VPS Resellers

[AshleyUK]

Hello,

Just want to do a bit of market research/find out what peoples views of VPS Resellers and what is currently available from Providers.

1/ Resource Pool

• Purchasing a set amount of resources (ram/cpu/disk/IP's)
• Allowing the client to choose the amount/size/power of the VM's offered within the limits of their plan
• Easily add additional resources (e.g. extra 2GB memory without an increase across the board)
• Pay for what you are given, not what your using at any given period

2/ "Direct" Reselling

• Access to the normal standard plans at a slightly reduced rate increasing discount depending on the amount of VM's/Clients
• Ability to have a slight flexibility to plans and the ability to add "custom" plans
• Flexible cancellation, to allow for late cancelling customers

3/ Any other ideas...

This is something I have been thinking/looking into, so open to any constructive feedback from anyone.

,Cheers

 

[Nett]

I personally prefer #1 because you don't have to use the same plans that the provider offers but #2 is definitely more flexible.

PS Summer hosts like both.

 

[bpsRobert]

There is an existing platform that I would like to see taken advantage of, which is not currently. Mostly because there isn't yet an existing 'all-in-one' control panel built for it.

 

But essentially, it would work like this:

 

Provider 1: Owns and operates a cloud infrastructure, such as OpenStack, CloudStack, OpenNebula, etc. Any of the open source cloud orchestration platforms that provide

an API for control.

 

Reseller 1: Purchases infrastructure from Provider 1, CPU, RAM, Disk, etc.

 

Reseller 1: Utilizes Provider 1 API to automate things such as provisioning VPS's with appropriate specs, IP's, etc.

 

 

This would offer a very viable reseller program, that would

1.) Be fault tolerante and possibly High Availability built-in for Reseller 1 and thus, its customers, to take advantage of.

2.) Allow Reseller 1 to scale easily as more resources or needed, or scale down as less resources are needed.

3.) Allow Reseller 1 to offer their own completely custom made plans, instead of relying on Provider 1 to provide pre-set plans for them to resell.

4.) Offer a fairly innovative service that I don't believe others are offering in the 'Reseller' market.

 

Unfortunately, there isn't the middle piece yet, a piece of software to talk to the Cloud Orchestration API, and targeted towards Resellers, or VPS Hosts, a 'control panel' if you will.

 

All of that being said.. Any dev guys that happen to see this thread, and have an interest in coding something like this.... get a hold of me

 

[texteditor]

3) Company Reselling

Create host-in-a-box VPS companies that can be resold en-masse to prospecting self-styled "entrepreneurs"

 

[Nett]

3) Company Reselling

Create host-in-a-box VPS companies that can be resold en-masse to prospecting self-styled "entrepreneurs"

+1 make sure that you follow this guide: 

 

[raindog308]

An example of #1:

http://www.jollyworkshosting.com/affordable_vps_reseller.php

Never heard much about JWH so that is not an endorsement.

Lots of places do #2 - KnownHost, etc. give you a discount on the second VPS you can buy and they whitelabel.  Burst.net used to have that kind of program and I think other big providers do.

I think you'd have a hard time with razor-then margins as a reseller if you were just providing VPSes like any other company.  And you won't be able to approach low end prices doing this.

It'd be better if you were providing some kind of value add - e.g., you are a systems integrator for some kind of software, you provide services to a specific industry vertical, provide turnkey services for specialized market, etc.  

 

[AshleyUK]

There is an existing platform that I would like to see taken advantage of, which is not currently. Mostly because there isn't yet an existing 'all-in-one' control panel built for it.

 

But essentially, it would work like this:

 

Provider 1: Owns and operates a cloud infrastructure, such as OpenStack, CloudStack, OpenNebula, etc. Any of the open source cloud orchestration platforms that provide

an API for control.

 

Reseller 1: Purchases infrastructure from Provider 1, CPU, RAM, Disk, etc.

 

Reseller 1: Utilizes Provider 1 API to automate things such as provisioning VPS's with appropriate specs, IP's, etc.

 

 

This would offer a very viable reseller program, that would

1.) Be fault tolerante and possibly High Availability built-in for Reseller 1 and thus, its customers, to take advantage of.

2.) Allow Reseller 1 to scale easily as more resources or needed, or scale down as less resources are needed.

3.) Allow Reseller 1 to offer their own completely custom made plans, instead of relying on Provider 1 to provide pre-set plans for them to resell.

4.) Offer a fairly innovative service that I don't believe others are offering in the 'Reseller' market.

 

Unfortunately, there isn't the middle piece yet, a piece of software to talk to the Cloud Orchestration API, and targeted towards Resellers, or VPS Hosts, a 'control panel' if you will.

 

All of that being said.. Any dev guys that happen to see this thread, and have an interest in coding something like this.... get a hold of me

Hello,

Thanks for the reply, this was something I was looking at aswell, as your correct their isn't really something out their at the moment, I feel if for example a SolusVM Reseller could attach their reseller account directly to WHMCS/Blesta and automate the process of creation/termination/upgrades this would resolve this issue, and open the window for a larger market.

 

[raindog308]

Unfortunately, there isn't the middle piece yet, a piece of software to talk to the Cloud Orchestration API, and targeted towards Resellers, or VPS Hosts, a 'control panel' if you will.

Sounds like you want a WHMCS plugin for AWS EC2.

 

[drmike]

I'd say many places offer #2.

Resource pooling and division sounds conceptually lucrative for a reseller.  Overall, likely a PITA to manage for the providing company. Custom plans, yucky.

There is quite a bit of complexity to any such offers while trying to combat fraud and dishonesty.

I am a fan of keeping things simple.  Let folks deal with their customers, collect the money, etc.   Then buy the products for your customers and get full access for the customer to self manage things...

Cash and margins wise -  depends on your business and your own margins as the provider.  You can give a reseller discount percentage - and that's probably the most sane thing to do.  Base cost - their discount = pay us to host your customer.

 

[cspacews]

You have forgoten White label reselling where you cover you xyz company by using a alias name not directly related to your company,

 

[GigaboxHost]

At DediMonster.com we offer #2 and have will have #1 as a alternative very soon. Allowing the reseller to have the option to pick what works best for them.

 

[TierNet]

Hello,

Just want to do a bit of market research/find out what peoples views of VPS Resellers and what is currently available from Providers.

1/ Resource Pool

• Purchasing a set amount of resources (ram/cpu/disk/IP's)
• Allowing the client to choose the amount/size/power of the VM's offered within the limits of their plan
• Easily add additional resources (e.g. extra 2GB memory without an increase across the board)
• Pay for what you are given, not what your using at any given period

2/ "Direct" Reselling

• Access to the normal standard plans at a slightly reduced rate increasing discount depending on the amount of VM's/Clients
• Ability to have a slight flexibility to plans and the ability to add "custom" plans
• Flexible cancellation, to allow for late cancelling customers

3/ Any other ideas...

This is something I have been thinking/looking into, so open to any constructive feedback from anyone.

,Cheers

I prefer 2nd option, Direct Reselling, however for this option you need to find a very reliable hosting provider and perhaps the one that offers fully managed VPS.