Service Provider Insider

The Evolving Enterprise SP Supply Chain

It's now happened about a dozen times, maybe more.

In the meeting, we're hip-deep into discussions around SP business models (especially those that want to target enterprise IT organizations).  I start getting into differentiation and specialization, which inevitably leads to a core question: where and how do you want to play in the supply chain?

Supply chain?  Puzzled looks all around.

OK, back up the train.  Draw a big picture on the whiteboard, start filling in boxes, where do you see yourself?

Since it takes so long to draw these pictures, I've decided to whip up a sample slide for two reasons.

One, I'm essentially lazy at heart. 

And, two, there are about a dozen or more meaty SP strategy discussions I can drive off of this single chart.

The Rapid Segmentation Of The SP Industry

Sorry if I haven't been keeping this blog as updated as I should. 

Yes, there's a lot to talk about.  No, there's never enough time in the day to write it all down :)

I suppose the first observation is obvious: the "IT as a service" service provider industry in in full swing.  Many new players, many new plays.

A while back, I offered up some thoughts as to how the industry might segment itself along predictable lines. 

Turns out I was both right and wrong.  It's happening, but much faster than I would have predicted.

Marketing Predictions For SPs in 2011

As I work with various IT-oriented service providers, I now am trying to assess the size and scope of their marketing function.  

Why?  I think that marketing-related disciplines may hold the key to success for a great number of SP business strategies in the coming year.  

And I don't want my SP partners getting caught by surprise :-)

Creating A Supply Of Movable Workloads

There's a shift going on -- from workloads that are run in traditional enterprise IT settings, to workloads that make more sense to run using an IT service provider who's a specialist.

We believe that we, as EMC, can grealy help to accelerate this transition in a variety of ways -- by helping to create a supply of workloads that are ready to move to qualified IT service provider settings.

"How?", you might ask.

From Reseller To Solution Provider To Service Provider

Like many of my brethren, I have been somewhat neglectful in updating this blog.  

There's been plenty to talk about, but just not enough time to write it all down.

Having just returned from EMC's North American Partner Council (see this related post), I was struck by just how many of our partners are now adding a distinct service provider component to their business mix.

And I think we'll see much more of that in the future.

A New Meaning To "Cloud Bursting"?

One of the more interesting things that happen this week is Equinix guided a tad lower for revenue, and you would have thought the investment community thought the world was ending.

More than a billion bucks wiped off their market cap.  Big dives in VMW and related stocks.  All sorts of commentary that the "cloud bubble has popped".

Not exactly what I think people meant when they were discussing "cloud bursting" :-)

VMworld And How It Changes The Game For Service Providers

If you haven't been following the stream from this week's VMworld, maybe you should be.

Sure, it's a really big industry show: lots of attendees and lots of vendors.  But many of the announcements I believe subtly shift the landscape for just about every service provider out there.

I'm still digesting it all -- so please consider this preliminary at best ...

Another "Cloud Service Provider Report"

Sorry I've been away from this blog for so long.  It hasn't been for lack of material -- plenty going on in this space.  It's just the usual blogger's lame excuse -- finding the time!

Well, I've got a backlog of things to talk about, and to kick things off, a fresh version of the popular "Cloud Service Provider Report" (commissioned by EMC) that's written from a non-US perspective.

Good reading!

NTT and DiData: Harbinger Of Things To Come?

Scanning the feeds this morning, I came across this surprising-but-not-totally-unexpected item: NTT is shelling out big money to acquire Dimension Data.

Now, in the world of tech M&A, the importance of this acquisition may escape many, but I see it as an early signpost in the restructuring of the IT industry: from IT as a product, to IT as a service.

And if you're in the service provider industry, this one deserves some attention by your management team.

The Cloud Service Provider Report

Hi everyone, sorry for being absent from this blog for a while, but it's heating up again ...

I thought I'd share with you some interesting reading.  A while back, EMC (thanks to Richard Bradbury) starting sponsoring research on the state-of-the-state regarding the above topic -- only from an EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) perspective.

Anyone who's done business globally realizes the obvious -- different markets evolve uniquely -- and the EMEA evolution of the newer generation of service providers is no exception.

I find the compare-and-contrast useful insight -- hopefully you will too:

Disclaimer: although these reports are sponsored by EMC, they are not marketing fluff -- there are really good nuggets to be had if you're interested ...

June Edition

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