Tuesday Morning Impact – May 29

Rackspace Launches Kubernetes-as-a-Service

Rackspace has announced a new Kubernetes-as-a-Service offering, enabling partners to forge new opportunities around new container technologies, and accelerate their customers’ digital transformation.

The company’s new managed service, which addresses applications such as monitoring, logging, and analytics, as well as data, security, and infrastructure, is expected to enable enterprises to leverage Kubernetes across all leading public and private cloud platforms.

The service includes the ongoing management of “Day 2” operations, including updates, high availability upgrades, patching and security hardening for Kubernetes, all managed cluster services, and the node operating system. Rackspace personnel fully validate and vet each component of the service, provide static container scanning and enable customers to restrict user access to the environment.

The San Antonio, Texas-based company claims customers can save up to 50 percent of expenses through Rackspace Kubernetes-as-a-Service versus operating it themselves. Customers can leverage the service through either an opex or capex model, and can locate the servers and storage wherever desired, including in the customer data center, Rackspace data center, or third party colocation facility, Support for public clouds is said to be coming later this year.

“Today, we’re making the most modern infrastructure consumable by every enterprise,” said Scott Crenshaw, executive vice president of private clouds at Rackspace. “With Kubernetes-as-a-Service, we are providing the industry’s simplest Kubernetes consumption model by delivering it fully configured, tested and validated at enterprise scale with the managed cluster services customers need to effectively run their applications.”

Channel Impact^®
As container adoption gains momentum, Kubernetes has quickly become a leading container orchestration technology for managing production workloads. However, most businesses lack the internal resources and expertise needed to effectively manage a Kubernetes environment on their own. This offering is intended to fill that void and can provide an initial launch pad for channel partners seeking to enter this space.

Turbonomic Announces Partner Program for Automation Across Multiple Environments

Turbonomic has announced the formal roll-out of its new partner program supporting workload automation for hybrid clouds.

Targeting solution providers, OEMs, technology partners, cloud providers, MSPs, integrators, and distributors, the Boston-based company’s new program includes training and accreditation for products as well as sales, services and support; cross-partner engagements; deal registration; market development funds; and a partner portal through which partners can manage leads and various operational functions.

The program announcement follows strategic hires, including the addition of Chris Sullivan who joined Turbonomic as SVP of Global Channel and Alliances in February. Prior to Turbonomic, Sullivan spent two years at Hortonworks and several years at VCE. Additionally, Chris Gorecki, VP of Global Channels, recently joined Turbonomic from VMware, following several years with Cisco in both direct sales and channel leadership positions.

“We expect the partner ecosystem to drive well over 75 percent of our revenue through the channel this year,” said Sullivan. “In anticipation, we are making significant investments to make our partners profitable.”

Turbonomic currently works with over 300 global technology alliance and channel partners, including Accenture, Ahead, AWS, BMC, Cisco, CDW, DXC, Kovarus, Microsoft, Presidio, RoundTower, RTP, Sirius/Forsythe, Trace3, and Technologent.

Channel Impact^®
The new Turbonomic program is designed to assist partners in delivering AI-backed workload automation. This is intended to ensure that customer workloads get the necessary infrastructure resources as needed, thereby lowering cost and maintaining compliance.

RingCentral Announces Technology Partner Program to Support SD-WAN

RingCentral has rolled out a new software-defined wide-area network (SD-WAN) certified partner program in conjunction with several vendors, including VMware, CloudGenix, Riverbed, Cradlepoint, Windstream Enterprise, and GTT Communications. RingCentral certifies that SD-WAN products from vendors in this new program are optimized to work with RingCentral’s cloud communications and collaboration solutions.

Based in Belmont, California, RingCentral focuses on global enterprise cloud communications and collaboration solutions.

“We want to ensure that our customers have a range of industry-leading choices when deciding on their network options when they deploy RingCentral solutions,” said Curtis Peterson, RingCentral’s SVP of cloud operations. “By building integrations with leading SD-WAN providers, our new program makes it radically simple for customers to build the network of the future, without a lot of cost or headache.”

Other vendors will likely be added to this network as time goes on.

Channel Impact^®
With the rapid adoption of cloud-first solutions across the enterprise, businesses are increasingly shifting their business applications away from their data centers to public clouds. This certification can help channel partners to integrate multi-vendor solutions from program members more cheaply and easily. This, in turn, can lead to enhanced customer satisfaction, as well as increased profitability.