This article is based on reporting originally published at channelfutures.com in April 2020.
Overview
Even against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, cloud computing providers continued to push forward with strategic expansions and leadership changes that directly affected their channel ecosystems. Three announcements stood out: Rackspace’s deepened investment in the Middle East and Africa, IBM’s appointment of a new cloud leader under incoming CEO Arvind Krishna, and Zenoss’s launch of a dedicated EMEA cloud zone. Here’s what each development means for partners and customers.
Rackspace Expands EMEA Presence to Address Cloud Skills Gap in the Middle East
Rackspace — a managed cloud and hosting provider that works across AWS, Google Cloud Platform, and Microsoft Azure — announced a multimillion-dollar investment to deepen its footprint in the Middle East and Africa region. The move was designed to open new opportunities for channel partners, including distributors, master agents, systems integrators, and value-added resellers (VARs) operating in the region.
Lisa McLin, Vice President of Alliances and Channel Chief at Rackspace, told Channel Futures that the expanded investment aimed to bring “additional local resources to help address the dearth of cloud skills in the Middle East.” Rackspace manages private and public cloud deployments on behalf of end users, providing an unbiased, multi-cloud approach that suits the complexity of enterprise environments in the region.
George Pawlyszyn was named General Manager for Rackspace’s Middle East and Africa strategy. According to McLin, Pawlyszyn is focused on “providing trusted and unbiased expertise to migrate customers to the cloud securely, and enhance existing customers’ environments whilst working closely with partners.”
At the time of the announcement, Rackspace already served more than 500 customers in the Middle East. To support growth, the company launched a new hub in Dubai, housing salespeople, professional services consultants, and marketing personnel.
“The cloud market is growing significantly in the region and customers are increasingly requiring unbiased experts to support them on their cloud journey.”
Martin Blackburn, Managing Director, EMEA, Rackspace
For channel partners, this kind of regional investment typically translates to more localized sales support, co-selling opportunities, and access to Rackspace’s multi-cloud managed services portfolio closer to end customers.
IBM Appoints Howard Boville as Senior Vice President of IBM Cloud
In a significant leadership move, newly appointed IBM CEO Arvind Krishna — who himself previously led IBM’s cloud computing division before replacing Virginia Rometty — named Howard Boville as Senior Vice President of IBM Cloud, effective May 2020.
Boville joined IBM from Bank of America, where he served as Chief Technology Officer. Notably, the two organizations had already been collaborating to build cloud platforms tailored for the financial services sector, making Boville a familiar face in the IBM ecosystem.
In his new role, Boville was positioned to lead IBM’s cloud strategy with a specific emphasis on hybrid cloud — a priority that IBM has consistently placed at the center of its competitive positioning against hyperscalers such as AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. He also assumed oversight of IBM’s global cloud infrastructure, which at the time included:
- More than 60 cloud data centers
- Operations spanning 19 countries
- 18 availability zones across six geographic regions
The appointment signaled IBM’s intent to accelerate its hybrid cloud narrative — an approach underpinned by the 2019 acquisition of Red Hat — and to compete more aggressively in enterprise cloud deals where workload portability and data sovereignty are critical concerns.
Zenoss Launches Dedicated EMEA Cloud Zone in Frankfurt
Zenoss, an Austin, Texas-based company that develops monitoring analytics software for cloud, hybrid, and on-premises IT environments, announced the availability of a dedicated EMEA cloud zone for its Zenoss Cloud SaaS platform. The zone is hosted in Frankfurt, Germany.
The Frankfurt location was selected for its strong data protection credentials. Specifically, Zenoss cited compliance with the German Bundesdatenschutzgesetz (BDSG) — Germany’s federal data protection act — as a key factor, alongside alignment with GDPR requirements affecting European customers.
“Zenoss Cloud has taken off domestically, and we’ve been experiencing increased demand for separate instances in other regions. We’re dedicated to serving our customers around the world, and this new zone will provide full-stack monitoring and AIOps with the highest levels of data protection.”
Greg Stock, Chairman and CEO, Zenoss
With this launch, all U.S.-based Zenoss Cloud services became available to EMEA customers from a regionalized, dedicated instance — an important distinction for organizations subject to data residency requirements.
Zenoss Cloud is a SaaS-based platform that provides full-stack monitoring and AIOps capabilities, helping IT teams maintain performance visibility across complex, hybrid environments. The company’s strategic alliance partners at the time included AWS, Accenture, Cisco, and NTT Data. It also offered its software through marketplace partnerships on AWS, CenturyLink, Cisco, Rackspace, and ServiceNow.
Zenoss indicated that additional regional zones were planned following the EMEA launch. According to the company, both partners and customers had already begun using the Frankfurt-based EMEA zone at the time of the announcement.
Key Takeaways for Channel Partners
- Rackspace’s EMEA expansion creates new co-sell and referral opportunities for VARs, MSPs, and systems integrators in the Middle East, backed by a formal hub in Dubai and named regional leadership.
- IBM’s hybrid cloud focus under Boville reinforces the company’s enterprise positioning — partners building IBM-aligned hybrid cloud practices can expect continued investment and messaging support from the vendor.
- Zenoss’s EMEA zone removes a key barrier for European customers concerned about data residency, making the platform easier for EMEA-based partners to position and sell.
All three announcements reflect a broader trend: cloud providers are doubling down on regional infrastructure, local expertise, and partner ecosystems as enterprise adoption of multi-cloud and hybrid environments accelerates globally.