The broader the better
Vendor neutrality is the only choice when selling connectivity, says Gareth Richardson
End users are clamouring to implement cloud services and unified communications while the channel has been gripped by network fever. Whether distributors, resellers or integrators, many types of channel company have finally realised the revenue potential that selling connectivity offers.
The fact that network services provision has become such a competitive value-add has actually caught many vendors by surprise.
Those providers that preemptively searched for partners to increase their channel turnover are reaping the rewards, while resellers that promptly diversified their portfolios have seen large-scale success already.
For resellers, there are two approaches when it comes to connectivity. The first is to focus on a
select number of carrier partners. While this strategy can be successful, particularly if you are specialising in a sector with specific bandwidth and availability requirements and little variation on that theme, it often ends up becoming restrictive and growth limiting.
This is because every customer has a different set of dynamic cultural, technological and operational objectives. For example, new computing developments such as cloud, mobile and big data mean businesses and their IT need to be more flexible and agile than ever.
Deploying a host of IT services, enterprise platforms and delivery methods, all of which may run on multiple global connections, is complicated for the customer and must be tackled with the assistance of a specialist network reseller.
A successful reseller partner is one that remains vendor-agnostic. Having access to a broad range of global carriers, local access partners, colocation and datacentre providers, with a range of connectivity options to choose from, will yield a more appropriate overall solution than an out-of-the-box version.
Furthermore, this results in happier and more satisfied customers that are receiving the value and return on investment they desire.
After all, the organisational network should align with the end user's needs. Often this means having global connectivity between geographical regions, all with their own challenges, infrastructure levels, and other sector-specific characteristics.
Resellers that hedge their provider-related bets will struggle to supply a suitable, performance-driven offering with the necessary security, availability, flexibility and latency profiles needed for the customer to remain competitive in the global economy.
Enterprises also often have different needs when it comes to the standard of connectivity. Not every business needs an ultra-low latency solution or a global Ethernet deployment, for example. But if they do, and the reseller does not have the knowledge and capability, it could miss out on a potentially large sales opportunity.
If delivery is attempted regardless, without the support of a proven provider, the result may not be good - resulting in disgruntled customers, reputation damage and strained vendor-reseller relationships.
Some may argue that choosing a reseller with agnosticism at the heart of its strategy can lead to a watered-down service, but the benefits strongly outweigh any associated fears.
Consolidating your existing network services - back office, mission-critical services and unified communications - under the control of a single provider not only makes sense from a support, operational and billing perspective, it also assists with the transitional period, reducing the number of likely future legacy-network integration issues and cloud-compatibility complications.
The best choice will be a connectivity-expert reseller, but one that does not limit its own partner network. The end user receives a personalised service, but at the same time the right connectivity for its specific aims.
For the modern enterprise, this is the only way to ensure a network's return on investment and for resellers it is a strategy that leads to growth.
Gareth Richardson is managing director of Custom Connect UK
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