Warren Nolan (rhipe)
rhipe is moving ahead with plans to help the partner ecosystem support widespread demand for digital transformation expertise in Asia Pacific, underpinned by cloud solutions and managed services.
The specialist Microsoft distributor – recently acquired by Crayon in late 2021 – is building on a wealth of technical, transformational and business development support to guide the channel through a new era of innovation.
“We are proud of the long and strategic partnership we have with Microsoft,” said Warren Nolan, senior vice president of Channel and Strategy at rhipe.
The distributor – which was recognised as Microsoft’s Asia Pacific Region Channel Partner of the Year in 2021 – is focused on leveraging deep domain expertise in Microsoft cloud solutions to drive enhanced value via the partner ecosystem.
This is primarily through ongoing education, developing new initiatives that create market opportunity and helping partners in Asia understand which Microsoft solutions are the “best fit” for end customers.
“Whether our partners are building their own cloud to provide managed services for their end customers or reselling Microsoft public cloud resources through rhipe, they benefit from our economies of scale and deep domain knowledge across the full Microsoft solution array,” Nolan added.
For Nolan, key to rhipe’s success has been an ability to keep up with the pace of change and innovation of Microsoft, which is “only possible” through close collaboration and participation in multiple co-design sessions, proof of concepts and technical previews.
“We provide strategic guidance on Microsoft solutions and stay ahead of the curve,” he outlined. “Our goal is to ensure our partners fully leverage every available opportunity from their licensing programs.”
Central to such efforts was the acquisition of Parallo, a specialist Azure cloud management service provider with a core focus on helping software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies scale faster.
Since joining rhipe in 2020, Parallo has continued to build a concentrated position in service provision for independent software vendors (ISVs) and SaaS partners on Microsoft Azure.
“We continue to invest in Parallo to deliver enhanced services to its ISV and SaaS partner community,” Nolan said. “The Parallo business was expanded to the Singapore market in 2021 with a core focus to enable ISVs to take their solution to new markets and scale with high availability and performance in mind.
“As a result of many years of experience in managing complex Azure environments and working with ISVs, Parallo brings a wealth of experience and capabilities to help SaaS companies scale faster.”
Digital acceleration
rhipe’s increased commitment to the partner ecosystem comes in response to the rapid acceleration of digital transformation, triggered by COVID-19 as businesses pursue innovation at all costs across the region.
“COVID-19 has been the digital accelerant of the decade,” Nolan observed. “Almost every industry has been impacted in some way by the global pandemic, with the ongoing demand for cloud solutions continuing.
“Our priority is to support our partners with the latest technology solutions that help them innovate in the new world of remote and hybrid working environments, particularly around cloud security, to address their specific business needs.”
On the flipside, and in recognition that many partners are SMBs in the region, Nolan said the distributor continues to help providers expand business capabilities and access additional expertise through solutions such as rhipe Managed Services.
“With our expertise in Microsoft Azure, we work with partners to extend the technical capabilities of their own teams, identifying ways to reduce costs and get optimal value from Azure investments,” he explained.
As the dust settles on rhipe’s acquisition by Crayon in 2021, Nolan said the business is continuing to work through the integration process and combine the two organisations into the “strongest channel distribution business” in Asia Pacific.
“For our partners, this means they can strengthen their own offerings thanks to a broader global service capability and non-compete business model,” he added.
“We are leveraging the expertise across both companies, and this will ultimately support our partners in becoming leaders in their fields. With so much opportunity ahead, it’s never been a better time to be a rhipe and Crayon partner or employee.”
Highlighting how the ecosystem can support increased customer appetite for transformation, Vivek Puthucode – Chief Partner Officer at Microsoft Asia Pacific – outlines the path to partner success. To read – click here.
