3 Technical Considerations For VARs Looking To Provide Hybrid-Cloud Services

By Carol Evenson, business consultant

Companies are always looking to be on the cutting edge of technology and boast “the next big thing.” Right now, that means cloud computing. In particular, a lot of businesses want hybrid-cloud environments in their organization. According to Blue Coat, three of four enterprise companies are adding cloud-based solutions to supplement their on-premises web, data, and network security deployments.

This trend is not only impacting the companies adopting this technology; it’s impacting the companies who work with them. This includes value-added resellers, managed service providers, IT consulting firms, and other businesses. As a VAR, your company will need to adapt to fulfill your clients’ evolving needs and build your own relationships with hybrid cloud vendors. As you are determining which hybrid cloud services to offer your clients, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Compatibility With A Wide Range Of Hardware And Operating Systems
Your clients likely already have an extensive infrastructure built at their companies, and they probably aren’t going to be enthusiastic about switching over to a hybrid cloud setup if it requires them to replace all of their hardware. At the same time, each of your clients will be using different hardware. In order to cater to all of your clients, you will want to make sure your cloud partner can provide a platform compatible with as wide a range of hardware as possible. This includes servers, external storage, and other devices. Your vendor’s solution will also need to be compatible across a range of software environments, including virtual machines and physical servers running both Linux and Windows.

Compatibility With The Public Cloud
One of the key features of a hybrid cloud is the interaction between the client’s private cloud network and the public cloud systems they will be using. Users should be able to import and export files from one to the other easily. The two environments should be built from the same terminology and use the same building blocks to make communication between them as simple as possible. Compatibility between the two will also allow users to automate workload mobility across the entire environment and provide a seamless experience.

Organized Deployment And Management Of The Environment
As you compare possible hybrid-cloud vendors, consider the type of investment each would require from your organization when you deploy and manage each. What sort of manpower will the solution require from you to make sure the transition happens quickly, efficiently, and with as few interruptions to their workflow as possible?

Once the solution has been deployed and your clients settle into their typical work patterns, how difficult will it be for you or them to manage? Ideally, you will want your solution to provide centralized management. A single interface that allows you to monitor the entire cloud is important. Look for a solution that tracks resource allocation and mobility and reports broad trends to management leaders, but allows the team to dive deeper and understand issues at a more granular level. This will let them troubleshoot problems more easily as they appear.

The companies you work with will each have their own priorities, and your hybrid cloud offering needs to be able to address each of them. This includes issues like security, management, cost, and more. They will want a high quality system that they can handle simply, and they will want it implemented as quickly as possible. In order to meet their needs, you want to make sure that the cloud solutions you’re offering them are up to the task.

Carol Evenson is a business consultant specializing in data security and information systems. She has worked alongside Fortune 1000 companies and currently works with corporations within the U.S. and U.K.