September 2016

You are browsing the archive for September 2016.

Channel Agnostic or Parity?

September 30, 2016

As Telarus CEO Adam Edwards explained channel agnostic means "no preference of whether sales come through the direct channel or partner channel." Usually that means the buyer doesn't care if it is a direct salesperson or a channel partner (as in the case with Microsoft or Cisco).

In telecom, that usually means that the C-Suite doesn't care where the revenue comes from - indirect or direct. If you look at current available data between 35-65% of new mid-market deals are coming in from channel. So yeah the C-Suite doesn't acre where the new revenue comes from - as long as it comes in.

Posted in channel, commissions, sales and selling

Tagged: channel partners, sales, sellecom, selling : Related Tags: channel agnostic, usually means, channel partner, suite doesn, revenue comes, channel

Are You Busy or Productive?

September 28, 2016

Everyone is busy. Super busy. So busy. But are you productive?

Are you stepping closer to your goals?

Posted in organizations, sales and selling

Tagged: time management : Related Tags: productive, goals

Is Your Channel Program Up to Standards?

September 28, 2016

You have a channel program but it isn't going well. There might be solid reasons for this.

You might be too hard to do business with. Too much friction and I will sell the other guy.

Posted in agents, channel, commissions

Tagged: channel managers, channel partners, commissions : Related Tags: channel program, channel, partners, might, enough

Billion Dollar Time Bomb

September 23, 2016

It used to be a celebration to hit a billion dollars in revenue in the CLEC space. It was like they crossed the finish line, because after they hit the billion dollar revenue mark, they went for beers and never looked back. And these Billion $ CLECs tumbled.

Intermedia was the first.

Posted in books, organizations, xo

Tagged: books, culture, deployment, financials, strategy : Related Tags: culture excellence, deploy seats, billion dollar, process deploy, billion, culture

The Cyber-Security Threat

September 21, 2016

If you have read most of my blogs, you know that I am critical of speakers, especially keynotes. Usually it is a commercial, an advertisement for the company they work for, which is total crap. Who wants to sit through that?

Chris Richter, Level3 SVP of Global Security Services, did a great job as the keynote for Microcorp's One on One event.

Posted in security

Tagged: level3, microcorp, security : Related Tags: cyber security, security, cyber, richter

The Sub-Agent Dilemma

September 20, 2016

Fresh off coming back from Microcorp's annual partner event (and 30th Anniversary party), I am reflecting on conversations with the partners.

Some are wondering what vendors to look at. Who is real and who is not. Who will be around to pay commissions in three years?

Posted in VAD, VAR, agents, channel, commissions, master agency

Tagged: agents, channel partners, commissions, master agency, microcorp, strategy, tech data, VAR, var : Related Tags: cloud managed, managed services, master agency, hardware sales, partners, channel

The State of UC&C - Part 3

September 14, 2016

I have a lot of snippets on the UCAAS and UC&C space to share, in no certain order.

We have seen consolidation in the contact center space - ININ-Genesys and others. It isn't over yet. There are too many players in the marketplace, and for right this moment money is still cheap.

Posted in broadsoft, hosted uc, metaswitch, mobile, telecommunications, unified communications, voip

Tagged: 8x8, broadsoft, metaswitch, mobile, UC, voip, vonage, windstream : Related Tags: unified communications, decision makers, makers percent, service providers, medium businesses, market

Freemium UCaaS by OnSIP

September 14, 2016

Posted in hosted uc, saas, telecommunications, unified communications, voip

Tagged: podcast, SAAS, saas, UC, voip : Related Tags: freemium model, ucaas, onsip, freemium

Skype is Taking Share

September 12, 2016

Microsoft beat Salesforce in the enterprise SaaS market in Q2, according to Synergy Research Group. "Microsoft was only number two with 7.9% market share of the global enterprise Software-as-a-Service industry in H1 2015." Now in "Q2 2016 resulted in Microsoft taking 15% of the enterprise SaaS market, beating Salesforce's 14% share."

NoJitter did a reader survey about Skype4B. Gary Kim has the break down HERE.

Posted in agents, apps, commissions, saas

Tagged: apps, commissions, financials, ibm, microsoft, SAAS, saas, skype : Related Tags: cloud offerings, enterprise software, microsoft, enterprise, market, business

Where is the Demand?

September 8, 2016

There are a number of external sales channels: franchises, affiliates, referrals, VAR/inter-connect, systems integrated, agents/brokers (to name a few). It works for more industries than just telecom, real estate and insurance.

All those models are for Sales. Remember though that isn't the same as demand or lead generation or any marketing.

Posted in Marketing, channel

Tagged: branding, channel partners, lead generation, marketing, vzw : Related Tags: people enough, drive demand, sales channels, demand, sales, enough

Contact Center Consolidation

September 7, 2016

Rumor was that Genesys was trying to buy Avaya's contact center business. Next thing you know, the announcement is that Genesys bought Interactive Intelligence for $1.4 Billion. The PR says that it will to Create the World's Premier Omni-channel Customer Experience Company. Last time I heard that was when NICE bought Incontact.

Posted in communications, mergers, telecommunications