The melding of IT and communications technologies has opened a Pandora’s box of issues and opportunities for VARs and agents alike as they try to navigate previously uncharted waters. The idea that each works in its own separate hemisphere is quickly dissolving as end users look to reduce their pain points and seek one throat to choke when things go wrong. But is a partnering agreement the way to go in today’s business economic environment?
An informal poll of agents among PHONE+ readers in February found mixed results. One in five called their VAR partnerships “wildly” successful, meaning nearly all attempts to partner with VARs have been successful. Most voters (50 percent), however, said they experienced “a little” success with one quarter of their attempts to partner with VARs being successful.
Significantly, only 7 percent said they had not explored such a partnership, so the potential value generally is understood — at least by the agent community.
What about the VARs? Are they game for an alliance? Increasingly, they are looking at these partnerships not simply to offload carrier services management but to push their services through agents.
Nexus IS is one VAR that’s targeting telecom agents and consultants through a program it formalized in January 2010 that it calls Nexus Partner Connections. “We realized the telecom agents are not looking to do LAN work, but they can impact the decision,” said Chris Henry, national partner manager for Nexus. More than 30 partners have signed on to the program, which not only fills in the skill gaps, including lack of pricey training and certifications, but offers a percentage of the deal.
“It’s an opportunity for them to grow their revenue stream,” said Steve Darius, Nexus’ strategic alliances account manager.
And that may be the most compelling common ground. It’s certainly a great place to start to bridge the chasm between the telecom and IT worlds.
To get some more cues about successful partnerships, PHONE+ spoke to five companies – VARs and agents – about their partnerships.
Shamrock Consulting Group LLC
Spokesperson:: Paul Cooney, President
Company Size: 16
Primary Business: Agent
VAR Partner: Nexus IS Inc.
Describe your partnership: Shamrock Consulting Group works with Nexus as a strategic partner for all Cisco-related products and services, server virtualization, professional services and the countless other value-added services that Nexus provides to its clients. Shamrock brings Nexus into our client base to ensure that our clients receive the highest level of service and engineering support. Nexus brings in Shamrock to meetings as its telecommunications partner. We work on all carrier products — from SIP trunking, MPLS and hosting to traditional local, long-distance, toll-free phone service. As an independent agent, we can ensure that that client gets several quotes that will allow them to make the best decision for their company. Working together with Nexus on larger, complex projects is where we can create the most value for the client. By ensuring that the right transport is connected to an equipment investment, we ensure that clients get the greatest return on their investment.