**Editor’s Note: Click here for a list of December’s important channel-program changes you should know or here to see which channel people were on the move last month.**

Five9 on Monday announced an expansion to its channel partner program and the appointment of 25-year contact center veteran Wendell Black as vice president of channel sales.

Part of this expansion includes new strategic partnerships with several master agents, systems integrators and resellers. The partners in the program provide a range of technologies including, ERP, CRM, mobility, social and legacy telecommunications.

In addition to continuing the referral partner program, the expanded program now offers partners the ability to be a reseller or full OEM partner.

Black tells Channel Partners that Five9 signed more than 20 partners in the first few months of recruitment, which demonstrates “a very positive acceptance of our partner go-to market strategy.” Examples of its partners include CarrierSales, Clarus, WTG, TBI, Venture Group and PWC.

Black previously was executive vice president and general manager of Vocalcom North America, and held various positions at Aspect, Nortel Networks and Oracle. His responsibilities at Five9 will focus on leading and growing the channel sales program.{ad}

“We want to extend our reach to customers who are considering the shift to cloud, and this move provides Five9 more visibility to these opportunities,” he said. “This program expands our reach to prospects by offering our … cloud-based solution to a wider audience. Five9 continues to focus on and deliver an enterprise platform adhering to the highest standards of reliability, security, compliance and scalability.”

Five9 is offering a different engagement opportunity for consultants and systems integrators to extend their scope of services by adding Five9 to their portfolios, Black said.

“The master-agent program provides a network to deliver products and services to their partners who have longstanding relationships and experience in the telephony marketplace,” he said. “Resellers offer us an opportunity to increase our reach and open more markets more quickly through their networks.”

Five9 is a provider of cloud contact-center software for the enterprise market.

Richard Murray, CarrierSales’ president, said adding Five9’s product set will help his company meet its goal of having the “deepest and most strategic contact center portfolio in the industry.”

“We were one of the early adopters in selling cloud solutions, and our knowledge and expertise paired with Five9’s long history of success makes for a strong partnership,” he said.