CHANNEL MANAGEMENT CV: What are some technology trends that you are observing at Telarus? AE: Right now, the top business issues driving IT buying decisions include digital innovation, cybersecurity, AI and digital-first experiences (DX) across the organization. AI in particular is rapidly evolving to impact all areas of an organization, and we continue to invest in AI enablement education, events and engineering expertise to ensure technology advisors feel confident about including AI opportunities in their sales conversations. Our research also indicates bundled CX offerings such as UCaaS, CCaaS, CPaaS and advanced networking will emerge as top revenue drivers for technology advisors this year. CV: AI is certainly a hot topic this year, and it’s exciting to hear that Telarus is helping advisors get more comfortable with envisioning how it can be a part of their opportunities. How do you guide advisors less familiar with AI and therefore more hesitant to bring it into their conversations? AE: Yes, I think it’s important to remember that many enterprise-level companies are already experimenting with AI to some extent, but with caution. AI requires careful planning, as businesses must define and evaluate the scope and timing of their implementation strategies. Technology advisors can play a pivotal role by introducing proven AI opportunities to customers and connecting them with the resources needed to harness AI effectively and gain a competitive edge. Here are some key trends we are seeing that can help advisors open up business conversations around AI: • CX presents an exciting use case for generative AI, as it’s redefining how businesses engage with their customers. For example, with the emergence of ChatGPT and other generative AI innovations, our suppliers are bringing to market virtual agent bots that are incredibly human-like and accurate, helping improve efficiency and customer satisfaction in the contact center. • Cybersecurity remains in high demand, with companies needing to protect their data, applications and infrastructure from evolving human- and AI-deployed threats. Organizations must prioritize implementing and continuously evolving advanced security strategies to address threat detection and fraud prevention, but there is a severe talent shortage of qualified security experts. We continue to add cybersecurity managed service providers (MSPs) to our portfolio who can act as an extension to resourcestrapped IT teams to ensure nothing is falling through the cracks. • Cloud migration will continue to dominate advanced solutions sales during the next several years – not only because organizations need to create scalable, secure infrastructure tailored to hybrid work models, but also to support the data and infrastructure demands of AI. Hybrid, multicloud, private vs public … which path a business chooses really depends on their business needs, and we have phenomenal engineers to help advisors guide those conversations. CV: How does Telarus support and empower technology advisors? AE: We want clients to view advisors as “the” source for emerging technology consultancy and implementation. To make this possible, Telarus provides unparalleled services, solutions and tools to support growth in CX, cybersecurity, cloud, mobility, IoT and advanced networking. Advisors have access to hundreds of in-person and virtual education tracks through Telarus University, and highly anticipated networking and learning events such as the Annual AI Summit and the Annual Partner Summit. Back-office tools like our SolutionVue quick solutions assessment platform support advisors in a guided selling process so they’re more confident in starting a conversation with a client around a new technology and the advisor has our best intelligence for supplier selection at their fingertips. They can lean on our engineers and solution architects at any point in the sales journey. We love our community and are extremely committed to helping our advisors shine as they guide their customers through their most critical business challenges now and as their digital business evolves. CV: What’s your advice to those who are just starting out in the channel? AE: The time has never been better to ride the wave of opportunity in the channel with Telarus, with complexity and friction in IT procurement presenting a major opportunity for advisors to guide customers. If you’re new to the channel or want to explore emerging areas, you can use Telarus to expand your knowledge and abilities. Telarus is a powerful ally, offering tools, services and suppliers to help you tackle any customer need with confidence and precision. CV: How can partners connect with Telarus? AE: We’ll be out on the road with an incredible educational program this year, and there are numerous ways to engage with our team. To learn more, please visit our website at www.telarus.com. To connect with our team directly, reach out to inquiries@telarus.com. o Telarus CEO Adam Edwards 76 CHANNELVISION | MARCH - APRIL 2024
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