CenturyLink serves up cloud cost estimator tool for channel partners

CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL) is adding a cloud services estimator to its portfolio, a new feature that will allow its channel partner customers to get a better handle on the cloud service spending that they broker for their business clients.

The service provider is contributing its Cloud Cost Estimator tool to the open-source community under the Apache 2 license. CenturyLink says the web app "makes it easy to estimate a monthly bill for a customized set of resources on the CenturyLink Cloud service."

This builds on the momentum that CenturyLink gained with the on-demand option for its cloud platform that it introduced in June. By offering pay-by-the-hour billing, businesses can select how they want to consume managed services such as web servers, middleware, directory services and database applications, along with operating systems. This helps buyers of cloud services get a better handle on costs associated with building and managing apps in the cloud.

In order to take advantage of the new service, a CenturyLink channel partner can download the code, alter it based on a business customer's specific needs and then add the resource to its website.  

This service option builds on the combination of the assets it purchased from AppFog and Tier 3, which were later merged with Savvis to form the CenturyLink Technology Solutions business unit.

Working with channel partners to sell cloud has been a major priority for the company. The service provider currently works with 170 partners and 6,000 agents to augment its direct business sales team.

Cloud services continue to be a big seller for CenturyLink. During the fourth quarter, the service provider reported that managed hosting revenues were $145 million, up 1.4 percent from the fourth quarter of 2013.

For more:
- see this blog post

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