50% is expected to be generated from US alone.
Furthermore, the cumulative growth rate of cloud computing is faster than IT in total, so we can certainly say that cloud computing is the fastest growing IT solution as at present, and hopefully, continuing in the future…
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Cloud Computing Benefits for Resellers
After you offer an explanation for “What is Cloud Computing” you’ll need to describe its benefits to your clients. Cloud computing has lot to offer both business and personal users alike. If you are a Cloud Service Provider or Cloud Reseller, you can provide complete end-to-end IT infrastructure, without having to design, develop, source and manage any of the IT resources as part of our Cloud Reseller Program. AwesomeCloud has already established the infrastructure completed and managed all the compliance and security issues, and has a proven track record of infrastructure performance.
You can source, provide and scale a virtually endless amount of cloud based IT resources as part of our Cloud Reseller Program. Similarly, you can help your clients can reduce their IT Capital and operational expenses, gain business agility, access applications and services from the Internet globally, and scale IT resources effortlessly to match seasonal demand.
Cloud Reseller Case Study
BCG Systems is a business IT solutions provider, helping small- to-medium size businesses implement and support cost-effective ERP, CRM and networking solutions. When one of BCG System’s clients needed to upgrade their Microsoft Dynamics™ GP software, transition their on-premise production infrastructure to the cloud, and improve their backup solutions, they looked to BCG Systems to help. In turn, BCG Systems partnered with AwesomeCloud. Read More…
6. Wrapping Things Up
As more organizations realize that cloud computing can securely drive their routine and mission-critical business operations, you gain a tremendous opportunity to capitalize on the growth of cloud computing by making it part of your product line. For more information about joining our Cloud Reseller Program, email Cara Pluff, our Director of Sales, or complete our brief online form.
We hope the above guide helps you craft an elegant and articulated response to “What is Cloud Computing.”
