Mar/Apr 19 - ChannelVision Magazine

the outback broadcast the first moon landing to TV audiences in the U.S. In our industry we are constantly evolv- ing to keep pace with new technologies, changes in customer needs and the need to form new partnerships, while at the same time driving growth. Our industry and the broader technol- ogy sector are entering what many refer to as the “fourth Industrial Revolution,” which will transform society, business and government. New technologies such as AI and robotics, IoT powered by 5G, advances in security and cloud mean that change will pick up pace and new opportunities will present themselves. It is an incredibly exciting time. If I reflect on our current priorities, and like many other large organiza- tions, we need to be well-positioned to support our customers through this next technological wave. This means we are executing a significant digital transformation inside Telstra with a fo- cus on simplifying how we work as an organization that translates to a better employee and customer experience. CV: What are some of your main goals for Telstra in 2019? What are some specific challenges that you hope to address? NC: We are focused on a number of initiatives to accelerate growth in the Americas this year. First, we will open new offices to be closer to our customers and partners. We recently opened a new office in Seattle to sup- port the Northwest, and will shortly follow with another in Chicago. Next, we will find better ways to serve our key verticals such as financial, broad- cast media, manufacturing, content providers and multinationals building global networks. One of our biggest challenges in the United States is a lack of aware- ness given we are not a B2C brand in this market, and we are very focused on serving a niche part of the B2B market. This is why one of my key priorities is to strengthen our partner- ships with master agents and sub-agents in the U.S. market. I was recently with an agent see- ing a customer in Chicago, and it was a powerful reminder to me that while Telstra was not well known to the cus- tomer, they trusted the advice of the agent. It is the relationship between the agent and customer that led to an incredible deal that included services to a number of countries in Asia, in particular China. CV: In January 2019, Telstra announced investments in two new subsea cable systems that will connect Hong Kong with the West Coast of the U.S. How will this benefit Telstra’s global partners? NC : It’s not well known that today Tel- stra’s network spans almost 250,000 miles. Submarine cable networks contin- ue to be critical infrastructure to enabling commerce and connecting countries. Perhaps most significantly, around one-third of Asia’s Internet traffic trav- els on Telstra’s network. For American partners, that underlines how Telstra provides the optimal route to some of the most challenging but profit- able markets in the world. Our global partners and customers benefit from greater resilience as we have the most diverse subsea network in a region prone to natural disasters. We recently announced new in- vestments in the Hong Kong Americas cable and the Pacific Light Cable Net- work, both of which will connect Hong Kong to the U.S. These two cables will deliver lower latency as they are more direct routes, compared with the current network. Our investments will help us meet the increasing demand for connectivity between the U.S and key growth markets in Greater China and emerging markets like Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines and Malaysia. CV: Telstra’s partner program has been very important to the company’s overall growth. Please talk about the state of Telstra’s partner program. NC: The indirect channel plays a significant role in how we serve the enterprise customer segment in the United States. We have been serving the indirect channel for over seven years, and through the Pacnet acquisition in 2015, we in- herited a mature business that was trusted by the agent community. Over the past several years, vice president of indirect channel sales Jason Kitzmiller has been leading and growing the Telstra channel team. He has recently added channel manager Donna Turner in California, who joins Anthin Zito in the Pacific Northwest, Marco Mancuso on the East Coast, Sharon Andrus in the Midwest, and Dennis Calderwood in Southern California. Together, they form a dedicated channel team offering access to in-region experts in 22 countries throughout the Asia-Pacific. CV: What can resellers and agents expect to see from Telstra moving forward? NC: Telstra will continue to focus on helping agents to be successful. If we think about customers, agents and ourselves, what we all have in common is a focus on growth. Every agent who supports a cus- tomer that has a business, supply chain or an interest in operating in Asia should have confidence in Telstra to serve those needs. By taking advantage of this focus and expertise in Asia, our agents can minimize the challenges and maximize the opportunities that abound in Asia for their customers. Whenever U.S. partners think Asia, we also want them to think Telstra. Our indirect channel partners can also be assured we are here for the long term and value the relationship we have with them. I hear loud and clear the importance that service pro- viders, like us, need to be trusted and transparent as we go about working with the agent community. Their success is our success, and that is why I am incredibly excited about the opportunities ahead. o international Agents 93 March - April, 2019 | Channel Vision