In my last couple of blogs, I’ve gone over the Azure programs that are available from both Dicker Data and Microsoft, which are designed to help yourselves as partners and in-turn your customers with regards to the cloud as well as a more in-depth blog on Azure Express Solution Assessments which can really help you and your customers get started on their Azure journey and lay the foundations for utilizing the other programs that are available.

In this month’s blog I’m going to touch on the customer cloud journey focusing on the Migrate phase using free Azure migration services from the Cloud Solution Unit (CSU) Migration Factory at Microsoft.

 

You may have seen some of our announcements via LinkedIn or via email but as part of Dicker Data’s Great (Digital) Migration Program, we are now able to offer free Azure migrations for our partners and their SMB customers (these customers need to be net new to Azure) through our partnership with the CSU team at Microsoft. This is all designed to make migrating to Microsoft Azure a seamless experience for your SMB customers, regardless of the workload size - from single VMs to scaling up to hundreds across a wide array of Azure services.

This means that after doing a cloud assessment (Dicker Data or Microsoft led), a proof of concept (if needed), you’re now able to get more easily started on the actual migration itself.

 

What are some of the specifics of the program and the value it provides?

  • No Minimum Entry Workload Size: Whether you're moving a single virtual machine or dealing with hundreds of VMs, this program is tailored to ensure you can transition any of your customers smoothly without any limitations on the workload size.

  • Comprehensive Migration Service: The Microsoft CSU team supports migrations from on-premises, AWS, GCP and Hosters to Azure, whether that is rehosting to Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) offerings, or refactoring/modernizing to Platform as a Service (PaaS) offerings, like Azure SQL Database or a combination of both with the likes of Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), among other scenarios depending on the requirement of course.

  • White-Glove Service: Migrating to the cloud can be a daunting task. That's why we provide a "white glove" service, ensuring your SMB customers have access to top-tier support and assistance throughout the migration process. This service includes expert guidance, project management, and technical assistance every step of the way.

  • Shadowing Opportunity: As a Dicker Data partner, you have the opportunity to shadow the Microsoft experts during the migration process. This hands-on experience allows you to gain valuable insights and expertise, ensuring you can replicate the process for your future migrations. It's like having a personal mentor to guide you through the migration journey.

  • Enhanced Security and Compliance: Rest assured that your SMB clients' data and applications are secure during and after migration. Microsoft Azure offers robust security features and compliance standards to protect your clients' assets.

 

All of the customer cloud journey steps (Assess, PoC, Migrate, & Optimize) can now be delivered and funded through Dicker Data’s comprehensive Azure service offerings to ensure your customer’s journey to Azure is delivered cost effectively and by best practice.

If you’re interested in this program or the end-to-end customer cloud journey that Dicker Data provides, then come have a chat to myself or anyone else here in the Azure Team, you can also book a discovery call for an initial discussion here.