Dell Expands Cloud Services With PartnerDirect Channel Program

Cloud Services Enabler is the last of a set of three certifications offered by Dell under its cloud services and solutions group for channel partners within the Dell PartnerDirect program.

The new certification compliments the company's Cloud Builder program, which was launched in March and offers services to design and develop a cloud infrastructure for customers, and its Cloud Provider partner, which was launched in June and operates a cloud networking operating center (NOC) enabled with Dell technology to provide cloud services, including infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS), platform-as-a-service (PaaS) or software-as-a-service (SaaS).

[Related: The Coolest Cloud Startups Of 2012 (So Far) ]

"The Cloud Services Enabler program provides cloud services that bring cloud solutions together, such as application integration, apps development or ISVs," Bob Skelley, executive director, Dell global certified partner program and channel, said Monday. "It works as an aggregator to bring all these services together. Now, we have a full suite of offerings, and we have solutions providers of all types to engage with Dell in that cloud."

Dell’s U.S. and Canada channel partners will be able to offer complete Dell Cloud Services to customers under Dell’s PartnerDirect Program, powered by Dell data centers, experts and technologies, the company said.

Skelley said the number of partners seeking to participate in Dell's cloud partner program is growing at a steady rate.

"We have almost a couple of hundred partners in the process of getting certification," he told CRN. "We have a couple who are very close and expect to ramp up soon."

PUBLISHED AUG. 6, 2012