Work with Microsoft, Zoom, and Webex and not against them is some key advice offered to partners comparing their options in this exclusive UC Partner Summit discussion.
In a conversation with executives from Evolve IP and AudioCodes, the three communications platforms are compared to one another to uncover their relative strengths and weaknesses.
The initial debate focussed on the possibilities these platforms could offer partners.
Scott Rixon, Technical Account Director at Evolve IP, said: For us at Evolve IP, most of the challenges are similar to what they have always been in understanding the customer requirements and then working out what the best technology is to apply to them.
“At Evolve IP, we have Microsoft Teams and Webex offerings. We launched Webex 12 months ago now in the UK.
“The advantages with Webex for our customers are huge. Certainly having that balance and understanding of what is best for the client, why Microsoft Teams might be better, and why Webex might be better as the trusted advisor to really help people through this wave.
"It is going to be harder and harder for the proprietaries to survive as they are going to have to fight more with the big powerhouses.
“When you're able to complement those applications and those big organisations, then you're just going to get benefits from it.”
The pair spoke not only about the direct benefits of using Teams, Zoom, and Webex but also their advantages through the lens of their own company offerings.
Jasper Maters, a regional sales director at Audiocodes spoke about the number of minutes available on a Microsoft Teams package is a big plus about using its platform. He observed that there is big market for Teams in Benelux, the Nordics, and the UK.
He believes it is AudioCodes’ operating business, however, which is adding so much revenue for partners.
Jasper Maters, Regional Sales Director, Benelux & Nordics at Audiocodes, also spoke about what his company are looking for in a partner: “What we as a family are looking for are partners who are trusted advisors to their end customers.
“Another important factor is moving the business on and finding value to add on top of [Microsoft, Zoom, Webex]. There is plenty of space for innovation and value to add to all these applications.
“The major threat is doing nothing, being stagnant and not moving the business along.
"The base of innovation and the base of market development is only doing one thing: it is accelerating.