Microsoft has been rolling out ESD to authorized distributors for about two years, enabling instant delivery of a range of software directly to end users—entirely electronically. The benefits are compelling. End-customers can use software immediately by downloading links and accessing license keys. Service levels improve because boxed products are eliminated—making stock holding and lost packages a thing of the past. And, above all, ESD represents a real revenue opportunity because resellers can cross-sell and up-sell other software and hardware, as well as place orders 24/7 from anywhere in the world.
ESD is undoubtedly the future for software delivery, but the key question is how to maximize the opportunity. Today, distributors are seeking fully-integrated tools that can handle their entire offering easily, as well as open up new revenue opportunities. They don’t want a mix of non-compatible platforms or time-consuming in-house development that offsets the gains offered by platform enhancement. interworks.cloud’s new delivery automation module is designed to fully address these needs: saving customers time and cost—and offering them a marketplace tailor-made to drive ESD revenues.
The new module is based on a well-established CSP platform that can be installed in days, creating an intuitive online marketplace that seamlessly runs billing and invoicing, as well as providing a comprehensive back office for sales intelligence and communications. It then builds on this powerful functionality—enabling distributors to easily create and update storefronts for Microsoft ESD and automatically take resellers’ orders which are billed as perpetual licenses. It also allows distributors to keep track of licenses owned and use this knowledge to offer better support. What’s more, distributors can centralize their CSP and ESD businesses in a single place—through a flexible, competitively priced platform.
flexible, competitively priced platform.
Commenting on the launch of the new module, Vasilis Tsantiotis, VP of Products and Vendor Alliances, said: “Adding the Microsoft ESD automation module is another milestone on the roadmap to serving our customers even better. It offers a richer portfolio of Microsoft programs, and enables ESD distributors to deliver more efficiently and drive new business. We’re determined to harness our unique market position to empower Microsoft Distributors to seize both B2B and B2C opportunities.”
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