Docker, Inc. is gearing up for a more aggressive push to reach out to regional systems integrators as the rate at which the company’s platform for running containerized applications continues to accelerate.
The company today reports it is adding roughly 100 new customers a quarter on a base of just over 650 customers today. Much of that growth is now occurring in emerging markets where Docker, Inc. has a limited presence. As a result, Docker, Inc. is looking to expand the base of regional systems integrators it works with outside of the U.S., says Alan Geary, senior director for channel and alliances at Docker, Inc.
As part of that effort, Docker, Inc. will also be experimenting with a new approach to sharing sales leads with partners in those markets, says Geary. Currently, all sales leads are qualified by Docker, Inc. But as demand for the core Docker platform continues to increase Docker, Inc. will be looking to partners to help qualify leads generated by Docker, Inc.
Qualifying those leads is critical because given the scale of most container platform projects there’s a need to ensure robust services are available to ensure customer success. That requires systems integrators to have extensive DevOps expertise to make sure best practices for building and deploying containerized applications are being followed, says Geary. If that first project engagement is not successful it becomes difficult to drive additional revenue opportunities, says Geary.
“It’s all about landing and expanding,” says Geary
In general, partners are adding additional margins in the range of 15 percent on the platforms sold by Docker, Inc. when they register a deal. Most partners are making most of the revenue they generate by providing consulting services on how to implement DevOps processes. Docker, Inc. estimates there are only two million Docker developers available, which is why the company is now putting so much focus on making Docker containers more accessible to more developers.
The next biggest issue is that DevOps expertise is in short supply. For example, Alter Way, an IT solutions provider based in Europe, recently acquired another company mainly to increase the amount of DevOps expertise it can bring to bear. At the same time, as it becomes apparent how extensive the shift to containerized applications really is Docker, Inc. expects to see more managed services being created and delivered by partners, adds Geary.
Much of the opportunity surrounding Docker platforms fall into two key areas. The first involves the lifting and shifting of legacy applications into the public cloud. By encapsulating those applications in a Docker container, it becomes possible to run them anywhere with having to refactor them. Docker, Inc. last month announced an alliance with Microsoft through which it is enabling applications that today run on Windows 2003 or Windows 2008 to be lifted into the cloud.
Much of the success Docker, Inc. is expected to enjoy in the coming here is highly dependent on the level of container expertise there is among channel partners. The challenge and opportunity now are to make sure those opportunities don’t wind up being artificially constrained because there isn’t enough container expertise to go around.
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