Everything-as-a-service is the next big cloud opportunity according to technology research and advisory firm 451 Research, which says the changing market provides significant opportunities for the channel.
The United States-based company says as-a-service is moving beyond infrastructure-as-a-service, platform-as-a-service and software-as-a-service, with increasing demand for managed security, managed cyber-disaster recovery, managed networking services and managed hosting.
It says the ability for the reseller channel and service providers to ‘connect the dots' will become a key differentiator in the wake of new kinds of managed services, hardware appliance and security requirements.
451 Research says vendors and providers who deliver high automation, rapid provisioning and services which address complex enterprise needs while retaining high-touch delivery, will see the biggest opportunities.
Those who focus on specialist regional and vertical markets are also flagged to see ‘substantial growth'.
The research house says managed services and security services are aligned to around half of the
Rory Duncan, 451 Research managed services and hosting research director, says that spending trend, along with feedback from providers, highlights the appetite for a wider range of bundled offerings from the managed service sector, including systems integrators, VARs and others with service delivery experience.
“We see a significant opportunity for technology vendors to partner with service providers to offer higher-value, niche and vertical offerings as these services rapidly emerge,” Duncan says.
451 Research say the changing dynamic is a positive for the channel.
“As much of the physical infrastructure delivered through IT distribution has become invisible to end users, many businesses have progressed from tin-shifting commoditised IT to supplying new kinds of cloud services.
“As a result, 451 Research believes the role of the channel is now more important than ever in delivering support, maintenance and consulting services.