The Options

The changing landscape might feel foreboding. But SPLA partners have options, Paul said.

•    Upgrade to the current form of Hosted Exchange. With this, partners can also offer bundled or more value-added services, such as a premium price, service and 24/7 support.

•    Become a cloud services provider. If you’re not already in Microsoft’s Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program, there’s never been a better time to get started.

•    Partner with a two-tier provider. If lack of infrastructure prohibits a partner from joining the CSP program, it can still capitalize on the program’s many benefits as an indirect channel partner.

•    Stop selling email and become more specialized. Shift the core business focus to a point where customers need your service the most as opposed to being a commodity service provider.