A Conversation About Cloud Services (8x8 interviewA Conversation About Cloud Services (8x8 interview)
By Ken – July 8, 2011 Posted in: Cloud Computing, ViodiTV
Interview link:
https://www.viodi.tv/2011/07/08/a-conversation-about-cloud-services/
With over 25,000 business customers, the superficial view would be to associate 8×8, Inc. as a provider of VoIP services. At its core, however, 8×8 is a provider of cloud-based services, moving the PBX out of their customers’ offices and into 8×8's cloud. 8×8 has extended this cloud-based reach into data services through its acquisition of Central Host last year and Zerigo last month. Those acquisitions along with announcements regarding the adoption of VCE’s Vblock Infrastructure Platform, as well as 8×8's cloud reseller program are re-positioning 8×8 as a provider of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS) offerings.
In this video interview, Andy Schwabecher of 8×8, Inc. talks of this transition and the implications for their Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) offering to help businesses move critical functions from on-site to off-site servers, managed by 8×8, Inc. Schwabecher discusses the importance of trust and security in helping their customers make the move to the cloud. He also provides detail on the channel program, which is a critical part of their plan to expand their IaaS business.
As Schwabecher puts it 8×8's intent is to, “Run through the legs of the giant and fill in some of the holes to make the offering very palatable for the small business.” A big part of this approach is creating a simple user interface tailored to people who aren’t developers. He indicates that they will continue to differentiate their offering from those of larger competitors, such as Amazon and Rackspace, by focusing on the needs of its small business customers.