Channel Chiefs Converse On Cloud

With strategic service providers stepping up to act as independent trusted technology cloud consultants driving business outcomes, CRN asked four top channel executives from Microsoft, EMC-Virtustream, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and NetSuite to weigh in on a wide variety of cloud issues including the cloud services opportunity, the need for partners to attain new skills and DevOps competency, to Amazon Web Services.

The four channel chiefs -- Microsoft Corporate Vice President Phil Sorgen, HPE Cloud Chief Marketing Officer Bobby Patrick, NetSuite Senior Vice President, Channel Sales Craig West, and Vice President, Channels EMC-Virtustream Sean McGinn -- also spoke about their respective company cloud strategies and the future of the channel.

The discussion took place as CRN parent The Channel Company released exclusive research showing that strategic service providers, which are driving a higher percentage of sales based on solving business problems, have $1 million more in annual revenue and nearly double the percentage of cloud and managed services sales than solution providers that have not moved to the new business model.

Following is a description of each executive's role and background, as well as how they in their own words view the cloud opportunity.