CV_Spring_2021

Businesses today face a variety of lingering operational challenges due to COVID-19, from managing remote workers to maintaining security over distributed networks to attracting and retaining customers. The last year in business hasn’t been easy. “The last thing companies need to deal with today are communication issues stemming from outdated and expensive phone systems,” said Snom vice presi- dent of cloud service providers Matt Hickey. “Many companies have phones that are out of touch with their core needs. Snom recognizes this, which is why we’re stepping up to help business- es improve customer communication.” Snom is currently offering special incentives to help businesses upgrade their phone systems. First and foremost, the company slashed its phone prices following the outbreak of COVID-19, meaning customers can take advantage of ultra-low rates for the time being. At the same time, Snom is offering end-user rebates for businesses when they upgrade. “Companies can now access the latest cutting-edge phones from Snom while saving money in the process,” said Hickey. “It’s a win-win opportunity.” Companies that replace their old phones can receive up to $35 per device via trade-in rebates. By switching to Snom, it’s possible to achieve $4,000 or more in savings when upgrading up to 200 phones, said Hickey. As a bonus, all Snom business phones come with a three-year warranty for extended protection. The company also offers a device-as-a-service (DaaS) program to provide customers with flexible, low-cost access to all the latest Snom and VTech-branded SIP telephony products. Snom’s DaaS program provides customers with a turnkey option that comes with a single monthly payment. Key benefits include more frequent device upgrades and the elimination of ownership respon- sibility and upfront costs. Customers can achieve lower monthly OPEX, and service providers, resellers, and VARS can remain the primary point of contact for added convenience. Businesses also can scale up or down in real-time as needed without having to commit to product owner- ship. This is great for growing compa- nies or businesses that experience periodic user fluctuations, said Hickey. Financing is available through CSC Leasing. CSC’s Direct to ITSP program allows providers to supply end users with a turnkey, single monthly payment platform inclusive of hardware. All Snom products are sold exclu- sively through accredited partners. VARs and service providers are welcome to register with the company at visit snomamericas.com. With the move to remote work, it’s not surprising to see both an increase in reliance on unified communications and collaboration and the time spent resolving UC issues out on the edge. According to the most recent state of the network report from Viavi Solutions, the percent of companies that said they spend more than 10 hours per week troubleshooting UC issues shot up from 41 percent in 2018 to 66 percent today. Only 3 percent spent no time resolving UC issues in 2021 compared to 36 percent in 2018. “What is striking is just how critical robust UC monitoring is to ensure smooth application delivery and optimal end user experience,” said Viavi executives. Ziply Fiber unveiled its Agent Channel Program across its four-state region and the initial signing of more than 20 channel partners including large master agents AppSmart, TBI, Venicom, Sandler Partners, Intelysis and TCG, among others. Zipfly acquired the Northwest operations of Frontier Communications in May 2020 and immediately began investing an additional $500. Since then it has been busy building new fiber connectivity to dozens of cities and towns throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. Ziply Fiber offers a wide range of connectivity, network- ing and voice across its more than 1.7 million serviceable locations and 200 central offices. Ziply Fiber’s commercial connectivity and transport solutions include dedicated Ethernet internet access from 10M to 10G as well as point- to-point, point-to-multipoint, wavelength and dark fiber trans - port options. The company said it runs its core network at 40 percent capacity, with redundant diversity down to its hub sites, and is always increasing edge capacity. Ziply Fiber is headquartered in Kirkland, Wash., and has major offices in Everett, Wash.; Beaverton, Ore. and Hayden, Idaho. Most of Ziply Fiber’s executive team consists of former executives from AT&T, CenturyLink and Wave Broadband, said the company. UC Support on the Edge Ziply Fiber Launches Agent Channel Snom’s Incentives Make Phone Upgrades Simple and Affordable CORE COMMUNICATIONS Technology Trends Im Within Two Years Source: SWZD How are you partners making m Source: ChannelVision Magazine sur Top Challenges for B2B Channel Programs Source: Channel Pulse; 2021 Hours Spent Per Week Troubleshooting UC Issues Partners Ineffective Sales & Marketing Capabilities Inefficient Access to Data/Analytics Tools Poor Analytics for ROI Time-to-Revenue Insufficient Channel Team Headcount Insufficient Ch nnel Budget Not Enough Revenue Per Partner Inadequate Partner Mindshare to Partner Program Improve Alignment of Business Goals with Partners Help Partners Migrate to New Business Models For disaster r covery To improve reliability To interconnect with public cloud providers, telcos, services providers or customers Why does your organization rent spac at a colocation provider? (Please select all that apply.) For private cloud To improve latency To move from capex to opex Regulatory/co pliance requi ements To access renewable energy and/or improve efficiency As ‘edge’ space (e.g. for loT data, or keep content closer to end users) Lack skills to manage/operate datacenter Ran out of enterprise datacenter space/power Colocation Motivators Source: 451 Research; 9/20 Source: Viavi Solutions Unsure None Up to 10 hours 2018 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 2021 More than 10 hours IT automation technology Gigabit Wi-Fi networking Internet of Things Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Converged/ hyperconverged infrastructure Container technology Serverless computing 5G technology Edge computing 3D printing Artificial intelligence Virtual reality technology Blockchain technology Th y’re ot Device/Fleet management Expense management 5G connectivity Other Enterprise 5G Sm 45% 50% 40% 39% 35% 33% 32% 32% 29% 29% 28% 47% 47% 32% 30% 30% 25% 21% 21% 20% 17% 12% 12% 36% 38% 19% 3% 41% 66% 16% 0 0 0 2 0% 10% 20% 2019 2020 0% 10% 20% 3 Already done/currently doin Planning to do in the next 13 52 CHANNEL V ISION | May 2021