Distributors continue to jump on the Microsoft Software as a Service (SaaS) bandwagon. The latest example: Avnet Technology Solutions has launched OneTech Hosted SharePoint services for VARs and solutions providers.
Avnet Technology Solutions (ATS) follows Ingram Micro Seismic and other distributors into the hosted Microsoft applications market — which offers big opportunities and big challenges for managed service providers.
As I noted yesterday, Microsoft itself has built data centers to host Exchange Server, SharePoint and several other applications for VARs and end-customers.
Now, Avnet Technology Solutions is joining the party. According to a company press release, Avnet’s OneTech Hosted SharePoint enables:
“partners to provide their customers with a way to create, manage and build collaborative Web sites and make them available throughout the organization securely over a Web infrastructure. The services are offered on a pay-per-use model with a predictable monthly cost based on customers’ project needs and the ability to scale as their organization grows.”
Given the ongoing moves by Microsoft, Avnet, Ingram and others, I’m starting to wonder: Will MSPs even bother to host Microsoft applications on their own — or does it make far more sense just to leverage a partner’s hosted services?
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Posted In: Software as a Service and Hardware as a Service
Tags: Avnet Technology Solutions | Ingram Micro Seismic | Microsoft SharePoint Online | OneTech Hosted SharePoint
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Joe, is Tech Data doing anything with hosted applications? Curious to know if they are preparing anything in this area.
Frankie, you should check in with Tech Data directly. I believe their strategy involves partnering with USA.NET to offer VARs hosted Exchange and SharePoint. We blogged about that strategy in September but you should check in with Tech Data directly.
Tech Data is offering hosted Exchange, SharePoint and many other services through their partnership with USA.net. Call to find out more at 1-800-237-8931, ext. 82031 opt. 7!
Emily: thanks for the info. Just so our readers know, do you work for Tech Data? USA.net? Someone else?
Joe, I am a product manager at Tech Data and can assist VARs interested in learning more about hosted Exchange.
Emily: Excellent. Thanks for sharing your background
Emily: Excellent. Thanks for sharing your background with our readers.