Tech Data Aligns with Akamai for Managed Services

Tech Data has added Akamai Technologies to its line card as part of an effort to increase the number of services channel partners have an opportunity to either resell or incorporate.

As part of the agreement, Tech Data will make available to channel partners a Web application firewall (WAF) service and other security services along with remote application services and services that accelerate Web and mobile application performance.

Akamai is looking to the channel to expand usage of a set of distributed services delivered via 250,000 servers deployed around the globe, says Tracy Holtz, director of security solutions for the Americas at Tech Data.

Akamai largely built its customer base by selling services direct. However, increasing the consumption of those services cost-effectively now requires Akamai to rely on channel partners.

The security services provided by Akamai should prove to be especially appealing to channel partners that typically can’t afford to invest the capital required to deliver managed security services.

“Those costs can be a half-million dollars upfront,” says Holtz.

By partnering with Akamai, managed service providers (MSPs) can now add services from Akamai that complement their existing portfolios.

In furtherance of that goal, Tech Data plans to work with Akamai to create various bundles that will make it easier and more profitable for partners to consume multiple Akamai services, says Holtz.

As organizations start to rely more on external service providers for cybersecurity at a time when both the volume and sophistication of cybersecurity attacks are increasing, MSPs are being presented with opportunities to expand the scope of their offerings. In fact, it may soon be difficult to distinguish between managed security service providers (MSSPs) that build their platforms from the ground up and those that either resell or white label services provided by vendors such as Akamai.

It may take a while for the next era of managed services to fully evolve. However, given the demand for cybersecurity expertise, chances are good that whatever model ultimately emerges will set the standard for the rest of the IT services industry.