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solution, and here’s the business process behind the solution.’Cloud providers should get away from dealing exclusivelywith the IT department and engage with business-functionleaders, C-level executives and business owners.”Cloud readiness assessments are another promising servicethat includes IT health checks, security analyses and compliancereviews. Determining which IT assets should remainon-premise is as valuable as knowing which should be movedto the cloud.Software customization helps to tailor the cloud to the client’sbusiness. “When you move a client to a new businessapplication, someone's got to create workflows, customizethe fields, and ensure the processes match how the companyoperates,” says Bystrak. Software integration,a step higher in the value chain, ties the cloudapplication into the rest of the IT infrastructureto facilitate data transfer and communicationwith other business applications. Software developmentcreates cloud software from scratch.Once the cloud solution is online, datamigration will populate the application. Someonehas to move data from the old on-premiseenvironment to the new cloud solution, andthis professional service should carry a fee.Training, whether for end users directly or forthe client’s trainers, complements any new solution.And change management services can helpclients transition to new cloud services. Theymay also need staffing services to manage theircloud environment. “Ingram Micro has a staffmember dedicated to managing our salesforce.com platform, and I often ask him to create anew report, change a field or add a screen,” says Bystrak. “A VARcould help a client by placing a cloud administrator on-site, orcharge a staffing fee to hire one.”As the cloud replaces on-premise infrastructure, clientsmay need asset disposition services, such as data wiping and“green” disposal of decommissioned gear. There’s also ongoingdemand for end-point device sourcing and management.“I’ve heard a VAR say, ‘I’m not really a desktop guy, I focus onthe network’,” says Bystrak. “But the shift to cloud reduces the data center footprint, andmore users today access the network wirelessly from a notebook,tablet or smart phone." Bystrak suggests devising servicesaround end-point devices for sourcing, asset tagging, imagingand configuration. And customers may need help conceivingand managing bring-your-own-device (BYOD) programs.Getting There From HereIf this business sounds promising, here are tips from expertswho have been there. Be aware that your staff, businessprocesses and technology may need to be tweaked in thetransition to selling, delivering and supporting cloud services.• Brand your business: As you add professional services to your“The good news isthat if you find theright partners, you’llgain a key source oftechnology and businessassistance.”— Charles Stafford,Matrix Integrationportfolio, you must communicate who you are and what youoffer. That means branding your company as a cloud providerthat can help clients improve their businesses. Then you need acontent strategy with collateral that promotes your brand andservices. Interestingly, research suggests that the majority oftech buyers aren’t aware of their provider’s full suite of services.“If service providers don’t stay in front of clients, if they aren’ttalking about their full range of offerings in a way that resonateswith clients, they’re unlikely to extend the relationship,” saysElizabeth Harr, partner at Hinge Research Institute, a brandingand marketing firm. One smart approach is to schedule regularsit-downs to explore clients’ business challenges and whethercloud services might fit.• Sell to the top: Perhaps the biggest challengecomes in human resources. Since consultativeselling is the key to success with cloud services,you need to build a team that is comfortableselling to, and supporting, C-level executivesand business owners. “The cloud changes theskillset of the people we look to hire,” saysStafford of Matrix Integration. “It not onlyimpacts who we talk to on the client side, butthe technical resources we need to supportthose conversations.”• Travel up the value chain: Sales conversationswith C-level executives are likely to involvebusiness applications such as CRM, ERP, collaborationand industry-specific software, allaimed at growing the client’s revenue andimproving operations. “Traditional partnershave provided professional services around theinfrastructure,” says Bergeron. “They’ve movedup from selling technology to technology solutions. Nowthey can move higher up the value chain by offering servicesaround cloud-powered business applications.”• Partner well: This last piece of advice relates to creating theright partner ecosystem. Key is identifying industry leaderssuch as Ingram Micro and leveraging their resources to providethe right services, receive technical support and get your stafftrained. “They’re trying to crack the same nut we are,” quipsStafford. “The good news is that if you find the right partners,you’ll gain a key source of technology and business assistance.”With their help, you are likely to get a powerful boost up thevalue chain toward a successful professional services practice.About the author: Tom Farre, the former editor of VARBusiness,is a freelance journalist who has covered technology formore than 20 years.SOLUTION PROVIDER MENTIONSCloud Sherpas, www.cloudsherpas.comMatrix Integration, www.matrixintegration.comSingle Path, www.singlepath.comSolve IT, www.solveit.us16 CHANNEL ADVISOR SPRING 2013