Monday Morning Impact – April 2

Vonage Launches Channel Program to Support Business Cloud

Vonage has launched a new channel program leveraging the New Jersey-based company’s services plus its embedded communications APIs. Seeking stronger partnerships with SIs and ISVs while maintaining its standing with traditional channel partners, the Vonage Partner Network will offer sales-enabled support, ongoing training, and consultation service before, during and after the deal close.

“As partners use a more consultative sales approach, they are looking for on-the-ground sales support and technical expertise, easy onboarding and an efficient service delivery process,” said Vonage Channel Chief Bob Crissman.

As part of this initiative, the company has rolled out a structure that teams regional sales people with partner program management resources to provide support through the sales process, from lead to close, through service delivery, ongoing account management and customer upsell/cross-sell.

The program features four levels of engagement with scaling benefits and expectations.

In addition to service portfolio and API access, the new program includes lead generation, deal registration, training and accreditation, marketing analytics and related resources, and a partner portal that features real-time quoting, commissions tracking, sales enablement, marketing, etc.

Channel Impact^®
Vonage intends to continue its hybrid direct/indirect sales model backed by 25 channel managers working with master agents and subagents. The new strategy will more strongly focus on a wide variety of partners, including MSPs, ISVs, SIs, and VARs.

Synnex Launches Convergence Community for Resellers

Synnex has launched a new member community through its CONVERGESolv Secure Networking Group, a consortium of partners addressing the rapidly growing security, networking, and communications technology markets. The new community will focus on issues, concerns and strategies around technology convergence, which has become an ongoing state-of-affairs in the tech industry.

“The CONVERGESolv Community is an important step in empowering our growing customer base with innovative technology solutions around security, cloud networking, IoT and Unified Communications,” said Reyna Thompson, Vice President, Product Management, Security, Networking & UCC. “As end-customers transition from cloud and IoT proof-of-concepts to full-blown implementations in 2018, it’s critical that solution providers go above and beyond to offer holistic solutions, services and support.”

Community members receive access to managed service offerings; vendor quote tools/configurators/parts lists; quarterly line cards and playbooks; complimentary vulnerability scans; wireless heatmaps/predictive RF planning; complimentary vendor portfolio training and technology market training; discounted training for sales and tech courses; monthly technology trends webinars and newsletters; and ongoing industry news.

The community has also launched its 2018 Regional Summit series. Each summit is a one-day event that includes tech trend presentations, vendor-speed dating rounds, and networking.

Channel Impact^®
Groups such as this one can be instrumental in keeping partners up to date on technology and market trends, while also providing the opportunity to network with their peers.

Kaseya Forges Global Reseller and Integration Partnership with IT Glue

Kaseya has announced a strategic reseller agreement and integration partnership with IT Glue, a vendor delivering an IT documentation platform. Through joint research and development, the new partnership is intended to provide MSPs worldwide with enhanced efficiency, operations and documentation from within Kaseya’s IT Complete Unified MSP Growth Platform.

The IT Glue offering enables MSPs to centralize and standardize documentation for IT processes, applications, devices, passwords and other IT assets so that critical information can be securely stored and easily accessed by those with proper credentials.

“The overwhelming feedback we get from our customers worldwide on IT Glue is that ‘it just works,” said Kaseya CEO Fred Voccola. “By including IT Glue in the Kaseya IT Complete stack, our MSPs have access to the most innovative, effective, and open IT management platform on the market.”

Promised benefits include the ability to scale and support more clients without increasing headcount; higher numbers of tickets that can be supported by each IT technician at a lower cost per ticket; reduced training time for new IT techs; and reduced dependence on specialized client-level technician knowledge.

Channel Impact^®
The intention is to leverage the two platforms in a way that enhances efficiency in an industry commonly associated with narrow profit margins.