The rise of Xero’s cloud integrator channel

Mark Harris for Xero writes: Lately we’ve seen a new channel start to rise in our ecosystem: cloud integrators. Cloud integrators are specialists who support small business owners as they implement Xero with some of our many Add-on Partners. The result is a perfect cloud solution to run their businesses.

One of the benefits of the cloud is you can piece together the perfect solution for your business using best-in-class or best of breed apps, instead of using one vendor offering a compromised solution trying to be everything to everyone. This means it’s important to get it right up front and if you’re not an expert on what’s available, that’s where a cloud integrator can help.

Chris Ridd, our AU Managing Director spoke about the cloud integrator channel at #xerocon 2013 and he believes that this channel will play a major part in helping Xero Partners and small businesses move their businesses into the cloud with ease. With that in mind, it was great to present this new channel at a nationwide roadshow run by Express Online. The roadshow ran across two weeks, covering Perth, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne and gave us the perfect opportunity to springboard the project to bring cloud integrators into the extended Xero family.

Working with our add-on partners Vend & Geo-Op, we presented how our solutions work together and showed potential integrators the new way that small businesses can create efficiency. The roadshow helped us to begin recruiting cloud integrators from the best IT resellers and technology gurus from around Australia. And following on from the roadshow we have partnered with some highly skilled and motivated tech companies from around the country.

What we learned

The great thing about cloud integrators is the way they create a sustainable future for IT resellers who traditionally sold software in a box. With software moving into the cloud, the reseller role needs to evolve. And that’s where cloud integrators come in — rather than sell boxes of software, cloud integrators can offer sets of cloud solutions and through their specialist expertise in a specific software application or industry to provide a complete functional solution.

They also they give existing accounting and bookkeeping Partners the ability to focus on their strengths. The cloud integrators can get clients set up with Xero and other cloud solutions, while their accountant takes on the ongoing support and consulting that they do best.

If you’re in Australia, you can see a list of local  Cloud Integrators. Australia is just the beginning, though – as cloud adoption rises around the world, so does demand for integration services. If you want to be among the first in your area, get in touch with us at sales@xero.com. Someone from the  team will be in touch with you to explain the process to help you get onboard.