CRN Exclusive: TierPoint Nabs Exclusive Microsoft Azure Indirect Cloud Solution Provider Status

TierPoint is expanding its relationship with Microsoft by gaining exclusive status as a Microsoft Azure Authorized Indirect Cloud Solutions Provider, making it easy for TierPoint's solution provider partners to sell and profit from Azure services.

TierPoint's new status with Microsoft builds on its previous relationship as a Direct Partner within the Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program. As an Authorized Indirect Cloud Solution Provider for Azure services, TierPoint will be able to pass on more financial incentives to its partners, Bob Buchanan, TierPoint's vice president of channel sales told CRN.

There are less than a dozen U.S.-based managed hosting and cloud providers that have achieved this designation with Microsoft. TierPoint partners enrolled in the Microsoft Partner Network with Indirect Reseller status will be able to provide a one-stop shop for Microsoft Azure for business customers, according to St. Louis-based TierPoint.

[Related: TierPoint Doubles Down On Data Center Strategy, Aims To Expand Cloud Services, Partner Revenues]

The expanded relationship between TierPoint and Microsoft will let solution providers sell TierPoint's managed services on the Azure stack, giving partners access to recurring revenue from both TierPoint's offerings and Azure services, as well as the ability to centrally manage and support their customer's IT environments. Partners will have access to TierPoint's architecture and hybrid cloud design expertise, as well as migration and cloud billing tools, Buchanan said.

The provider's new designation with Microsoft is "icing on the cake," according to Drew Lydecker, president and co-founder, Avant, a Chicago-based master agent and TierPoint partner.

’TierPoint is a company that prides themselves on being the best in the business, customizing their services with a white-glove-approach," Lydecker said. "From [our] perspective, to have this powerful channel company offer Microsoft Azure is an unreal step to take advantage of this disruption that the ecosystem is providing.’

Once known only for its data center footprint and colocation offerings, TierPoint has had its sights set on evolving its business to focus on hybrid IT solutions, including cloud management and hyper-scale technologies, such as Azure, Buchanan said.

TierPoint's current footprint consists of 39 data centers in 20 different geographies.

"Our partners are realizing they are engaging with business customers that want to buy IT differently. They are understanding that TierPoint is a partner that can handle the traditional IT needs of the customer, while also handle the evolving and dynamic requirements that stretch beyond the customer's four walls," Buchanan said.

Buchanan said that by addressing a customer's hybrid IT needs, solution providers can easily add more recurring revenue. TierPoint plans on continuing its Azure 101 educational series for partners that it started last year.

TierPoint plans to grow its channel community in 2017 and its expanded relationship with Microsoft will be a big part in helping them reach their goal. TierPoint also has brought on Kenny Ash as assistant vice president of channel sales for TierPoint as a key part of its partner growth strategy. Ash joined TierPoint in October and previously served as national partner manager for Charlotte, N.C-based cloud service provider Peak 10.