Utah-based CarrierSales drove hundreds of attendees to its sold-out cloud contact center panel that was held in March in Las Vegas.
The master agent brought their cloud contact center portfolio to the panel that featured Five9, inContact, Interactive Intelligence, Liveops, and ShoreTel. The panel discussion was moderated by Bill Pieper, president of Epic Connections, the leader in assessment and design in the contact center world.
CarrierSales touted their shift as a master agency a few years ago to focus on a deeper solution set of products that aren’t as commoditized. Richard Murray, president of CarrierSales, had this to say:
“We have carved out a niche in the cloud contact center space and it’s really gaining momentum as evidenced by the 500+ consultants who signed up to attend our panel,” Murray said. “While many product segments are becoming a race to zero, we feel by helping our partners architect custom cloud contact center solutions that it’s a race away from zero. These days it’s all about being unique and adding value because of the competitive marketplace. We are the only master agent to have an executive who only focuses on cloud contact center solutions and that drives focus and value. I would like to thank our panelists for their thought leadership and their discussions on how consultants can diversify their cloud strategy. We have a lot to say around this space and I’m anxious for you to hear about some of our upcoming releases.”
Several topics were covered, including IVR, CRM, workforce management, premise-based vs. cloud, sweet spots, and most importantly, how to make the transition to offering cloud contact center solutions. There were also a series of rapid fire questions that brought up conversations centered around Amazon Web Services (AWS).
“It’s fun to see the demand we are creating in this space. I think we had to bring in extra chairs for our panel attendees about five times,” said Ray Hicken, VP of Contact Center Solutions Sales for CarrierSales. “The cloud contact center world is what I have lived and breathed for the last decade and it’s a pleasure to help partners and consultants to see the light of how much money they can make in this space. This is a vertical that we are committed to continuing to grow and I can’t thank our best of breed cloud contact center providers enough for leading some interesting discussions. I would also like to thank Bill Pieper for moderating the panelists and drilling down the answers to some complex topics. Plans are already in the works for next year’s show.”
The panelists had this to say about the panel:
“CarrierSales packed the room with engaged partners who were obviously interested in the adoption of cloud-based technologies. Strategic channel programs can help companies earn more revenue, better identify business opportunities, and help customers ultimately build more robust contact centers. They also make technologies available to a broader base of partners and their customers. I’m honored to be part of an industry that recognizes the value in these types of initiatives.”
-Wendell Black, VP of Channels for Five9
“As a leader in the cloud contact center space for the past 10 years, inContact was delighted to participate in CarrierSales’ panel at the Channel Partners Conference. The turnout was excellent, the questions thought-provoking, and it was demonstrative of a growing category that’s emerging in the Channel and CarrierSales leadership position in it”.
– Brett Theisen, SVP of Global Channel Sales for inContact
“With more than 20 years delivering innovative customer engagement solutions, Interactive Intelligence really enjoyed giving and getting valuable insight into the cloud contact center market. The venue was packed and provided a unique opportunity for partners to hear directly from the major players. Discussions about customer decisions to move to the cloud, and a lively debate regarding cloud architecture and capabilities made for an incredibly beneficial session.”
-Darren Gill, VP of Channels and Sales Development for Interactive Intelligence
“The CarrierSales panel was by far the best panel I have witnessed. With the cloud contact center market continuing to grow and pick up speed, it was great to see different perspective’s from five different CarrierSales cloud contact center suppliers.”
-Camden Patterson, Channel Sales Manager for LiveOps
“ShoreTel was grateful for the opportunity to provide insight to the partner community alongside other top business communications providers. We’re passionate about sharing knowledge and expertise to help drive partner success.”
-Brandon Knight, Director of Consulting Services for ShoreTel
“The cloud contact center session sponsored by CarrierSales brought together the five premier cloud contact center providers to provide their insights on how to identify and secure cloud contact center opportunities. Having all five providers, all of which are totally committed to the channel, in one place sharing the keys to success was awesome. I don’t think that’s ever been done before. Congrats to the CarrierSales team for making this happen!”
-Bill Pieper, President of EPIC Connections
