Crn21 1200 300.jpeg

Vendor: Why our channel is bigger in the UK

Networking player explains why its shift to the channel is happening more quickly on local shores

Unified communications (UC) vendor Unify is looking to swell its channel presence in the UK - a geography which is rapidly becoming reseller-focused compared with other parts of its global business.

Michelle Jones, vice president of channel marketing at Unify, told CRN that when she joined the firm two and a half years ago, it was 45 to 50 per cent through the channel in the UK, but those figures transformed swiftly.

"We have made the commitment to be more channel-centric. In Q1 we were at 70 per cent through the channel and in Q2 it was at 90 per cent - we can see those numbers stabilising at an average of 80 per cent this year, but we are aiming to have it closer to 90 per cent moving forward," said Jones.

"We have 130 resellers in the UK. Some vendors might have closer to 500 resellers, but only 50 to 60 per cent of those are fully proactive, whereas all 130 of ours are fully engaging."

Jones said Unify does 60 per cent of its business through the channel globally, a figure lower than its UK channel performance this year.

"Different countries have different speeds of change with technology, and overseas there are still some legacy contracts which are ongoing and are yet to be fulfilled through the channel," she said.

Jones explained that Unify has two UK distribution deals, with Nimans and ScanSource.

"We are not just looking at mass reseller recruitment; we want highly engaged partners. We are also not just looking at reseller recruitment as in the last 12 months we have focused on developing our current channel base too. We have been working on our mid-market presence and ensuring those partners have enough support from us," she said.

Atos completed the acquisition of Unify from Gores Group and Siemens in January 2016, a move that Jones insisted has improved Unify's reputation in the channel.

"Our Atos backing is a huge opportunity to fuel growth and not just because of increased financial backing, but around innovation and the product road map too. Resellers have seen the Atos addition as a positive development for those reasons and it has established more confidence in our partner base," added Jones.