Is Microsoft The Next Channel Game Changer?

Microsoft’s disruptive move to open up its cloud-based offerings for resale to channel partners presents a huge opportunity for solution providers according to a vice president for a master agent that’s working with a Microsoft partner helping the channel resell Office 365 products.

Andrew Pryfogle, senior vice president of cloud transformation for Petaluma, Calif.-based Intelisys, said Microsoft’s decision could impact every client a solution provider has, because every business could potentially be a Microsoft customer.

"Even customers that have already adopted Office 365 are still prospects; there's still a way to tag on with Microsoft. There's an amazingly rich opportunity … In fact, it will be the biggest lane grab in decades for this channel," Pryfogle said.

At the recent Channel Partners expo in Las Vegas, a panel of Microsoft partners discussed how the vendor has cozied up to the channel, where Microsoft falls short, and where partners can step in to offer a more complete communications solution to clients.