Windstream Positioned between CableCos and Largest Carriers

Windstream.jpgTwo months back at ITEXPO/SDWAN Expo, Windstream aligned its brands to simply Windstream Enterprise and Windstream Wholesale. The company explained the new brand strategy reflects the transformation the organization is undertaking in response to the demands of the business market for a more agile, innovative network and communication service provider. The organization distinguishes itself by leveraging the latest technology and a highly agile, customer-centric culture that positions Windstream as a trusted partner to its Enterprise and Wholesale customers.

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“Enterprise IT is going through a tectonic shift, driven by rapid migration to the cloud and adoption of new technologies to address evolving customer needs,” said Joseph Harding (above), executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Windstream Enterprise and Wholesale. “This transformation directly addresses the specific challenges facing businesses today who’ve learned that conventional approaches can’t keep pace with the requirements of the digital economy,” said Harding. “Our response to this is to distinguish ourselves in our understanding of the unique needs of our business customers and in our agility in how we respond. We have transformed our product portfolio, our network and the customer experience to deliver on this.”

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In October 2017, longtime master agent Curt Allen (above) joined Windstream Enterprise to lead the channel program. In February 2018, Windstream Enterprise unveiled new brands for its enterprise and wholesale businesses, and in March its channel program was named a preferred provider by PlanetOne. 

“Our momentum continues, and with the launch of the Our Size Fits You campaign there has never been a better time to partner with Windstream Enterprise,” said Allen. “This new campaign is about claiming our provider differentiation, telling partners that we are a fundamentally different company today, showing them through performance how that is true, and giving them a unique incentive to partner with us. We are positioned to be an agile service provider between the LECs and the local cable companies, which will help our partners guide customers to solutions like SD-WAN, UCaaS and growing security solutions.”

In an exclusive interview with Curt, we asked where the company fits in the competitive landscape. He reiterated that they see traction as a solid choice between the large carriers and the smaller, regional cablecos. He continued that SMBs also need UCaaS and SD-WAN, it’s not just for Fortune 1000s.

Windstream can help smaller companies by managing the technology through their concierge service and then peel it off when the customer is ready to bring the management of these devices and services in-house.

He continued by explaining their UCaaS was designed to run over the internet so they can compete with the pure UCaaS players. If they do provide the underlying circuit they become the sole provider meaning one throat to choke and less finger-pointing on the way to finding problem resolution. He also said they can provision anywhere in the U.S. and they are in discussions with international carriers. 

The company has paid consistent residuals over time and have proven themselves loyal to the channel. In some breaking news, they will soon release a dashboard for customers and MSPs.

Their SD-WAN solution can tag end-devices allowing for more finely-tuned running of a business. A restaurant manager might want to know in real-time, which table an unhappy customer was sitting at when they filled out a satisfaction survey on a table device. They could then solve whatever the problem is in realtime.

Another point worth sharing is he reiterated this isn’t PAETEC 2.0 referring to one of the many carrier solutions which were rolled up. They aim to be the agile service provider able to navigate a challenging market.

He also wanted to be sure we realize Windstream Enterprise has a variety of solutions to help solve the challenges of companies of all sizes. From UCaaS to SD-WAN, native and OTT UC, the company has a complete portfolio suite, including security.

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