It’s time for partners to tightly grasp today’s priority tech trends and harness the potential of collaborative opportunities in the channel, according to BT Wholesale Managing Director Alex Tempest.
The shift to digital and proliferation of All-IP has elevated certain technologies as front-runners requiring immediate attention, noted Tempest. She also pointed to a need for UCaaS solutions to go further and advanced strong arguments for partners to align with the growing importance of AI and 5G, which featured prominently in research undertaken by BT Wholesale.
The study highlighted AI, 5G and UCaaS as major opportunities, most notably showing that 61 per cent of IT decision makers expect to make investments in AI over the coming 12 months. “Channel companies should therefore focus conversations on the network requirements that make AI adoption successful,” advised Tempest.
“Meanwhile, hybrid working has changed the technology and business landscape, but to be effective IT decision makers need fewer applications and simplified ways to collaborate. However, our research shows that less than half of IT teams have a UCaaS platform. Again, this opens the door for partners to tap into new revenue streams by educating customers on how to consolidate collaboration platforms.”
The channel is a unique ecosystem that works best when all players cooperate
Tempest pointed out that these changes are all underpinned by a need for faster and more reliable connectivity, which was cited by over three quarters of survey respondents – but less than a third of IT decision makers prioritise the shift to All-IP. “The channel knows why the shift to digital networks is important, now it’s time to ensure that all end users understand the benefits too,” added Tempest. “While most partners have been working towards 5G and All-IP adoption, customers still don’t realise the urgency or benefits this will unlock.”
In response to growing demand for expanded UCaaS solutions BT Wholesale has introduced value add features such as fraud management systems that block unwanted calls and call analytics software. This means that end users can consolidate multiple tools into a single platform. As well as the move to more value add offerings and the shift to digital networks, 5G and All-IP have become significant factors in BT Wholesale’s strategic development, including how it works with partners to improve customer experience by boosting the speed, reliability and efficiency of its networks. “This enables partners to make more sustainable choices and move away from legacy infrastructure,” stated Tempest.
Partner enablement
She reiterated that vendors have a responsibility to effectively enable resellers and MSPs. “Whether it’s marketing collateral or upskilling account teams, partner programmes can deliver this enablement,” added Tempest. “Given the huge changes taking place – from the move to All-IP to a shift to 5G mobile connectivity and automation – it can be easy for knowledge to be siloed. However, due to relationships that have been nurtured over time, vendors can work more with partners to drive growth.”
Tempest urges resellers to take advantage of these close-knit relationships and identify customer pain points. “One way is for channel companies to create an open forum for customer feedback,” she added. “This can be facilitated through regular meetings and networking face-to-face or virtually. Any concerns or emerging trends brought up in these meetings should then be addressed either by the reseller or escalated to a vendor to help shape solutions and services that truly work for end users.”
Tempest firmly believes that the channel is a unique ecosystem that works best when all players cooperate – and in the context of achieving sustainability goals, industry collaboration is key to success. “Sustainability and Net Zero are top priorities for many channel partners so it is important to focus on building ecosystems that will enable a greener industry,” commented Tempest.
“Sustainability is a complex issue and the channel needs new processes and ways of working. Collaboration is vital for this. Goals such as decreasing carbon emissions and recycling e-waste can’t be achieved in isolation, so channel companies must partner with experienced and trustworthy vendors that can guide them through their Net Zero journey. Reducing the channel’s impact on the environment requires a collective effort.
“I’m also encouraged by improvements in the industry’s level of diversity, equity and inclusion. As a traditionally male-dominated sector it’s important that we put initiatives in place to show that we welcome people of all genders, races and sexual orientation – and it’s brilliant to see more representation.”