Microsoft CSP Partner AppDirect Buys Radialpoint
AppDirect, one of the major players in the Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) ecosystem, on Wednesday announced the acquisition of Radialpoint, a provider of cloud and technical support services for small businesses and consumers.
San Francisco-based AppDirect is one of just a few cloud marketplace technology providers in the Microsoft CSP ecosystem that combine their own systems with Microsoft's CSP API to handle functions like activating the Microsoft cloud service, license provisioning and recurring billing. AppDirect offers similar functionality for many non-Microsoft cloud applications, allowing Microsoft CSPs to offer richer bundles of services.
According to executives for both companies, the addition of Radialpoint will help AppDirect's CSP partners wrap services around Office 365 and other products.
"Customers can buy augmented support or migration services right at the time that they buy that app, and that goes with any app that's bought through the cloud marketplace," said Warren Levitan, president and CEO of Montreal-based Radialpoint, in a telephone interview.
Levitan joins AppDirect to lead the Radialpoint business as a subsidiary of AppDirect. All of the company's 80 employees will also join AppDirect, the companies said.
AppDirect is offering three new premium technical support services as a result of the Radialpoint acquisition: Cloud Services Support for Microsoft Office 365, Cloud and IT Helpdesk, and Consumer Technical Support.
AppDirect President and Co-CEO Daniel Saks says the addition of Radialpoint addresses the key "human element" of sales and support for AppDirect partners. "Business owners still need real people to help them get the most out of those services," Saks said.
The other major cloud marketplace technology provider in the U.S. CSP market, Odin, was acquired in December by distribution giant Ingram Micro.
For more detail on the CSP ecosystem, see RCP's guide here.
Posted by Scott Bekker on January 27, 2016 at 3:14 PM