https://www.channelfutures.com/wp-content/themes/channelfutures_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • SDN/SD-WAN
    • Cloud
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Telephony/UC/Collaboration
    • Cable
    • Mobility & Wireless
    • Fiber/Ethernet
    • Data Centers
    • Backup & Disaster Recovery
    • IoT
    • Desktop
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Analytics
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Channel Research
    • Business Models
    • Distribution
    • Master Agents
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Best Practices
    • Vertical Markets
    • Regulation & Compliance
    • Diversity & Inclusion
  • MSSP Insider
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • Apply Now
    • 2020 MSP 501 Rankings
    • 2020 Hot 101 Rankings
    • 2020 MSP 501 Report
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • From the Industry
    • Reports/Digital Issues
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Channel Educational Series
  • EMEA
  • Channel Chatter
    • Back
    • People on the Move
    • New/Changing Channel Programs
    • New Products & Services
    • Industry Honors
    • Channel Convergence
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Advisory Boards
    • Industry Organizations
    • Our Sponsors
    • Content Resources
  • Awards
    • Back
    • 2021 MSP 501
    • Circle of Excellence
    • Excellence in Digital Services
    • Top Gun 51
  • Events
    • Back
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • Channel Evolution Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
    • Industry Events
  • DE&I
Channel Futures
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • SDN/SD-WAN
    • Cloud
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Telephony/UC/Collaboration
    • Cable
    • Mobility & Wireless
    • Fiber/Ethernet
    • Data Centers
    • Backup & Disaster Recovery
    • IoT
    • Desktop
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Analytics
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Channel Research
    • Business Models
    • Distribution
    • Master Agents
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Best Practices
    • Vertical Markets
    • Regulation & Compliance
    • Diversity & Inclusion
  • MSSP Insider
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • Apply Now
    • 2020 MSP 501 Rankings
    • 2020 Hot 101 Rankings
    • 2020 MSP 501 Report
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • From the Industry
    • Reports/Digital Issues
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Channel Educational Series
  • EMEA
  • Channel Chatter
    • Back
    • People on the Move
    • New/Changing Channel Programs
    • New Products & Services
    • Industry Honors
    • Channel Convergence
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Advisory Boards
    • Industry Organizations
    • Our Sponsors
    • Content Resources
  • Awards
    • Back
    • 2021 MSP 501
    • Circle of Excellence
    • Excellence in Digital Services
    • Top Gun 51
  • Events
    • Back
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • Channel Evolution Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
    • Industry Events
  • DE&I
    • Newsletter
  • REGISTER
  • MSPs
  • VARs / SIs
  • Agents
  • Cloud Service Providers
  • Channel Partners Events
 Channel Futures

SDN/SD-WAN


Are You Ready for Hosted IP Telephony?

  • Written by Channel
  • December 12, 2011
Good agents will differentiate themselves by the quality of their suppliers and the user experience they deliver.


Scott StewartBy
Scott Stewart, Director of Sales, ADTRAN Inc.

The emergence of cloud-based technologies, not to mention the hype around them, are acting as a catalyst to adoption of hosted IP telephony, giving it the push it lacked in previous years. According to the research firm Frost & Sullivan, this will boost the North American user base of hosted IP telephony by a compound annual growth rate of 32.7 percent by 2017; and will raise the market share of this segment in overall business telephony to 20 percent by 2020, from the current 13 percent.

Hosted IP telephony enjoys significant advantages over on-premises installation. This is particularly true for small and medium businesses, which find it difficult to manage these installations. To SMBs, a hosted IP telephony solution means lower costs, better quality of service, 24/7 support, a large office feel” and the opportunity to tap into varied productivity-enhancing value-added services increasingly offered by hosting service providers. Less-known advantages include flexibility to choose numbers, storing of central directories and an automatic disaster-recovery solution.

It is no surprise then that traditionally, SMBs have been the early adopters of hosted IP telephony services. But larger businesses are joining the bandwagon, said Frost & Sullivan. The larger firms are increasingly deploying hosted services at branches and remote locations, with some intending to eventually migrate the entire organization,” the research group said in a recent report.

This is great news for carriers. It vastly expands their potential client base as well as the size of the potential deals, besides offering the opportunity to broaden their portfolio. From the perspective of a hosting provider, as the proportion of hosted IP telephony solutions rises to a forecast 20 percent by 2020, they have the opportunity to increase stickiness” and cut a neat path toward increased value-added services, resulting in higher average revenue per user (ARPU). Overall, the hosted solution, as opposed to in-premises IP telephony, contributes to greater customer loyalty.

What does the hosted IP telephony solution mean to the sales process?

Obviously, it means larger commissions for the agents. But there are obvious differences, and perhaps complexities, that need to carefully assessed to ensure quality of service. Lets consider the following.

  • Technical complexities. Site survey becomes more complex as well as critical to ensure proper internal wiring to manage the LAN. It is important to get this and the entire installation process right. Otherwise, service quality could suffer and also lead to higher cost of maintenance services.
  • To manage the LAN or not. Carriers also need to consider whether or not to take ownership of the clients LAN and manage the network. In many cases, it is a good thing to do so because whenever troubleshooting occurs, you will have to get your hands dirty with the LAN. So, you might as well get used to it.
  • Finding the right partner. Carriers need to carefully choose good technical partners in order to develop a profitable turnkey solution that can be quickly and easily duplicated across enterprises.
  • Optimizing Day-Two experience. In order to build strong customer relationships and loyalty, it is important to deliver an optimal post-sales service and standards, the traditional Day Two experience.
  • Plan your growth. Scaling services can pose challenges, especially when it comes to quickly adding clients or when adding larger client firms. Carriers would do well to evaluate growth opportunities and lay out a roadmap they can follow.

As we see above, offering a hosted IP telephony comes with both challenges and opportunities for agents. Market dynamics will ensure that the good agents will be separated from the bad. Good agents will be the ones who will differentiate themselves by the quality of their partners and the quality of user experience they will consistently deliver. After all, their eventual success will still depend greatly on the carriers ability to deliver a robust solution utilizing appropriate technology and satisfying the end user.

Scott Stewart is director of sales competitive service providers for ADTRAN Inc., where he focuses on solutions that enable carriers to deliver Ethernet, internetworking and converged voice solutions into the SMB marketplace. Stewart has 15 years of telecom sales experience working with a diverse set of customers including Tier 2 and Tier 3 IOCs, wireless service providers, CLECs and MSOs. Scott is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University. He also is a member of the Channel Partners Advisory Board for 2011-12.

Tags: Agents Business Models Cloud SDN/SD-WAN Telephony/UC/Collaboration

Related


  • SASE network edge
    Aruba Fully Integrates Silver Peak SD-WAN, Unveils SASE Strategy
    HPE bought Silver Peak last year and brought it into the Aruba business unit.
  • Workforce reinvention
    Five9 Shares Insights on Implementing a DE&I Strategy
    A culture of awareness and empathy starts with listening and sharing.
  • Convergence
    New, Changing Partner Programs: HPE, Zoom, Fortinet, Microsoft, More
    Telecom and IT vendors are courting partners to sell their solutions.
  • Survey says
    Cloud Communications Market Rocked by Microsoft, COVID-19 in 2020
    The perceived competitiveness of Slack and Google slid year over year.

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your Channel Futures account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • AT&T Adds Mobile Cloud PBX to RingCentral-Powered Collaboration Solution
  • Telarus Vet Ends Short 'Retirement,' Will Lead PPT Solutions' Channel Sales Strategy
  • TBI Adds Rival Intelisys Alum, Tech Data, 8x8 Vets
  • 8x8 Joins Microsoft as Westcon Partner to Spur International Growth

Galleries

View all

M&A Roundup: Tech Data, RingCentral, Telarus, Datto, More

April 20, 2021

Industry Perspectives

View all

Annual MSP Benchmark Survey Reveals Remote Work Still a Top Challenge

April 20, 2021

Why Digital Transformation Is the ‘Invisible Hand’ of Our Time

April 19, 2021

SD-WAN Supports More Purposeful Shift to Cloud

April 16, 2021

Webinars

View all

What to Look For: 2021 Threat Report

April 22, 2021

Health Care and SD-WAN: A Seller’s Guide

April 27, 2021

How MSPs Can Leverage SOCaaS to Improve Security & Grow Revenue

May 4, 2021

White Papers

View all

Hacker Personas: A Deeper Look into Cybercrime

April 20, 2021

Carbonite Data Protection and Cyber Resilience

April 15, 2021

Top Tips: How Resellers Can Leverage Rackspace to Enhance Customer’s Cyber Security Protection with Microsoft 365 Security

March 30, 2021

Upcoming Events

View all

Channel Partners Conference & Expo

November 1, 2021 - November 4, 2021

MSP Summit

November 1, 2021 - November 2, 2021

Channel Evolution Europe

November 30, 2021 - December 1, 2021

Videos and Fastchats

View all

ACC’s Nancy Ridge on Gender Diversity in the Channel

5 Reasons Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Is Important

April 14, 2021

Five9 Shares Insights on Implementing a DE&I Strategy

April 13, 2021

FASTCHAT: How Fortinet Reduces Complexity Through Networking, Security

March 31, 2021

Twitter

ChannelFutures

.@AppSmartcom touted its platform at its #AppSmartUnleash event. dlvr.it/Ry5SSF https://t.co/RQdXFffe9N

April 20, 2021
ChannelFutures

.@digicert Security Summit highlights growth, innovation amid #COVID19. dlvr.it/Ry5SNP https://t.co/g1yFRHHjKa

April 20, 2021
ChannelFutures

Congrats to @CatSolazzo on her new #marketing gig at @Tech_Data. The channel knows her well from #IBM.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

April 20, 2021
ChannelFutures

.@OtavaLLC unveils #partnerprogram enhancements. #cloud dlvr.it/Ry4g4t https://t.co/D9dUuezdn9

April 20, 2021
ChannelFutures

#MSP business is still strong & growing @KaseyaCorp 2021 benchmark survey #digitaltransformation #remotework… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

April 20, 2021
ChannelFutures

Our M&A roundup includes massive @Synnex-@Tech_Data merger, @McAfee's enterprise unit sale and @Telarus' acquisitio… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

April 20, 2021
ChannelFutures

Join the Allies of the Channel Council, Xposure Inclusion & Diversity Council, and @AllianceofCW on Thursday at 2 p… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

April 20, 2021
ChannelFutures

.@salesforce revives Data Recovery Service it retired last year as @AvePoint launches #Salesforce #CloudBackup.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

April 20, 2021

MSSP Insider

Business advice for MSSPs and news from the broader security channel.

Newsletters and Updates

Sign up for The Channel Report, Channel Futures Update, MSP 501 Newsletter and more.

Live Channel Events

Get the latest information on the next industry-leading Channel Partners event.

Galleries

Educational slide shows and images from live events.

Media Kit And Advertising

Want to reach our audience? Access our media kit.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • Channel Partners Events
  • Telecoms.com
  • MSP 501
  • Black Hat
  • IoT World Today
  • Omdia

WORKING WITH US

  • Contact
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Newsletter

FOLLOW Channel Futures ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2021 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X