Image Gallery: AT&T Fusion 2018
Partners mixed business with pleasure in Dallas this week.
AT&T Partner Solutions always pulls out all the stops.
The channel organization celebrated a year of growth with its solution providers in Plano, Texas. The partner summit traditionally belonged to AT&T Partner Exchange, but the Alliance Channel joined in on the fun this time. That’s no coincidence, as AT&T Partner Solutions – the umbrella indirect organization – has been creating more overlap between its sub-programs since its realignment last fall. Hence the new conference name: “Fusion.”
AT&T brought the usual gamut of keynote speeches, education sessions and networking. But the highlight of the conference was an evening trip to the Dallas Cowboys practice facility, where solution providers ate, played, networked, and ate some more.
Scroll through the pictures below to see the festivities, and check out our Tuesday and Wednesday keynote recaps.
Zee Hussain
The senior vice president and channel chief of AT&T Partner Solutions welcomed partners to the event. Hussain, who led AT&T's channel strategy in a year of increased investment and convergence between programs, congratulated partners on a successful year and lauded them to continue investing.
Hussain assumed the lead of AT&T's overarching channel organization a year ago, taking the reins from Brooks McCorcle.
Check out our recent profile piece on Hussain if you'd like to learn more about him on a personal level.
The senior vice president and channel chief of AT&T Partner Solutions welcomed partners to the event. Hussain, who led AT&T's channel strategy in a year of increased investment and convergence between programs, congratulated partners on a successful year and lauded them to continue investing.
Hussain assumed the lead of AT&T's overarching channel organization a year ago, taking the reins from Brooks McCorcle.
Check out our recent profile piece on Hussain if you'd like to learn more about him on a personal level.
Mach Networks
Don Ochoa, CEO of the managed LTE solutions provider, shared the types of technologies that are doling out high yield for his company.
SD-WAN is hot for Mach right now. Related to that topic is failover, a service that Ochoa and many other partners in the room credited as an excellent conversation starter for SD-WAN.
Ochoa made it into one of our articles from the event.
Don Ochoa, CEO of the managed LTE solutions provider, shared the types of technologies that are doling out high yield for his company.
SD-WAN is hot for Mach right now. Related to that topic is failover, a service that Ochoa and many other partners in the room credited as an excellent conversation starter for SD-WAN.
Ochoa made it into one of our articles from the event.
Adam Edwards
The CEO of master agent Telarus came on stage to give a plug for AT&T's APIs. Partner Exchange and Alliance Channel both added unique new API functions.
“By using an API to qualify and quote AT&T Dedicated Internet to our partners, we have been able to save time and provide better service. Now we can qualify a customer’s address for service on the spot and have a quote to them in seconds,” Edwards said.
The channel knows Edwards well for his candid observations, like his informative talk at this year's Telarus partner conference.
The CEO of master agent Telarus came on stage to give a plug for AT&T's APIs. Partner Exchange and Alliance Channel both added unique new API functions.
“By using an API to qualify and quote AT&T Dedicated Internet to our partners, we have been able to save time and provide better service. Now we can qualify a customer’s address for service on the spot and have a quote to them in seconds,” Edwards said.
The channel knows Edwards well for his candid observations, like his informative talk at this year's Telarus partner conference.
AT&T Marketing
Hussain sat down for a fireside chat with Mo Katibeh, chief marketing officer of AT&T Business. Katibeh helped Alliance Channel solution providers get access to AT&T's "Marketing as a Service" program, in order to be compensated for "marketing efforts with select vendors."
The new access came just a few weeks after AT&T Partner Solutions requested the resource.
Hussain sat down for a fireside chat with Mo Katibeh, chief marketing officer of AT&T Business. Katibeh helped Alliance Channel solution providers get access to AT&T's "Marketing as a Service" program, in order to be compensated for "marketing efforts with select vendors."
The new access came just a few weeks after AT&T Partner Solutions requested the resource.
Anne Chow
It was a busy week for Anne Chow, president of National Business for AT&T Business. Chow, who is Zee Hussain's boss, helped drive the realignment of AT&T Partner Solutions last year, and she helped represent AT&T Business at the partner conference.
AT&T Business made a concerted effort to send high-ranking executives to AT&T Fusion in order to communicate its appreciation for indirect sales.
Chow featured prominently in our Wendesday recap, explaining how AT&T Partner Solutions made its pivot.
It was a busy week for Anne Chow, president of National Business for AT&T Business. Chow, who is Zee Hussain's boss, helped drive the realignment of AT&T Partner Solutions last year, and she helped represent AT&T Business at the partner conference.
AT&T Business made a concerted effort to send high-ranking executives to AT&T Fusion in order to communicate its appreciation for indirect sales.
Chow featured prominently in our Wendesday recap, explaining how AT&T Partner Solutions made its pivot.
The Star
Partners got the Cowboy treatment. AT&T hosted a large gathering at "The Star," the training facility and headquarters of the Dallas Cowboys football team.
A fog machine and drumline welcomed attendees as they crashed the field.
Partners got the Cowboy treatment. AT&T hosted a large gathering at "The Star," the training facility and headquarters of the Dallas Cowboys football team.
A fog machine and drumline welcomed attendees as they crashed the field.
'Athletes' in Action
Partners filed through "Run, Throw, Pass, Punt" stations, trying their hand (and feet) at football fundamentals.
Ambitious telecom experts lined up to get their shot at the field goal and do their best Dan Bailey impression. This particular fellow took a run at the ball with clear eyes, a full heart, and every hope of sailing the pigskin through the uprights.
(Narrator: He did not.)
Partners filed through "Run, Throw, Pass, Punt" stations, trying their hand (and feet) at football fundamentals.
Ambitious telecom experts lined up to get their shot at the field goal and do their best Dan Bailey impression. This particular fellow took a run at the ball with clear eyes, a full heart, and every hope of sailing the pigskin through the uprights.
(Narrator: He did not.)
Culinary Highlights
Attendees wouldn't be bored if they elected to pass on the football drills. They still got their steps in walking around the field to find the many food and beverage stations. Tacos and Texas brisket were just two of the culinary highlights.
Attendees wouldn't be bored if they elected to pass on the football drills. They still got their steps in walking around the field to find the many food and beverage stations. Tacos and Texas brisket were just two of the culinary highlights.
Thaddeus Arroyo
The CEO of AT&T Business chatted with Hussain on the main stage. Arroyo built on last year's conference, in which he gave a keynote focusing on AT&T's investment in the channel.
Arroyo laughed when Hussain recalled the nerves he felt when Arroyo outlined the big bet AT&T Business was making with Partner Solutions last year.
Our Wednesday recap focuses on the "breakthrough bet" of AT&T Business and the channel.
The CEO of AT&T Business chatted with Hussain on the main stage. Arroyo built on last year's conference, in which he gave a keynote focusing on AT&T's investment in the channel.
Arroyo laughed when Hussain recalled the nerves he felt when Arroyo outlined the big bet AT&T Business was making with Partner Solutions last year.
Our Wednesday recap focuses on the "breakthrough bet" of AT&T Business and the channel.
AlienVault
AT&T's purchase of security vendor AlienVault was a big topic at Fusion.
The Alliance Channel and Partner Exchange both got clearance to sell AlienVault's new unified security management platform, and their first sale went through last week. Channel executives noted that AT&T indirect got its hands on the new product at the same time as AT&T direct.
Hussain spoke briefly with us about what channel integration with AlienVault might look like.
AT&T's purchase of security vendor AlienVault was a big topic at Fusion.
The Alliance Channel and Partner Exchange both got clearance to sell AlienVault's new unified security management platform, and their first sale went through last week. Channel executives noted that AT&T indirect got its hands on the new product at the same time as AT&T direct.
Hussain spoke briefly with us about what channel integration with AlienVault might look like.
Partners
Solution providers representing AT&T Partner Exchange and AT&T Alliance Channel flocked to the Fusion event, which was hosted at the Rennaissance Dallas hotel.
Solution providers representing AT&T Partner Exchange and AT&T Alliance Channel flocked to the Fusion event, which was hosted at the Rennaissance Dallas hotel.
