Customer feedback is critical in the channel, where pain points and needs can lead to important updates and new revenue streams. Partners today want to work with vendors that treat challenges as opportunities and go above and beyond to act on them. Listening is one thing Granite Telecommunications does exceptionally well — and it’s a big reason for the company’s accelerated rise over the last two decades into a trusted technology provider for thousands of organizations across multiple verticals, including 85 of the top Fortune 100 companies and major government agencies. “By actively listening to what our partners share from the forefront of end-user interaction, Granite is uniquely positioned to engineer innovative network management solutions, in both hardware and software, enabling us to continually deliver success,” said Charlie Pagliazzo, Granite vice president of channels. Granite demonstrated this capability in 2023, with the launch of Edgeboot, an advanced managed power distribution unit (PDU). During a customer conversation, Granite discovered that more than half of IT issues can be resolved from a simple reboot. In response, Granite created a customizable PDU with a self-healing algorithm that accurately detects issues in connected modems and network edge devices and uses AI to automatically restore connectivity — reducing downtime, streamlining troubleshooting and lowering dispatch costs. The company also took a similar approach with the federal government’s largest independent agency. While working with the customer, Granite identified an opportunity to upgrade its NOC system with AI and automatic service activation. This led to the development of a tool called Greenix which helped Granite activate and install 5,300 of the agency’s locations in 2023 with significantly more planned for 2024. “The more questions we asked and the more challenges we dug into, the more solutions we came up with,” said Pagliazzo. “This is a big advancement, because now we have APIs for almost anything that AI can do — including deploying our edge devices and Edgeboot PDUs. This is something no one else offers. It comes back to how well we listen to our customers. If there isn’t a solution, we’ll invent one.” Shift to Technology Services The company has transitioned from a traditional POTS line aggregator to a technology company with a much broader range of options. Today, Granite provides cloud services including SD-WAN, wireless, mobility, internet access and managed services. While traditional voice remains in high demand, Granite sees the majority of growth occurring through technology services. Last year, Granite’s technology business outgrew its voice. “Every day, we’re developing new technologies that improve our customers’ productivity, help them grow, and give them more insight into their businesses,” said Granite CEO Rob Hale. “And every day, we’re discovering new, innovative ways to support our customers so they can do more and can focus on what really matters.” 2024 Outlook Granite is setting the bar high in 2024, having surpassed its $1.85 billion revenue goal in 2023 while distributing record bonuses for employees and pulling in 13 industry awards — including the number one most charitable contributor in Massachusetts by the Boston Business Journal. Apart from Granite’s mission of technological innovation and development, the company remains deeply committed to its core values of community leadership, philanthropy and DEI. Partners and customers can expect to see further growth this year, with Granite Channels targeting nearly a half billion dollars in partner revenue. Granite doubled down on its indirect sales channel in 2023, expanding its sales team and growing its VAR partner program by adding strategic distributor relationships. At Granite in Sync with Partners and their Customers Charlie Pagliazzo, Granite VP, channels CHANNEL MANAGEMENT A commitment to customer satisfaction and innovation are taking the company to new heights 72 CHANNELVISION | MARCH - APRIL 2024
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