CHANNEL CHIEF
JAMES WRIGHT explains how Cloudian is helping CIOs to meet the expectation of their businesses and how important it is for channel partners to keep in touch with technology to survive and keep their customer in the centre of their operations .
dDescribe your current job role and what is challenging ? Wright works with resellers , cloud solution providers , distributors , OEMs , technology alliance partners , and customers across the region to recruit , enable and build sales pipeline for all parties . It is a big area to cover across a wide range of cultures and languages which is challenging .
The challenge is to educate partners and customers on the use cases and business challenges Cloudian can help solve . No CIO wakes up in the morning thinking about object storage . They wake up thinking about management overheads , storage cost blowouts , cloud lock-in , data protection , management challenges , migration pain . And most importantly how are they adding value back into business .
Can you explain how Cloudian works with channel partners ?
Cloudian currently transacts everything through the channel , so Cloudian has a clean route to market with minimal conflict which is great for maintaining positive channel relationships . Cloudian relies on partners to help scale and the vendor is available to do the heavy lifting as needed .
How do you ensure channel partners flourish in a competitive market ?
Wright has spent 25 + years working in storage , telecom , and ICT , particularly with challenger brands . Over that time , Wright has worked with and been part of vendor and channel teams . Wright learnt to be firm when evaluating new technology partners , to really dig into how they were going to help customers solve a problem , how they would fit into the portfolio , and how they were going to support staff in positioning and delivering .
When speaking to potential partners , Wright is conscious of ticking those boxes . Wright is not interested in recruiting partners just to build the base , Wright wants to work with partners for whom Cloudian are adding value , where Cloudian can build trust and relationship .
What are the trends you see emerging across the channel ?
The IT landscape is getting more and more complicated . The lines are blurring between traditional backend IT infrastructure , with line-of-business apps , CCTV , and traditional building management , IoT everywhere , mobile workers , new AI and ML modelling and planning , and so much more . IT can no longer be a reactive provider ; it must be a core pillar of business strategy and operations .
No vendor can do it all and the partners who can tie together multiple products into a go-to-market strategy that can help IT be that strategic partner within the business will flourish . The channel partners who understand the needs of their target business , their operations and their needs are the ones who will be thriving .
Describe your management style ?
Wright is a firm believer in putting the customer at the centre of what they do . Wright always infuses this into the management philosophy with staff and
James Wright , Senior Director , Asia Pacific , and Japan , Cloudian
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