How to Capitalize on the Edge Computing Opportunity

IT solution providers are well positioned to address the business needs of organizations undergoing digital transformation and the related transition to edge computing. With a unique set of technical skills and an extensive market coverage presence, channel partners will be in the strongest position to serve the growing needs of this emerging marketplace. Two drivers – an expansion of new edge offerings from technology manufacturers and growing end user requirements for digital transformation   ̶  are establishing a fertile ground for new, longer term, channel partner business growth.

For many channel partners, a transition to a more active role in edge computing opportunities will mean less of an emphasis on reselling hardware and software products, and more time spent providing services that target vertical industries or solution niches. Edge computing use cases can be quite varied.  Since these systems are located physically near the points where data is being generated, edge computing environments can include buildings, factory floors, oil rigs, gasoline and EV charging stations and retail outlets just to name a few.

The eGuide, “How to Capitalize on the Edge Computing Opportunity,” represents each step of the sales cycle with an approach that is focused on driving your edge computing business growth. The eGuide:

• Identifies edge solutions that complement existing offer portfolios
• Recommends successful edge computing sales strategies
• Highlights tools that enable edge planning and deployment
• Describes how an ecosystem of partnerships among vendors can yield successful business results

As the number of edge computing sites increases and the need for services to support those installations intensifies, one of the biggest opportunities for channel partners will be edge site monitoring and management services.

Highlights from eGuide that focus on partner edge growth strategies

The new eGuide shares the latest edge computing market research and helps channel partners to quickly build new revenue streams and achieve goals of profit, ease of support, and access to new customers.

Below are several highlights surrounding some of the key topics discussed in the eGuide:

• Increase in revenues – A single IT solution provider, instead of simply proposing a $3,000 UPS to protect an edge server, can now, through the use of design tools, easily configure a $13,000 micro data center solution instead. Such a solution will typically involve software, physical security, management and monitoring services, installation services, and remote maintenance services as well. Offerings such as Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure IT can identify potential uptime threats before any downtime occurs. These new services will reward IT solution providers with a gradual build-up of an annual, predictable revenue stream.

• Decrease in effort – Tools like the APC Local Edge Configurator (LEC), greatly simplify the design and delivery effort. The LEC helps partners to physically lay out their edge computing site. It incorporates a library of APC products and third-party devices like servers, networking, converged and hyperconverged systems and storage devices (from companies like IBM, HPE, Cisco, Nutanix, Dell EMC among others), so that the entire environment (racks, cooling, power distribution, power protection, environmental monitoring) can be planned and configured.

• Extension of reach – In order to capture more of the edge computing business growth opportunity at a faster rate, APC has developed an Edge Certification program specifically for its partners. The certification program introduces new product categories, identifies additional edge computing customer personas, and analyzes new specialized market niches. Such programs enable channel partners to support end users by driving standardization, adopting new edge computing software skills, and augmenting edge computing service capabilities.

Download the Edge Computing eGuide

For complete details on how achieve Certainty in a Connected World and to best develop the capabilities required to address edge computing requirements, download the new eGuide “How to Capitalize on the Edge Computing Opportunity.”