Fujitsu has launches its new EMEIA-wide Service Provider Program, developed for and by partners. Designed to address the long-term shift in the way customers of all size are moving from a product-centric approach to a greater focus on IT-as-service, Fujitsu is building partnerships with forward-thinking service providers who are realigning their business models.
According to research firm IDC, IT spending continues to shift from enterprises to service providers. Fujitsu is focused on enabling service providers to thrive in this market, by differentiating their offerings through service integration.
The new Fujitsu Service Provider Program is designed to de-risk the potential challenges involved in this transition, enabling service providers to better compete with hyperscale cloud operators, and addressing the growing shortage of specialized IT skills. Fujitsu is offering service providers two different, cloud-like sourcing models to accommodate risk-profile options, based on ‘growth’ and ‘de-risking’ scenarios.
Rüdiger Frickenschmidt, head of service provider business and IoT at Fujitsu EMEIA, says: “For service providers, competition is fierce and to thrive and compete successfully in the future demands a transition to become service integrators. To help de-risk that journey, Fujitsu’s new Service Provider Program provides the infrastructure excellence needed for peace of mind, plus access to our global expertise and innovation, with which we can co-create – with our partners – as-a-service solutions for customers. We are introducing a flexible model that gives our partners the power to focus on what their customers really need to achieve to win.”
A key aspect of the new Fujitsu service provider program is a shift in focus away from products, towards the co-creation of next generation ‘as-a-service’ customer solutions. This approach leverages the combined expertise of Fujitsu, which is itself a leading managed service provider, and xSP partners, which might be telco-based, managed service providers, co-locators or channel partners belonging to the Fujitsu SELECT Partner Program.
Both service providers and their customers benefit from flexible IT infrastructure capacity that adapts to business growth without interrupting operations. Fujitsu has identified a number of advantages from this approach that suit both service providers and end customers. Not only does the pay-as-you-use model reduce the requirements for capital investment in IT infrastructure, but also usage-based charging moves expensive hardware off the balance sheet.
For customers, risk is also reduced, since there is a lower chance of technical lock-in or obsolescence of equipment, while planned and unplanned downtime is also lowered, thanks to the use of up-to-date technology. In turn, this helps service providers meet customer Service Level Agreements and avoid paying penalties for non-compliance. Additional benefits include the avoidance of failure through migration to new technologies, plus the outsourcing of service, maintenance, upgrades and technical recruitment and training.
Program offerings are split into three categories: Apps and Data, Hybrid Infrastructure and Next Generation solutions. Potential solutions in the application space could include modernizing data protection management or running a multi-tenant SAP environment. In the hybrid space, examples might include managing multiple cloud and on-premises environments, creating an app-store-like experience for multi-cloud access options or building an edge service to roll out to customer sites.
Looking further ahead, a Next Generation solution could involve co-creating vertical solutions with quantum computing inspired technology based on Fujitsu’s advanced Digital Annealer.