The channel’s strong reputation for service delivery is at risk unless Covid-level urgency is maintained ahead of 2025 and neglected UCaaS and CCaaS opportunities among smaller firms are rapidly prioritised.
Last month’s Margin in Comms as a Service symposium also spotlighted the growing challenges that lie ahead for the channel which include a big uplift in end user education about the implications of 2025.
The clock is also ticking down for organisations not yet kitted out with technology to deliver the experiences now expected by customers. And time is running short for smaller firms facing an all-IP future. They make up a significant proportion of the overall market but nevertheless remain in the shadows despite their requirement for an expansion of omnichannel-type services.
In his keynote address Mark Lomas (pictured), Head of New Business for Channel Sales at Gamma, called the missed micro market a ‘forgotten child’.
“There are 6.3 million micro businesses with over eight million users and the lowest market penetration,” he stated. “2025 is a supercharged event, a catalyst for moving forward with the right messages. Act now and make the process simple.”
Lomas called on the channel to make the most of what he said will be ‘the biggest technology overhaul in years’ during the coming 12 to 18 months.
“Change is driven by customer behaviour,” he said. “It’s all about the customer experience. That’s the driver for everything.”