Sept/Oct 19 - ChannelVision Magazine

clients. We take care to offer only those technologies that are reliable, work seamlessly with other C3 ser- vices, and are cost-efficient for the client. Our BroadSoft based PBX, UCaaS and CCaaS offerings check all these boxes, and thus allow our partners to recommend and deploy them with confidence.    CV: These platforms also align with C3’s new SD-WAN service. Please talk about the demand that you’re seeing for SD-WAN, and how this service compliments the above-mentioned platforms. RM: SD-WAN is fast becoming the core technol- ogy used to manage our clients’ interoffice connectiv- ity needs.  SD-WAN does not, however, necessarily mean abandoning legacy services such as MetroE, VPLS, or MPLS.  Instead, we are positioning SD-WAN as a manage- ment plane which brings together private connectivity services, commodity internet solutions, and cellular ac- cess into a single, cohesive network. The clients benefit from predictable costs, fast deployment, increased fault tolerance, and often, the ability to extend the corporate network into previously unreachable locations. The partners benefit from multiple revenue sources and im- proved client satisfaction. CV: Your company has also been expand- ing. Earlier this year, you acquired EtherneXt. How is the acquisition going? Do  you have any plans for future expansion? RM: The integration of the EtherneXt acquisition is al- most complete, and we are actively evaluating several oth- er acquisition opportunities throughout North America. C3 has also experienced record organic growth and recently signed several well-known global clients to long term com- mitments. Our strategy of balancing organic growth with strategic acquisitions has paid dividends thus far, and we look to continue on this path for the near future. CV: Please talk about the state of your channel program. Why should agents have C3 on their radar as we move deeper into 2019? RM: As C3 has grown, so too has its channel program. We recently welcomed our newest national channel manager, Mike Kopp, and he has been an amazing addition for us.  In terms of why C3 should be top of mind for current and prospective partners, I would say simply that it is our uncanny ability to deliver true end-to-end solutions regard- less of the complexity or geographic reach involved. Our partner compensation is generous, our sales engineering is next to none, and our implementation team’s white glove approach results in happy clients and new referrals. CV: Please talk about the culture of C3. What makes C3 a special place to work? RM: Since inception, C3 has cultivated a tight-knit corporate culture. Our team works incredibly well together, they care deeply about the work they do, and the amount of mentoring and comradery that takes place behind the scenes is truly humbling to behold.   We have always believed that happy and inspired employees have a positive impact on every client they interact with, and we consider our team to be our single greatest differentiator versus our competition. o Rick Mancinelli has more than 25 years of experience in all phases of information technology management, including software development, network architecture, and corporate IT management. He held executive posi- tions in finance and telecommunications firms prior to launching his first consulting practice. He has since built several successful businesses, developed and sold a SaaS business focused on the life insurance market, and began work on what would become C3 long before the term "cloud" entered the common lexicon. In 2012, Mr. Mancinelli was named one of the Top 50 Entrepreneurs in South Florida by Business Leader Magazine and, in 2018, was named one of South Florida's Power Leaders by the South Florida Business Journal. On a personal level, he is the proud father of two young ice hockey play- ers, active within the community and an avid boater. He has previously served on the boards of the YMCAs of South Palm Beach County, the South Florida Digital Alli- ance, and the American SIDS Institute. virtual reality 60 Channel Vision | September - October, 2019