The 6 Most-Asked Questions About WatServ’s Partnership Program
2019 was an exciting year for WatServ, made even more so thanks to our incredible partners.
In fact, we have numerous partners to thank for helping us acquire new clients, including but not limited to:
We deeply value your support and appreciate you choosing us as your partner.
Last year, we were also able to attend several industry events to connect with potential partners and spread the word about cloud technologies and digital transformation. We enjoyed meeting new people and seeing familiar faces at Directions North America in Las Vegas, the IWLA Tech and Ops Conference in Columbus, the User Group Summit in Orlando and many more.
Throughout the year, we had several potential partners reach out to us with questions about our Partnership Program. As a result, we’ve put together this list of FAQs.
If your organization is interested in partnering with us, we hope the following information will provide you with valuable insight.
Six Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About WatServ’s Partnership Program
1. Who is WatServ’s Partnership Program Ideal for?
Our partners generally fall within one of two groups:
- Microsoft Dynamics partners seeking industry-leading hosted platforms for ERP and financial applications in either Azure or Hybrid-Cloud
- IT consultants helping clients with digital transformations. When cloud migration from on-premise or co-location facilities are part of the digital transformation, WatServ is positioned to deliver.
Partners choose us so they can remain focused on their core capabilities, while trusting us to deliver cloud-infrastructure and advanced managed service solutions. Working with WatServ means partners can leverage our deep experience with cloud migrations and be confident in our technical knowledge given the cloud’s rapid pace of change.
2. What models of engagement does WatServ offer?
We offer two engagement models:
- Direct Model – Under this model, we have a direct relationship with the end customer. The partner introduces WatServ to the end customer and we develop contracts, obligations and SLAs. After collecting payments, we remit a revenue-sharing amount back to the referring partner.
- White Label Model – Under this model, WatServ has no direct relationship with the end customer and instead acts as a sub-supplier for the partner. WatServ develops contractual obligations, including SLAs, and we bill and collect payments from the partner for the services we provide. Often, partners will “pass through” our benefits to the end customer. Additionally, the partner has flexibility over pricing and may choose to include a mark-up on WatServ’s services. WatServ provides partners with a discount on services, which is equivalent to the revenue-sharing amounts under the Direct model.
When evaluating alternative models, consider the following questions:
- How would you like the end customer to view the WatServ-partner relationship? Under the white label model, some of our partners still choose to disclose to the end customer their sub-supplier relationship with us. In this case, they prefer the white label model to reduce billing complexity for the end customer.
- Under the white label model, are you comfortable and able to assume payment obligations for the end customer?
- How important is it to you to have access to the cloud environment without approval from the end customer (usually a consideration in terms of speed of access)? If it’s important, the white label model may be more appropriate, since you are contractually our customer.
Although the two aforementioned engagement models are the most common, WatServ is open to discussing other needs and requirements.
3. Who owns the relationship with the end customer?
This will depend on the engagement model chosen.
Under the white label model, where WatServ has no direct relationship with the end customer, the partner will own the relationship with the end customer.
On the other hand, under the direct model arrangement, WatServ will own the relationship with the end customer, but only as it relates to the services we provide.
4. How does revenue sharing work between WatServ and the partner?
In exchange for partner-referred deals, WatServ will share specified revenues or margins with partners for the following services:- One-time advisory, consulting and professional services;
- Private cloud hosting, inclusive of consumption and managed services;
- Public cloud managed services;
- Software licenses, on-premises type and application-related; and
- Value-added services provided by third-party firms.
5. How are responsibilities and accountabilities split between the partner and WatServ?
The division of responsibilities and accountabilities are, at a high-level, shown in the following diagram:
WatServ designs, manages and maintains cloud infrastructure that the application(s) runs on, which is inclusive of networking through to runtime. Partners are responsible for the application and data layers.
6. Can you describe a typical opportunity lifecycle when working with WatServ?
At WatServ, we begin working with partners as early as possible in the opportunity lifecycle. This helps ensure accuracy and timeliness of work. The diagram below illustrates a typical opportunity lifecycle:
- Requirements Gathering – Upon learning of an opportunity, the partner shares cloud infrastructure requirements and specifications with WatServ. To facilitate the process, WatServ often provides a requirements questionnaire.
- Cloud Planning – After cloud requirements are finalized, WatServ custom-designs the cloud architecture to meet the required specifications. At this stage, WatServ produces indicative pricing, which can be presented to the end customer by either the partner or WatServ.
- Proposal Delivery and Acceptance by End Customer – In receipt of WatServ’s cloud solution, and often following additional conversations to resolve any questions, the end customer proceeds with the solution.
- Cloud Deploy – Coordinating with the partner, WatServ implements the cloud solution and helps the partner drive the project to go live.
- Cloud Maintain – Once the project has gone live and is in the post-implementation phase, WatServ transitions into maintenance mode, where we monitor, manage and continuously optimize the end customer’s cloud environment.
There you have it. Six of the most-asked questions about WatServ’s Partnership Program.
Want to learn more? Please reach out to [email protected] and member of our team will be in touch.
WatServ demonstrates best-in-class capability and market leadership through proven technology and customer commitment.
About
WatServ is an IT solutions provider that helps organizations digitally transform through cloud technologies and managed services.
Serving clients as a trusted advisor since 2006, WatServ provides experience-tested, strategic solutions across all stages of the digital transformation journey. Clients choose WatServ to migrate infrastructure and applications to the cloud, secure critical data, implement disaster recovery, deploy virtual desktop, enable data-readiness for productivity solutions and manage IT environments.
Our clients span a broad range of industries, and we’re a global supplier of IT services for many Brookfield Portfolio Companies. To help our mid-size clients, we provide scalable offerings that simplify cloud adoption and drive business optimization. For enterprise clients, we co-create cloud solutions that enable stability and efficiency for complex IT tools and processes.
With more than 15 years of experience, WatServ has a track record of delivering quantifiable business results and a superior client experience. Ranked as one of Canada’s Top 100 Solution Providers for the last three years in a row, WatServ is always on.
