From scrappy start-up to part of a global cloud powerhouse, disruption is in our DNA
When rhipe first entered the market over 20 years ago, it seemed unlikely that a pure-play cloud licensing startup could successfully compete with the hardware distribution giants of the time.
Meeting a long unanswered need in the market assured us of success: simplify how the channel community buy, sell, manage, and service cloud technology licenses and solutions.
Our ability to deliver on this meant that in under a decade, we opened in six APAC countries, secured Microsoft appointments as Dynamics 365 Master VAR and Cloud LSP and listed on the Australian Stock Exchange.
The launch of the PRISM recurring revenue management platform in 2015 delivered another industry first and provided true strategic value-add to our partner base.
By 2020, we’d become part of Crayon. This bolstered our frontline to over 600+ employees supporting thousands of partners to access cloud vendor solutions across five operational domains. Four companies were acquired and integrated as specialist channel service subsidiaries across cloud ERP, cybersecurity solutions and ISV cloud managed services.
When it comes to doing distribution differently, we’ve always challenged the way things have been done. As one of the OG in our channel business, I’m proud of the role we’ve played to stimulate industry modernisation and take partners into the cloud era.
Today, as part of Crayon we continue to disrupt conventional distributor industry models. Our unparalleled channel strength is now unified with the scale of a global technology advisory firm to create opportunities that are unlimited by the constraints of traditional disty norms.
Our mission stays true to goals we had when we first opened the doors:
Simplify the way our partners do business and connect them to the skills, resources and expertise needed to thrive in the Age of AI.
On our partners’ side. Always
When it was announced that our channel organisation would be acquired by a global IT services firm, there was understandable confusion in the market.
Our partners wanted to understand if we were a cloud distributor or a technology services provider. There was concern that combining direct services and cloud distribution models would mean Crayon competed with partners for business.
Over the past three years, we have proven, time and again, that we do not compete with our partners. We leverage our increased scale, global technical skill sets and deep vendor relationships to your benefit. Our unified strength brings together a wealth of expertise, resources, and a shared commitment to driving success for our partner community.
Continued investment in the channel organisation has seen us expand the range of services available to partners to include seven unique offerings. Each one is aimed at complementing existing service catalogues so partners can gain traction across cloud domains, drive new revenue streams and enjoy healthy margins.
We’ve also launched new value-add programs to help partners overcome growth barriers, commercialise their IP, control the cost of cloud operations, enter new solution domains and win business with customer segments that have been underserviced.
Our Technology Advisory Group remains dedicated to providing business and technical counsel to our partners as a true value-add. This includes an ongoing and concentrated level of enablement to help our partners lean into the AI opportunity and position for long-term success.
True Strategic Value Add
If someone wants your business, discounting on price can be a simple way to win the day.
If someone wants to keep your business, a few margin points extra could get you to stay.
At Crayon, our focus continues to be on adding strategic value to our partners in ways that support their ability to scale their operations and drives sustained results to their bottom line.
When someone deeply values your business, you’ll be able to say they:
- Sustained your ability to differentiate from competitors
- Helped you to open new markets
- Provided low cost, low risk, high yield service add-ons to your catalogue
- Enhanced your customer relationships over the long term
- Supported revenue growth and high performance
Adding long term, strategic value does take time. Applying price discounts or tinkering with margins is fast. Between the tortoise and the hare, there’s a clear end to the story and we all know who came first.
I invite you to engage with us and explore how we create value in ways that discounting simply can’t do.
