Partners that refuse to adopt cloud models will fall behind their innovative competitors, according to Zoom channel exec Jay Weisblatt.
Discussing how to handle partners who are reluctant to switch from on-premise to cloud systems alongside executives also elicited responses from execs at Alianza and NFON.
The UK Marketing Director of NFON pointed out that there will be an ISDN Switch Off which refers to BT’s 2015 announcement that they will shut off ISDN and PSTN services in 2025, opting instead for voice calls to be made over the internet.
Brian Beutler, CEO at Alianza, said: “UC can be complex, and we try to pride ourselves on extrapolating out the complexity of the communications infrastructure and making it simple for the service provider, make it simple for the reseller channel partner.
“Put it all behind a simple single intuitive admin portal, whether it is quoting help, branding help or anything else.
“We try to take that complexity out of it and make it simple for them. It has got to be a key part of the equation going forward.
“At scale, this is difficult, and you have to be able to streamline as much as possible and remove the hesitancy and burdens that exist within pockets of the market.”
On the challenges facing partners, all three execs agreed that differentiation was a major hurdle that partners needed to overcome.
Jay Weisblatt, Channel Sales & Partner Development Leader at Zoom, said partners needed to work out what their “secret sauce” is, build more pipelines, what services they will offer, and how they can incorporate ecosystem consulting.
Beutler said the market is at the tipping point of 50% penetration, changing the dynamics. He believes it is no longer a ‘land grab’. The marketplace is currently defined by differentiation, specialisation, and vertical solutions.
One of the best ways, according to Beutler, for both service providers and resellers to differentiate themselves at the moment is through bundling; improving your service offering will help you stand out.
Chris Selby-Rickards, UK Marketing Director at NFON, said: “A lot of our partners or resellers are smaller enterprises that do not necessarily have some of the internal skills resources they need. Especially through the pandemic, you see more and more resellers coming to the market.
“Your traditional telcos are not being replaced but being added to by MSPs, IT resellers, print resellers, and businesses like that.
“These businesses are looking for additional support with marketing strategies. Lots of them do not have a clue about things like social media and building demand generation.
“If they cannot necessarily compete on price because everyone is selling the same thing, how will they cut through all of that noise?”
Weisblatt said it was adapting to its partner’s needs by building out the resources and support for them. Beyond just educating and informing channel partners, Zoom is working to provide them with the necessary tools and resources to succeed.
He explains that Zoom is investing heavily in its channel services. Weisblatt’s global channel specialist organisation is only a year old, and it focuses solely on enabling partner success across all its products.
On voice versus video, Selby-Rickards said that he was firmly voice first. His company, NFON, has conducted research into customer contact solutions. Voice came out on top, and he believes it will remain the number one point of contact.
Weisblatt believed that companies should take a flexible approach to communications. Communication is highly personal, and by remaining adaptable, he felt we could create a better experience all around. Siloing either voice or video would be a mistake, in Weisblatt’s opinion.
Looking to the future, Beutler predicts there will be a resurgence of bundling the ever-increasing set of communication applications and capabilities because this is the best way for partners to differentiate themselves.
Selby-Rickards believes there will be many more big businesses selling products that have nothing to do with communications, buying up groups of smaller or even larger partners.
On the other hand, Weisblatt sees partners positioning themselves as more than just vendors, but as problem solvers and trusted advisors to their customers, thereby adding true value to their services and helping them stand out from the competition.
The Chief Revenue Officer of Zoom spoke at the UC Partner Summit about delivering partner happiness.
Beutler also spoke about navigating the perfect storm for service providers at the UC Partner Summit.
