As we come to the end of the year, CRN is profiling some of the most successful channel firms in our market to talk to leadership about their 2022 highs, and to ask what's in store for the next 12 months.
Zyxel is an AI- and cloud-powered networking solutions vendor.
It was recently singled out by industry judges to be included in this year's Channel Awards shortlist for Cloud Services Vendor of the Year.
Its senior regional director UK & Ireland, Rachel Rothwell, spoke to CRN to share her insights into the company's strategic direction, growth and profitability.
She has been with Zyxel for 17 years and worked in various countries in key sales and management roles, all of which have involved close and strategic engagement with partners.
She took up her current post in 2014. Prior to joining Zyxel she spent eight years working for leading IT distributors in the market.
What did being highlighted in the shortlist for a CRN Channel Award mean to you?
It would be a significant recognition of the progress we have made as a business and as a brand over the last 12 months and a huge accomplishment, not only for Zyxel, but for all our partners as well.
We work extremely closely with our partners - it's a genuine team effort in which we all play a part. Being shortlisted reflects the combined achievements and success of Zyxel and its channel.
Winning would be a really strong endorsement of the positive and progressive approach we have taken.
What have been your highlights of 2022 so far?
The tremendous growth and success of our managed services partners with our Nebula cloud platform.
We have seen incredible growth with MSPs and also with our B2B partners in the SMB space.
The simple yet innovative concept behind Nebula and our whole solutions portfolio is that you can just connect and protect with a few simple steps.
The way that partners have embraced that idea, taken it on and become evangelists for Zyxel and Nebula is what stands out for me.
What's the most interesting industry trend you've noticed this year?
The erosion of brand snobbery. The name on the box is not as significant as it used to be - and I'd like to think Zyxel has played its part in making that happen.
What really matters to partners and customers now is trust - that's underpinned by the performance, quality, reliability and value of our products, and the user and partnership experience. Customers are much more open to new ideas and looking at alternative technologies and providers.
They know that they can have everything they want and need - and a really great experience - without having to pay a premium price.
How has your partner strategy evolved in 2022?
We've worked hard to raise our profile this year, whilst also keeping our feet firmly on the ground. It's been important to be positive and optimistic, but also to be humble and grateful for the business we get and the amazing support and interaction we have with our partners.
We have continued to focus on giving every one of them personal attention and on treating them as unique, individual businesses and people. We have added a specific Education focus and that's delivered some excellent results.
We've concentrated on the quality of engagement rather than pushing our partners to hit the highest number possible. Our approach is a realistic one, and I think that's been appreciated by partners.
What are you most looking forward to about 2023?
There is a lot of excitement at Zyxel about next year. While we all know it may be challenging in some ways, there is a real momentum and positivity in the business.
We have every intention of keeping that going over the next 12 months - and beyond. We have a lot of new developments and product releases coming and several initiatives planned that will definitely help our partners and our own business to grow.
But we're not going to rush it. We will be stable and consistent in our approach. We intend to continue our progression in 2023, and to make Zyxel an ever better company to work with and to grow with.
This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Zyxel.
