Monday Morning Impact – December 16

Study: 73% of Enterprises Moving Apps Back On-Prem

Nutanix has released the findings of its second global Enterprise Cloud Index with 85% of respondents selecting hybrid cloud as their ideal IT operating model.

The study reports that while reduced CAPEX has traditionally been a key stimulant to public cloud uptake, workloads with more predictable characteristics can often run on-premises at a lower cost than public cloud. Savings are thereby dependent on decision makers’ ability to match each application to the appropriate cloud service and pricing tier, and to remain diligent about regularly reviewing service plans and fees.

The report also finds that apps are migrating away from the public cloud back to on-premises infrastructures. Nearly three-fourths of respondents reported that they are moving some applications off the public cloud and back on-prem, and 22% of those users are moving five or more applications. App mobility is critical, and more than nine in ten respondents reported that it is essential or desirable to be able to easily move applications between cloud environments.

More than half of 2019 respondents said that the state of security among clouds would have the biggest influence on their cloud deployment plans going forward. Similarly, data security and compliance represented the top variable (26%) in determining where an enterprise runs a given workload.

Enterprises are striving to integrate cloud computing with their digital transformation goals. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of 2019 respondents said digital transformation was driving their cloud implementations, and 64% said that digital transformation was the top business priority in their organizations.

“As organizations continue to grapple with complex digital transformation initiatives, flexibility and security are critical components to enable seamless and reliable cloud adoption,” said Wendy M. Pfeiffer, CIO of Nutanix. “The enterprise has progressed in its understanding and adoption of hybrid cloud, but there is still work to do when it comes to reaping all of its benefits. In the next few years, we’ll see businesses rethinking how to best utilize hybrid cloud, including hiring for hybrid computing skills and reskilling IT teams to keep up with emerging technologies.”

The company surveyed 2,650 IT decision-makers in 24 countries in the Americas; Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA); and Asia-Pacific.

Channel Impact^®
The data demonstrates the ability for channel partners to more strongly engage hybrid cloud options in order to better support customer flexibility and security.

SonicWall Strengthens MSSP Security Offerings

SonicWall has rolled out a series of updates to its Capture Cloud platform designed to help MSSPs manage accounts, register products, control licensing and provide real-time, per-user threat analytics.

The Milpitas, California-based security vendor has also announced a new customer management dashboard designed to help MSSPs more easily on-board new customers, set up and manage multiple tenants, and provision role-based access control to manage and operate different customer environments.

The company has additionally launched a pilot program to test a monthly pricing strategy that offers pay-as-you-go for Capture Client and Cloud App Security. This program is currently in beta and not yet generally available.

“MSSPs play an essential role in our expanding partner base as they defend enterprises and SMBs against today’s targeted cyber threats,” said SonicWall President and CEO Bill Conner. “Our growing SonicWall team continues to work with some of the world’s largest partners and distributors to provide proven managed security services that simplifies the daunting task of thoroughly protecting what cybercriminals seek to take.”

SonicWall’s Global Management System (GMS) 9.2 allows organizations to rapidly deploy and manage SonicWall firewalls, wireless security, secure email and remote users. GMS integrates with ConnectWise Manager, the vendor’s PSA tool, to deliver a single-portal experience for automated support ticketing, system alerts and failover, and asset synchronization.

Channel Impact^®
The enhancements are expected to simplify back-end security management and administration, a move likely to be popular with its MSSP partners.

Cohesity Expands Partner Program to Better Meet the Needs of Data Management Market

Cohesity, a San Jose-based company with a data management platform intended to resolve issues with mass data fragmentation, has announced new enhancements to simplify its global channel program, introduce new bonuses for bringing on new customers, upgrade market development fund management, and add a new tiered partner structure.

“Our enhanced program opens up a world of opportunities for partners, many of which are already benefiting from selling our disruptive data management solutions to customers around the world,” said Bill Lipsin, vice president of global channels at Cohesity. “Last fiscal year, nearly 70 percent of our active channel partners grew their business over 100 percent and many partners grew their business in excess of 200 percent. This enhanced program will continue to provide partners with exciting ways to increase profitability and offer greater value to customers, and it is designed to accelerate and reward partner success.”

The company has introduced new incentives for partners that bring in first-time customers. North America and Asia Pacific partner sales teams in the preferred and premier tiers are eligible for bonuses between $5,000 and $50,000 for every new Cohesity customer they sign. Bonuses are determined by the initial deal size. Follow-on purchases are also eligible for bonuses. Incentives in other regions may be offered on a market-by-market basis.

A new MDF management tool automates processes so that partners can easily request, manage, and submit claims while also providing dedicated support and 24/7 help desk assistance.

Channel Impact^®
The new tier structure is expected to provide a useful roadmap through which partners can grow their Cohesity business. The program shows a particular sales emphasis on driving new logos.