Comms Dealer

Nuvola Distribution is a clear reflection of irresistible market forces, and its Managing Director's character, outlook and drive have been equally shaped by compelling influencing factors - so it's no accident that the combination of Nuvola and Michael Lloyd is a force to be reckoned with.

A conjunction of personal influences have instilled in Lloyd a strong work ethic. Role models in this respect include his father and grandfather whose work philosophy, based on diligence, honesty and knowledge, made an early impact on Lloyd. These traits were put to good use early in his career when selling Olivetti word processors to companies in London. Cold calling provided a solid foundation in sales, and Lloyd also learned how to turn a 'no' into a 'yes', and he quickly realised that you only get out of life what you put in, reinforcing his appreciation of the balance between effort and reward, and building on the strong work ethic already at play. "There is no substitute for hard work when it comes to achieving success," said Lloyd.

Nuvola Distribution was created out of Nuage Communications which was formed in 2010 by Lloyd and Operations Director, Nigel Emerson. The company operates as a dedicated services business working exclusively within the channel, delivering expertise in UC, VoIP, contact centre, WLAN, Lync and mobility. Nuage evolved into the services division of Nuvola Distribution which was created three years ago to distribute technologies and services around UC and VoIP solutions. Nuvola Distribution is now a fast growing VAD that provides both services and product, underpinned by sales, marketing and technical support.

The first brand distributed by Nuvola was the Alcatel Lucent Enterprise range, making it one of just two distributors in the UK. The company is also a ShoreTel EMEA Services partner and last year was awarded the distribution licence by ShoreTel. Nuvola then targeted the cloud market with its own hosted UC solution, Nuvem, which is now the foundation for other cloud services planned for the future. "From the very beginning we saw an opportunity in the marketplace to offer UC services, hence the business was built around this proposition," said Lloyd.

The shift from on-premise to cloud solutions is a big trend noted by Lloyd, along with the growing popularity of 'as-a-service' subscription models. "UC is the main area of differentiation," he stated. "The business change required to understand and deliver services is not an easy one for resellers, but we have been doing this for six years and are very proficient. We can add considerable value with our experience, expertise and qualifications; and our proposition enables resellers to offer a complete portfolio of UC solutions and services to their customers."

Nuvola's target markets are existing UC partners and IT related businesses, and its strategy is paying off with more than 35 per cent year-on-year growth. "Providing customers with product-only is clearly not the way forward," stated Lloyd. "The web and cloud are changing the marketplace and the way that people and businesses source products. We are seeing a high demand for 'Everything as a Service' along with consumption-based pricing. This means resellers and SIs have to, more than ever, provide solutions customised and tailored for their customers' requirements, and subsequently wrap services around those solutions.

"To do this effectively will require a sharp focus on specific market profiles and vertical markets. Resellers also need to embrace IoT technologies as these are changing everything. And most importantly, resellers will need to develop their partnering abilities and form relationships with businesses that complement their own skills and capabilities."

The profile of Nuvola's partners range from small owner run businesses up to some of the largest system integrators in Europe. As well as offering them managed services and solutions around cloud technologies the company has also launched a loyalty programme, called NuLoyalty, which offers free MAC hours based on spend. "The NuLoyalty programme helps resellers improve their knowledge, quality and standards of delivery, allowing them to differentiate in their marketplace and improve customer retention," explained Lloyd.

Everyone at Nuvola has a clear understanding of the business direction. Its culture fosters collaboration and the business has a family atmosphere. "Many of our employees are family members and have a vested interest in the success of the company," said Lloyd. "Since inception we have enjoyed a 95 per cent staff retention rate, which is an achievement in today's employment market. People are our most valuable asset. They are what makes the business really work, and I've learnt that staff members should be considered in all decisions. I now spend more time reflecting on important decisions and I try not to sweat the small stuff."•

The rebrand of Cheltenham-based Total to Bamboo Technology Group signals a new phase of 'change and growth' according to Managing Director Lorrin White whose strategy is founded on ambition, stakeholder growth, long-term partnerships and a revamped channel programme.

White has brought big plans to the table as she looks to build on the implementation of a ramped up channel proposition that retains the familiar Total brand. "While shooting for the long grass with a newly framed B2B proposition as Bamboo we intend to firmly hold on to the Total name and its brand equity in the channel," she explained. "Historically referred to as the Focus Partner Programme under the Total umbrella, the new channel proposition incorporates the values of the Bamboo brand and will now be known as the Total programme. Taking advantage of the brand equity that Total has instilled in its channel programme is pivotal to the long-term success of the group."

While the rebrand signals change across the business, for the channel it signifies bigger ambitions as the business looks to appeal to a growing audience of customers and resellers. All major company rebrands underline the critical balance between holding onto core values and expressing positive and progressive change and 'difference'. In this case, the concept fulfils this imperative as a true guide to how Total has developed and what it now represents, hard wired to both traditional values and long-term strategies. Here, brand marketers dismissed conventional thinking and planted a stand-out flag in the ground with the Bamboo banner becoming a motif of the company's strength, growth and flexibility.

"Strategic positioning over the last two years has been of utmost importance and the introduction of new supply chain partnerships, relevant accreditations and appropriate brand presence has been a core focus," explained White. "Our market positioning is now akin to that of our largest competitors."

The company launched its third party channel in 2010 and 40 per cent of revenues are now derived via partners. In 2015 partner numbers rose by 33 per cent along with a 44 per cent rise in partner mobile connections. "This trend is likely to increase as we place a greater focus on our channel proposition," noted White. "In response to this growth we have recruited more members to our support and account management teams and will be rolling out a new structure to streamline the channel, to best serve all partners, regardless of size, location or needs. This will provide transparency and clarity to connect and drive growth for all, which is what the business and the Total programme is about."

The team's added oomph signifies a new level of strength, growth and flexibility in a fast-moving marketplace, says White, which underlines the critical balance achieved by the company as it seeks to make significant channel gains in 2016 and beyond. Following two years of development, restructure and recruitment across the business, the wider channel proposition now accommodates bureau billing, exclusive bespoke partner offerings, a robust M2M model, reseller, wholesale and referral options, all gradually introduced into the marketplace since 2013 and now underpinned by best practice information security processes of the ISO27001 accreditation.

With all that done, White stated clearly what she requires of the new Total programme. "Now it's time to push hard for the partnerships that support integrity, transparency, openness and reciprocal connection benefits," she said. "Whether a member of the team, a direct client or a channel partner, stakeholder growth is our measure of success."

One of the programme's roles in the channel is to remove obstacles to the market for all partners and meet their increased need for transparency and control; and the programme's ability to unlock potential and put control into the hands of resellers will ensure continued growth, believes White.

Convinced of Bamboo's strategic potency she explained how the company will separate itself further from the competition. "Our revitalised philosophy stands for complete flexibility, strong ethics and team values based on integrity, independence, collaboration and challenge," said White. "These all form part of our promise to play the long game with our partners. We are looking ahead with a clear focus."

The team is starting its new channel campaign in promising circumstances that build on existing achievements. And despite White's laser focus on the long-term plan she has no intention of relinquishing Total's past triumphs. With its new look and feel governed by the group rebranding, White promises to leverage the firm's experience and pedigree to 'pitch to the biggest and best' with consistency, distinctiveness and a continued sleeves up approach that has become a trademark.

The company dates from the earliest era of channel development and was established in 1996 as a provider of telecoms services to its local region, often being recognised only for its mobile heritage. But today Bamboo is transitioning from a traditional telco to a fully managed ICT provider; and expanding the product and service offering also means dropping many of the company's adopted terminology and programme identifiers, such as Focus, Connect and 360.

"As many businesses do, Total has historically created names and identities for each and every addition to its proposition, which is confusing," added White. "The new look and feel also takes the business down a clear brand presence route, with the aim of fresh simplicity at the heart of the messaging. The Total triangle and wider company brand platform should in time be recognisable as being ours and ours alone, while also strengthening our presence in the market."

With a solid background in network service provision and a legacy of providing quality service, the ambitious growth plans for the business have rallied support and talent from both inside and outside of the industry. "Strong leadership, a commitment to change and a definitive five-year plan has galvanised the entire team," stated White. "We have developed a vibrant culture as well as robust expansion plans, also attracting the interest of external talent pools and partners. For channel partners it means a significant investment into supporting and resourcing their goals, and it's a completely new way of doing business. We have an ambitious target number for 2018 and all efforts now go into realising that milestone."

White pointed out that the whole team aims to work with partners of all sizes and industry, across the full spectrum of ICT products and services. "We focus on understanding partner alignment from day one and open the door to investing in strategy collaboration from the initial point of contact," noted White. "In the channel, opening discussions with partners is all too often about the additional margin, the opportunity to have short-term wins and the ability to offer more to their clients quickly, while relying on third parties to be as good as you are, or better. We will continue to have those discussions, but only after we understand the need for the partnership and a partner's long-term goals and values.

"However, this is just the beginning of a new journey and our hard work encompasses far more than a strategy revision and extended growth plan. The Total programme is a fresh and strong approach that reflects our desire to stand out and do things differently. Furthermore, we will continue to develop our product and service offering to secure our place at the forefront of the ICT marketplace."•

The launch of UC provider Zest4's M2M Partner Programme in May sparked a flurry of interest from resellers who have already been fast-tracked to market-ready status. Here, we assess the progress of Zest4's partnership with Arkessa and highlight four real world success stories.

Zest4's entrance into the M2M market followed a link-up with Arkessa in October 2015. Arkessa enables IoT device and applications developers to connect to the Internet of Things (IoT), regardless of network operator or radio technology. Its managed services span single and multi-network cellular with first time connect capabilities and secure communications. Mandy Fazelynia, Zest4's Operations Director, explained: "Our partnership allows us to develop the M2M opportunity through our channel partner programme, thereby making entry into this market a reality for all of our partners. The M2M package that we created helps partners to unlock new revenue opportunities. The prospect for growth and therefore revenue generation in this sector is huge."

Arkessa provides the technical know-how required by these solutions and its experts trained the Zest4 team to understand how M2M solutions apply to all market sectors. "We have extended the Zest4 Partner Academy to include M2M training and have built a tool kit of materials that enable partners to offer bespoke M2M solutions," added Fazelynia.

The tool kit includes a tailored on-boarding programme, sales and operational training, help with creating marketing plans around M2M, the provision of sales and marketing collateral, identifying opportunities, technical support and a one bill solution. The response to Zest4's programme has been strong with 10-plus existing partners quoting for new business following training and marketing support from the firm. Opportunities in the taxi segment and public Wi-Fi have caught resellers' attention in particular and Zest4 is now working with those partners to scope out their support requirements.

Nor is that all. Zest4's presence at the Margin in Voice and Data seminar last month resulted in a number of conversations with delegates keen to add M2M to their portfolio. "We had 12 delegates request follow up meetings on building an M2M strategy," added Fazelynia. "The programme is buzzing with activity, high levels of interest and sales are already being secured. Most partners will have opportunities in their existing base."

She noted that Zest4's mobile reseller partners are the early adopters of M2M, exploring their existing customer base to identify opportunities in what is a natural progression for them. IT resellers are also in the frame, pre-prepared with knowledge of security and firewalls and the integration of solutions into existing IT infrastructures. According to Fazelynia, partners are finding quick wins in taxi solutions, public transport and logistics. Opportunities in retail, leisure and the healthcare sectors are also opening up.

One partner has struck a rich seam of opportunity through installing M2M solutions into taxis. This sector has advanced greatly in tandem with technology, with people wanting to book online, pay by card and even track their taxi. Therefore taxi companies that resist the shift towards 'going digital' risk losing out to tech savvy rivals. Tracking devices are easy to install and the software is easy to use. Solutions such as this are truly transformational.

Zest4's M2M partners are also delivering transformational solutions to the construction sector. In one instance, a construction firm working on a brownfield site faced the problem of giving workers onsite connectivity without breaking security policies. They needed a safe and secure way to connect to the Internet and a functional office to work from, such as a pop-up office that could quickly be set up and taken down as required. Arkessa enables M2M connections wherever needed and built a fully loaded enterprise grade router in a box (configured to security requirements) that can take multiple SIMs for any carrier, meaning it can be used anywhere, unplugged from one site and replugged at a new site, meaning no more long-term contracts or patchy mobile broadband.

Another Zest4 partner secured up to seven years of revenue with its first M2M deal for a logistics firm. The connectivity costs levied by the incumbent supplier were too high, SIMs across two networks made things complicated, and the company was being over charged as well as locked in on their devices. Zest4 stepped in, providing and connecting new SIMs. Arkessa built a 'magic box of tricks' that programmed the new SIMs one device at a time with the customer's settings, before helping to install the new SIMs in devices located in warehouses across the UK. The partner was rewarded with guaranteed recurring revenue for the next three years, and because most M2M solutions don't move once in situ the deal equates to seven years revenue.

Smashing annual targets by putting free Wi-Fi into buses is the success story of another reseller who got on board with Zest4's M2M programme. Following consultations between the partner, Zest4 and Arkessa, a bespoke solution was proposed that overcame all of the challenges associated with installing routers in buses, such as location, power, transmission and other physical issues. This partner has now sold over 5,000 SIMs by replicating this model across most of the major bus companies.

"Selling M2M solutions like these doesn't need to be difficult or complicated, and they can add significant value to a resellers' business," commented Fazelynia. "Success is all about choosing the right partner." •

Enter Iain Davidson, Product Marketing Manager at Arkessa, a tech-immersed marketeer with an irrepressible passion for improving the world via the Internet of Things.

Few make the successful transition from an engineering development background to marketing, but the zeal to extol what you believe to be transformational technology can be an irresistible driving force. "I am passionate about the Internet of Things (IoT) and its potential to make the world safer and more energy efficient," stated Davidson. "Getting out of the lab into the marketplace has been a journey, but I should have made it earlier and quicker. Great technology needs great marketing and commercialisation."

Davidson joined Arkessa in June last year from the embedded processor and networking world where the 50 billion connected device forecast first emerged. Davidson's experience and insights gained during his time in the engineering sector, combined with Arkessa's growing market presence, is paying dividends. He worked primarily in the automotive, enterprise and industrial sectors, and along with his mass market experience Davidson has gained a strong understanding of best practices when it comes to working productively with a global channel partner network.

Arkessa began its commercial life in 2002 when it was established by a group of like-minded TMT industry leaders and serial entrepreneurs. The firm is part of the Telefonica M2M Global Partner Programme, and the majority of its team is based in the Bishop's Stortford office, located near Cambridge and the Silicon Fen and Cambridge Wireless communities. It also has offices in London and Germany.

Following an MBO in 2009 the company went in search of its first customers. "Our passion has always been to make it easy for organisations of all sizes to connect their devices and assets to the IoT," explained Davidson. "That means being easy to do business with and offering a technical solution that is easy to adopt, integrate and scale. We provide our M2M managed connectivity service to customers in the automotive, transport, industrial, retail, energy, health and smart city sectors. Some customers are start-ups or SMEs while others are large enterprises or multi-national corporations."

Arkessa's greatest challenge has been to dispel the hype around IoT and drive the adoption rate in line with market forecasts. "We are still in the infancy stage of IoT and large enterprise adoption has lagged behind that of the faster moving SMEs," said Davidson. "Nevertheless, we have developed some long-standing relations with leading enterprise players over the last six years and that's now paying off. In that context, we have enabled numerous successful projects that have showcased the technology and business benefits. But perhaps more importantly for larger scale enterprise adoption, they have proven the concept, created new business models and demonstrated RoI."

Educating the market is top priority and is an area that Arkessa invests in significantly. "But it is sometimes frustrating to have to battle the noise and inertia of the global organisations entering IoT," noted Davidson. "This is made easier by working with strong enterprise and industrial SIs such as Fujitsu and Siemens, as well as Zest4 which shares our passion for making M2M and IoT easy. We are achieving success with a diverse group of channel partners and we are excited by material progress with enterprise partners and customers."

Davidson also noted that Arkessa's approach to the enterprise space differs from IoT device or product companies, and its go-to-market generally is differentiated. "Our partnership with Zest4 is a great example," he explained. "Zest4 provides UC solutions to traditional dealers and reseller partners across the UK. It has a modern and refreshing approach to selling M2M services in a style that organisations across a number of sectors can relate to. For example, inroads into construction, logistics and the taxi sectors have yielded early successes. Together we make M2M more accessible to businesses that are not bamboozled by IoT hype and clearly understand the solutions and their benefits."

Looking ahead, Davidson is intrigued by modern attitudes towards purchasing and ownership and the potential impact of this on IoT. "The pay-as-you-go/use culture is nothing new, it didn't arrive with the millennials," he said. "The model came to prominence across many services and industries such as AirBNB, Netflix and Uber which are key examples. In an IoT context, this trend creates the conditions for service oriented 'as-a-service' or ad-funded business models, as well as opex-based purchasing which will all help accelerate growth."•

By Elvire Gosnold, Director, Blabbermouth Marketing: We've recently grown our team with the addition of two new marketers. During the recruitment process I sifted through a lot of CVs and interviewed candidates from a variety of marketing backgrounds.

This got me thinking about the anatomy of a dynamic marketing team able to generate new ideas that are interlinked with the marketing plan and business strategy.

Building and nurturing an effective marketing team is crucial for future growth. With marketing functions evolving and the growing adoption of online activity, marketing is becoming an area of greater focus and investment. More marketers are now board level than ever before, and new job titles are emerging such as Chief Digital Officer to add gravitas to the marketing function.

The success of 'brand' in the long run and the success of shorter term incentives rely on the skill of the marketing function. These achievements derive from effective team building and getting the right set of complementary skills.

Channel businesses often have smaller budgets than large corporates so are less likely to have consultancies advising them on how to harness creative concepts to the benefit of business activities.

Creativity can be hard to find in individuals, especially when you are looking for creative ideas that are adaptable and appropriate for a B2B landscape. A marketing team needs to be mindful of the business strategy knitting with marketing activity, not just in a creative sense but also analytical.

Understanding the requirements of the channel is vital, as is the analytical ability to efficiently review marketing activity in order to provide meaningful stats and look at ways to improve RoI.

Mitel and Polycom are to hold shareholder meetings to approve the proposed acquisition on July 29th.

Mitel and Polycom also announced that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) has completed its review of Mitel's proposed acquisition of Polycom.

Receipt of CFIUS approval follows previous regulatory acceptance including the early termination of the required waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976.

The transaction is expected to close in August subject to the approval of the transaction by Mitel shareholders and Polycom stockholders and the satisfaction of the remaining customary closing conditions.

The combination of Mitel and Polycom will create a business with approximately 7,700 employees.

Alternative has been ranked best managed service provider in EMEA and seventh globally out of 501 worldwide MSPs surveyed by the independent MSPmentor survey, conducted January-March 2016.

The report recognises top managed service providers based on a range of metrics including annual managed services revenue growth, revenue per employee, managed services offered and customer devices managed.

"This is a great achievement and reaffirms Alternative's reputation and ability as a principal supplier of robust managed hosting and both public and private cloud based services, underpinned by professional managed service." said CEO Mark Quartermaine.

Computers Unlimited (CU) has legally transitioned to become a division of Exertis UK and is rebranding as Exertis Unlimited, following its acquisition by the distributor in May last year.

CU supplies a range of third party branded software, IT hardware and CE products to over 2,000 customers in the UK and continental Europe.

Gerry O'Keeffe, Exertis UK&I, MD, said: "Exertis Unlimited becomes a key business unit that complements our strategy of providing specialism and expertise right across the technology sector for a diverse set of customers."

Exertis Unlimited will continue to provide specialism in products and accessories for Apple, smart home technology, products for creative professionals and audio products.

Tony Taylor, COO of Exertis Unlimited, added: "By retaining the Unlimited name we're recognising the unique culture, values and skills that have been built over the last 30 years. It's also a strong statement to our vendors and customers that we will continue to offer the services and support that they have enjoyed, enhanced by the reach and resources of Exertis."

Ericsson and Vodafone have demonstrated a new 5G proof of concept following their joint commitment to 5G innovation announced during Mobile World Congress in February this year.

The two companies created a 5G Smart Network Edge prototype including a 5G ready core and demonstrated the benefits of network slicing and distributed cloud technology using the example of a Machine Vision application.

Machine Vision is increasingly used for quality assurance within manufacturing and production processes and to measure or recognise objects. In a typical setup pictures provided by high-speed cameras are processed, analysed and trigger further actions such as sorting out defect parts.

In a live demo shown during the Innovation Days at Ericsson's R&D Centre in Aachen both companies showed how the 5G Smart Network Edge enables much greater efficiency for industry.

Due to reduced network latencies the recognition rate of a cloud-based face detection application was increased; significantly less video traffic had to be sent over the Wide Area Network and sensitive data was kept locally and was therefore better protected against unauthorised access.

Sonja Graf, Head of Vodafone Innovation Park, Vodafone Germany, said: "Within only three months we created a 5G Smart Network Edge prototype by connecting our labs. The Face Recognition use case is just one example demonstrating how 5G will meet the diverse needs of a wide range of industries."

Valter D'Avino, Head of Ericsson Western & Central Europe, added: "We are delighted that the Ericsson and Vodafone labs have come together to innovate and this first use case shows an excellent example of how 5G can enable industries to become more efficient as well as more secure and cost effective."

The latest version of Syscap Partner Portal launched by IT finance provider Syscap contains over 100 functionality improvements designed to help vendors and resellers to close more deals using the company's finance facilities.

The online platform enables partners to obtain a quote for extended payment 24/7, 365 days a year. Mobile responsiveness has also been improved.

The platform's latest version reflects feedback from Syscap's partners following a testing period.

Enhancements include the addition of new quote templates and advanced search capabilities to speed-up the quoting process, and simplifying document uploads

"By providing an instant online quote, the Syscap Partner Portal removes the administrative burden on vendor sales staff so they can accelerate their deal cycles and focus more on rewarding value added tasks," said Philip White, MD of Syscap.

"IT vendors and resellers can manage their own opportunities whilst having complete visibility of every one, from entry date through to current status and historical transactions.

"All proposals in the Partner Portal are fully supported by Syscap's dedicated account management team who are on hand to guide partners throughout every stage of the sales process."

The portal forms part of the Syscap Partner Programme which includes training, account management and a rewards and incentive scheme.