Aruba flags everything-as-a-service push in partner strategy update

Aruba has revealed its partner strategy going forward will focus on managed services, delivering network solutions as ‘everything-as-a-service’ (XaaS), a response to the rapid shift to cloud, digital transformation and emergence of hybrid workplace. 

The details of the Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) networking subsidiary’s latest partner strategy efforts were revealed by the company during its Aruba Atmosphere (ATM) Asia Pacific Partner Conference, the first virtual event for Aruba’s channel partners in the region. 

Along with the new format, this year’s event outlined how Aruba is poised to collaborate with partners by providing them with new business models to navigate the changing market landscape and to become digital-ready.

The company’s efforts include partner-branded and Aruba-branded offerings that partners will be able to exclusively take to market. 

The Partner-branded option of offering is for Aruba partners that want to resell and deliver to customers their network solutions.

The partner and Aruba-branded offering is for Aruba managed services providers using the partner’s own capability to deliver cloud-managed networks to their customers under an as-a-service model, underpinned by the partner’s own network operations centre (NOC) and customer success staff. 

At the same time, the Aruba-branded option is for partners to deliver solutions to their customers using Aruba’s cloud managed network, supported by Aruba’s NOC and customer success staff based on an as-a-service model using subscription billing.

Meanwhile, Aruba’s latest small to medium business (SMB) strategy aims to support companies through cloud managed and app managed network solutions, such as the Aruba Instant On products to keep their business up and running. 

This strategy is designed to help partners customise their approach to achieve profitability and establish differentiation in the market for customers.

"We have made great strides in collaborating with our partners particularly during these unprecedented times,” Aruba Asia Pacific and Japan channel director Anthony Smith said. “We remain fully committed to delivering products, programs and services that support their business goals and helping partners grow their opportunities.

"With the changing enterprise needs brought by the accelerated phase of their digital transformation journeys, our focus is to provide our channel partners a robust set of programs that will help them scale business results.

“This plan will outline through our ‘six bold moves,’ which will help guide Aruba partners and distributors on this journey into the next fiscal year,” he added. 

The vendor also honoured its top performing channel partners across the region during the event, recognising a total of 12 of partners for demonstrating commercial excellence and customer success over the past year. 

The winners were:

APJ Experience Edge Solution Award

• StarHub Ltd (Singapore)

• NTT DATA Customer Service Corporation (Japan)

• NEC Australia (Australia)    

APJ Managed Service Provider Award

• PT Hipernet Indodata (Indonesia)    

APJ Champion of Champions

• Dongkuk Systems (Korea)

• Digital China Macao Commercial Offshore (China)

• Insung Information (Korea)    

APJ Aruba Instant On Awards       

• Top Reseller WLAN — River Network (Korea)

• Top Reseller Wired — Ugent (Korea)

• Top Distributor — Daiwabo Information System (Japan)

• Top Innovative Partner — JJNET International (Taiwan)