Exertis Cloud, a division of the eminent technology distributor Exertis, has rapidly made significant strides since its entry into the cloud services market about three years ago. Although it is a newcomer, the company has swiftly established itself as a formidable competitor, combining strategic initiatives with an emphasis on innovation. During a recent discussion, James Yates, Managing Director of Exertis Cloud, shared invaluable insights into the company’s growth strategies, the challenges faced by Managed Service Providers (MSPs), and the pioneering initiatives Exertis Cloud is launching to stay competitive in a continuously evolving market landscape.
Strategic Objectives and Growth
Exertis Cloud has set an ambitious goal to emerge as a £100 million cloud business by 2027, driven by impressive annual growth rates ranging between 20% and 30%. Much of this growth is fueled by key vendors such as Microsoft and Adobe, highlighting the company’s strategic focus. Unlike many competitors that build broad marketplaces encompassing numerous cloud and SaaS vendors, Exertis Cloud favors a more curated approach. They are selectively crafting their vendor portfolio to foster a cohesive ecosystem primarily centered around its core offerings, particularly focusing on Microsoft and Adobe solutions.
To ensure that the curated products are valuable, Exertis Cloud leverages its internal expertise to provide substantial support for these offerings. By concentrating on a few key vendors, the company can deliver a focused and well-supported ecosystem. This strategy is instrumental in helping Exertis Cloud maintain its rapid growth trajectory and meet its ambitious objectives. The selective approach allows for better alignment with vendor capabilities and customer needs, ensuring that both partners and customers benefit from robust and reliable technology solutions.
Building a Differentiated Value Proposition
Exertis Cloud aims to carve out a unique niche in the market through its ‘People, Platform, and Profitability’ proposition. This trifold strategy is designed to offer concrete benefits to both resellers/MSPs and end users, ensuring that they receive optimal value from the company’s cloud services.
People
One of the central tenets of Exertis Cloud’s value proposition is its strong emphasis on personnel. The company understands that the success of its cloud services hinges on having knowledgeable and dedicated staff. As such, Exertis Cloud boasts a team that includes experienced account managers, pre-sales experts, and a 24/7 UK-based helpdesk. This depth of expertise ensures that partners and customers receive continuous support, helping them navigate the complexities of cloud services with confidence and efficiency. By prioritizing the development and retention of skilled personnel, Exertis Cloud positions itself as a trusted advisor and partner in its clients’ cloud journeys.
Platform
Another crucial aspect of Exertis Cloud’s differentiated value proposition is its robust platform. The company prides itself on offering an integrated platform that simplifies cloud operations for its partners. This platform is designed to facilitate ease of use and offers seamless integrations with ERP systems and finance departments. Such integrations are vital as they help partners manage their operations more efficiently, reducing the administrative burden and allowing them to focus on their core business activities. By investing in a robust and user-friendly platform, Exertis Cloud ensures that its partners can leverage the full potential of cloud technologies to drive business growth and success.
Profitability
Profitability is a key focus for Exertis Cloud, and the Stratos Partner Program is at the heart of this endeavor. Launched in October, the Stratos Partner Program is engineered to help partners accelerate their growth and enhance their profitability. The program offers a plethora of support services, including Copilot Readiness Assessments, guidance on Microsoft partner programs, specializations, and designations. Additionally, it includes training for certifications such as MS-900, AZ-900, and AZ-104 through strategic partnerships. Regular CloudConnect events are also organized to facilitate interactions between partners and vendors, further enriching the program’s value. By offering comprehensive support and resources, the Stratos Partner Program empowers Exertis Cloud’s partners to achieve greater success and profitability.
Support for SMBs
A significant part of Exertis Cloud’s strategy is dedicated to supporting small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), which are often overlooked by larger competitors and vendors. The Stratos Partner Program and the company’s value-added investments are heavily geared toward ensuring that SMB resellers and MSPs receive the focused support they need to compete effectively in the market. This commitment to SMBs sets Exertis Cloud apart from many of its competitors. The company recognizes that smaller businesses have unique needs and challenges. Therefore, by providing tailored support and resources, Exertis Cloud helps these companies thrive in an increasingly competitive market landscape.
SMBs often face resource constraints and lack the expertise required to navigate complex cloud environments. Understanding this, Exertis Cloud provides dedicated support aimed at addressing these specific challenges. Whether it’s through expert guidance, specialized training, or robust platform integrations, the company ensures that SMBs have the tools and support needed to succeed. This strategic focus on SMBs not only helps these businesses grow but also strengthens Exertis Cloud’s overall market position by fostering a loyal and engaged partner base.
Addressing Common MSP Challenges
Managed Service Providers (MSPs) encounter several critical challenges in today’s technology landscape. The rapid pace of technological change, the complexity of new technologies like AI, and the stringent security demands of customers are just a few of the hurdles MSPs must overcome. Exertis Cloud’s strategies are designed to support MSPs in addressing these challenges effectively.
Technological Adoption
One of the major challenges MSPs face is the transition from legacy on-premises workloads to cloud environments. Exertis Cloud supports this transition through services like the Cloud Migration Factory. In this initiative, Microsoft engineers assist in migrating legacy infrastructures to Azure, helping MSPs and their customers navigate the complexities of cloud migration and ensure a smooth transition. This support is vital for MSPs looking to modernize their service offerings and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving market.
Return on Investment
The proliferation of AI technologies presents both opportunities and challenges for MSPs. While AI can drive significant business value, demonstrating clear ROI from AI integrations can be challenging. Exertis Cloud is working to provide tangible business cases that showcase the benefits of AI. This includes a focus on efficient data structures, robust security measures, and user enablement. By helping MSPs build compelling ROI cases for AI, Exertis Cloud ensures that these technologies are effectively leveraged to drive business growth and success for MSPs and their customers.
Programmatic Changes
Keeping up with licensing, renewals, and certifications, especially for products from major vendors like Microsoft, remains a significant challenge for MSPs. Exertis Cloud offers services to help manage these complexities efficiently, ensuring MSPs can stay compliant and up-to-date with the latest requirements. By simplifying the administration of licensing and certifications, Exertis Cloud allows MSPs to focus on delivering high-quality service to their customers without being bogged down by administrative hurdles.
Security
Security is a paramount concern for MSPs and their customers. To address this, Exertis Cloud has partnered with ContraForce to provide a managed MDR (Managed Detection and Response) service for MSPs. This service complements their existing offerings with Microsoft Defender and Sentinel, providing comprehensive security solutions that protect customers’ data and systems. By enhancing its security offerings, Exertis Cloud ensures that its partners can confidently address the stringent security demands of their customers.
Trends in the Cloud Market
Exertis Cloud’s strategies are closely aligned with broader trends in the cloud services market. These trends include the increasing importance of AI, the shift from on-premises to cloud infrastructure, and the growing need for robust security solutions. There’s also a heightened focus on ensuring that cloud solutions deliver demonstrable business benefits to end users rather than merely serving as a cost-saving measure.
By staying ahead of these trends and continuously innovating, Exertis Cloud is well-positioned to capitalize on emerging opportunities in the market. The company’s strategic initiatives reflect a deep understanding of the evolving needs of its partners and customers, as well as the broader market dynamics.
Conclusion
Exertis Cloud, a division of the renowned technology distributor Exertis, has quickly made a notable impact since its foray into the cloud services market around three years ago. Despite being a relatively new player, the company has rapidly solidified its position as a strong contender by merging strategic initiatives with a relentless focus on innovation.
In a recent conversation, James Yates, the Managing Director of Exertis Cloud, provided valuable insights into the company’s rapid growth, the obstacles encountered by Managed Service Providers (MSPs), and the forward-thinking initiatives Exertis Cloud is rolling out to remain competitive in an ever-changing market. Yates emphasized the importance of anticipating industry trends and adapting to meet the evolving needs of customers, which has been a cornerstone of Exertis Cloud’s strategy.
Additionally, Exertis Cloud is dedicated to forming robust partnerships and leveraging its extensive network to provide comprehensive solutions that empower MSPs to thrive. As the cloud services market continues to grow, Exertis Cloud remains committed to innovation, striving to deliver cutting-edge services and products that keep them ahead of the curve. This approach has not only helped Exertis Cloud gain significant market share but also positioned them as a thought leader in the cloud services industry.
