News in the Channel - issue #30

CLOUD MARKETPLACES

CONTINUED “Also, AI models enable real-time

personalised experience and strategic foresight across the cloud marketplace ecosystem. “This allows cloud marketplaces to fully support their partners in staying competitive with their offerings, in a more efficient and cost- effective way,” he says. “This means an improved customer experience within the cloud, and AI itself acting as a key component of new solutions offered, such as AI-as-a-Service, machine learning platforms, and generative AI tools.” AI also powers localisation and pricing adaptation, enabling marketplaces to expand globally without added complexity, Claire adds. “The result? A dynamic, intelligent platform that’s no longer just a procurement channel – it’s a strategic engine for growth, efficiency and continuous innovation across the cloud ecosystem,” she says. Paul adds that data is the foundation. “But AI’s potential goes further: bundling services, co-selling, workflow automation,” he says. “Still, it’s not just about features. As one MSP told me, ‘Everyone has a marketplace – what matters is how it works for my business.’” Harnessing cloud marketplaces With AI revolutionising cloud marketplaces, it means there are benefits – and opportunities – for resellers. “Resellers can harness cloud marketplaces to better serve their customers through personalisation, creating tailored solutions to their customer base,” says Chelsea. “They can pair this personalisation with support and integration – tailoring their offerings exactly to the customer’s needs. “Resellers can tailor their pricing to customers, along with terms and conditions, and create bundles that holistically cover their requirements. It can be very useful to create effective solutions that are uniquely tailored to businesses and individuals’ needs. “Resellers can leverage cloud

pricing optimisation, forecasting usage patterns, and suggesting tier or bundle upgrades based on predicted demand. “It also helps automate compliance checks, monitor for policy violation, flag anomalies in transactions.” Chelsea Hopkins, social media and PR manager at Fasthosts, adds that AI is helping to transform cloud marketplaces from software distribution platforms to more comprehensive hubs. “Many major cloud providers are already significantly expanding their AI offerings, hosting a multitude of AI-centred products and services,” she says. “The expansion of the use of AI in cloud marketplaces significantly diversifies offerings and equally stays ‘with the times’ to allow businesses to align advancements with their already developing integration of AI.” Benefits of AI There are many benefits of AI for cloud marketplaces. “AI’s impact on data analysis is undeniably beneficial, but the benefits of AI for cloud marketplaces transcend data analysis,” says Chelsea. “While we cannot rely on AI for everything, nor can we trust it in all scenarios as an accurate source, AI can be used as a very useful tool for scaling up a business and providing cost- effective and efficient insights. “AI enables businesses to obtain actionable insights much faster and rapid processing of vast amounts of data, meaning patterns and trends can be identified and actioned much more effectively. AI's predictive analytics capabilities can also predict potential system issues, so they can be quashed before they escalate. AI can proactively address maintenance needs by identifying anomalies in systems – reducing downtime and ensuring continuous service availability.” Mark adds that AI-boosted technologies use data analysis as a foundation to enable more intelligent automation,

Contributors

Paul McCabe

giacom.com

Mark Appleton

also.com

Anthony Dobson

arrow.com

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