Why Partners Are Tech Disruptors: Vonage, IBM, 8x8, Others Weigh In

Partners have long been technology disruptors involved in nearly every step from presales to implementation and daily management. That spans technologies from SD-WAN to security to unified communications and collaboration tools. These folks have been the backbone of many large organizations and accounted for most of their sales.

Most organizations we spoke with acknowledge the pivotal role members of the channel play in their success. In many cases, they account for over 80% of sales. Then there’s the role channel partners play as educators — just one of the many hats they wear while working to earn new business and retain the customers they have have.

InFlow Analysis' David Smith

It’s this gift for shape shifting that David Smith, founder and principal of InFlow Analysis, says makes partners unmistakable tech disruptors in their ecosystem. They’re able to leverage integration capabilities, customization expertise and value-added services, Smith told Channel Futures.

Channel partners also leverage their domain knowledge and vast customer relationships to drive innovation and transformation, Smith said. “This is something I've seen firsthand in the spaces I cover, such as the broader digital workplace and specifically in communications and collaboration and contact centers where partners are vital for AI (artificial intelligence) adoption, as it can be daunting for organizations."

Smith said that in the communications and collaboration channel partners tend to play what he called a "particularly important' role in disrupting the technology ecosystem. “This is because they help customers in the digital transformation process — that is to say the transition to new cloud-based solutions, such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom — while also helping integrate these new solutions with their existing systems and workflows," Smith said.

Find out what other channel leaders had to say about partners’ roles in tech disruption.