WELLESLEY, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--THINKstrategies, the Cloud Computing Showplace and Rising Tide Media today announced the inaugural Cloud Channel Summit, an event focused on the emerging channel opportunities in the Cloud Computing market. The conference will take place on Monday, Nov. 7, at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, Calif.
The Cloud Channel Summit will convene more than 200 senior executives from leading Cloud vendors and channel companies to define the role of the channel in the Cloud and to provide best practices for creating successful partnerships that lead to profitable business models for both Cloud vendors and their channel counterparts. The event will enable Cloud vendors to increase awareness about their channel programs, while providing channel companies with vital information that will help them re-invent their role, bring value to Cloud vendors, and ultimately, profit from the Cloud instead of being disrupted by it.
Stephen Cho, director of channels and business development at Google Enterprise, will set the tone for the summit with an opening keynote entitled "Making Rain in the Channel: New Opportunities in Cloud Computing." Cho, an instrumental figure in building Google's channel strategy and partner ecosystem, will identify new channel opportunities in the Cloud, examine how existing and new channel organizations can best position themselves to take advantage of these opportunities, and illustrate how channel companies can build profitable business models in the rapidly evolving Cloud market. The conference agenda will also include topics such as real-world Cloud success stories, selling and supporting Cloud services and leveraging PaaS/IaaS alternatives to meet unique customer needs.
“There is a common misperception that the role of the channel will diminish as Cloud Computing grows, when in fact, the exact opposite is true,” said Jeffrey M. Kaplan, founder and managing director of THINKstrategies. “If the Cloud Computing market is to thrive, Cloud vendors cannot go it alone. They will need channel partners who can enhance their solutions, customize their capabilities and improve customer service by addressing the unique requirements of specific market segments.”
Event organizers have already partnered with a number of organizations who have expertise and an interest in the Cloud, including publications such as Cloudbook, SandHill.com, Datamation, E-Commerce Times and Softletter (SaaS University); conference groups including the World Research Group and Keynote World Media; industry associations such as the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) and the ASCII Group; and other companies including DreamSimplicity, a virtual community and marketplace directory for business applications and the industry professionals that deliver them, and Mikael Blaisdell & Associates, Inc. (MB&A), which assists a wide spectrum of clients in increasing their customer retention rates and enhancing per-customer profitability.
In addition, the following companies have signed on as the summit’s first sponsors: AppDirect, a free and private Application Network that allows businesses to find, buy and use web-based software; Agilis Solutions, a leading provider of software product development services; and Scribe Software, a global data integration provider.
For more information on the Cloud Channel Summit and to get updates on the event’s latest speakers, partners and sponsors, please visit http://cloudchannelsummit.com/ or follow the event on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/cloudchannel11.
About THINKstrategies, Inc.
THINKstrategies, Inc. is an independent, strategic consulting services company focused on helping business and IT decision-makers, solutions providers and investors capitalize on the opportunities and challenges created by the technology industry’s shift from a product-centric to a services-driven business model, including Cloud Computing, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and Managed Services. THINKstrategies helps enterprise decision-makers with their sourcing strategies, IT solutions providers with their marketing strategies, and VCs with their investment strategies. For more information about THINKstrategies, visit www.thinkstrategies.com or email info@thinkstrategies.com.
About the Cloud Computing ShowplaceSM
The Cloud Computing ShowplaceSM is a service of THINKstrategies, Inc. designed to provide enterprise decision-makers with an easy-to-use directory of the leading Cloud providers; give Cloud providers a powerful vehicle to increase their visibility among enterprise decision-makers, and gain access to potential investors and partners; and offer investors a useful resource to stay apprised of the latest industry Cloud Computing trends and solutions. For more information about the Cloud Computing Showplace, visit http://www.cloudshowplace.com/home.php.