Dell has extended its Cloud Services to its partners in the UK and Europe six months after it launched its cloud in the region.
Following on from a pilot the company ran in June, Dell has now made available its cloud managed services to all its partners as part of its PartnerDirect programme. Dell said the programme's expansion would allow end customers increased control and flexibility in choosing, managing and expanding their IT resources across public, private, and hybrid cloud environments.
The launch coincides with an extension of its channel certification programme. Partners will be able to specialise in three areas; Cloud Builder, Cloud Provider, and the newly launched Cloud Services Enabler.
The Cloud Services Enabler certification demonstrates that resellers are able to offer and operate managed cloud services based on Dell hardware and software. The cloud service is supported by VMware vCloud technology. The certification is aimed at companies that act as brokers, integrating cloud technologies and providing a managed service for customers.
"Our cloud certification brings Dell's offerings together, in one easy package for partners. The intention is to make the journey to the cloud as easy as possible and give partners a flexible, scalable solution that meet customers' needs," said Declan Murphy, vice president, Dell Services EMEA.
"We have already seen significant interest from our partners in leveraging Dell's vCloud platform for customers," he said.
"Customers want to know we understand their needs and can provide a suitable solution to address them. The Cloud Services Enabler Certifications allow us to demonstrate that we know how to solve real world issues, and have the backing of Dell's cloud solution experts," said Roger Harry, managing director of Circle IT Solutions.
"We can position ourselves in the trusted advisor role, and we're one of the first partners to gain this accreditation, which builds on the existing success of the PartnerDirect programme," he added.
