This post was sponsored by Zultys, a leading provider of omnichannel unified communications.
State, local and education (SLED) agencies are driving strong demand for unified communications (UC), with public sector organizations increasingly prioritizing secure collaboration. Many pandemic-era contracts are now expiring, creating a prime opportunity for channel partners to capture new business.
But winning in the highly regulated SLED market requires more than just a competitive UC solution. Partners also need to offer a platform that’s compliant, secure and easy to integrate into existing environments.
Let’s take a closer look at the key requirements for selling UC to SLED agencies – and how partners can take advantage of a new integration between Zultys and ClassLink to win bids and close more deals.
What Is the State, Local and Education Market?
The SLED market is a mix of state, county and municipal government entities. It also encompasses special districts – meaning government agencies that provide services like healthcare, utilities and public safety – as well as independent school districts and public universities.
According to the Federal Contracting Alliance (FCA), the SLED market contains over 100,000 government entities who together spend about $1.5 trillion annually on goods and services. In fact, the market accounts for roughly 10% of the U.S. GDP.
How to Win UC Contracts in the Competitive SLED Market
While the SLED market can be very lucrative, it also presents several challenges for partners.
“Each government entity has unique procurement rules, regulations, and purchasing processes, requiring businesses to sift through a vast number of contract opportunities,” the FCA says. “Without the right knowledge, tools, and strategy, scaling in this market can be overwhelming. However, companies that master the intricacies of government procurement can unlock a steady revenue stream.”
Most SLED agencies will only buy solutions from pre-approved or qualified vendors listed on approved contracts. To compete, channel partners typically must respond to formal requests for proposals (RFPs) which outline the agency’s requirements, compliance standards, and evaluation criteria. Securing contracts is often a lengthy, highly competitive process, with multiple vendors and partners often pursuing the same opportunities.
When offering UC services, partners must provide more than just feature-rich, user-friendly platforms. Solutions must also align with the unique security and operational requirements of each SLED agency.
Some examples include:
- Regulatory compliance: Certain agencies may require adherence to specific frameworks. For example, healthcare agencies in the SLED market typically require Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance, to safeguard sensitive information.
- Flexible deployments: Many SLED agencies prefer on-site UC deployments to maintain security and control. Offering a hybrid option gives customers the flexibility to customize their environments, and may help avoid disqualification.
- High availability: For agencies operating in mission-critical environments, uptime and reliability are often non-negotiable. UC platforms with 99.9999% uptime and seamless failover are essential.
- Identity and access controls: Increasingly, SLED RFPs call for strong authentication measures such as Single Sign-On (SSO) and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).
How Zultys Empowers Partners to Win More SLED Deals
Zultys recently achieved ClassLink telephony certification – a special designation that verifies seamless integration with ClassLink’s trusted SSO and MFA authentication tools. ClassLink is a leading provider of identity and analytics services, supporting over 20 million students and staff across more than 3,000 school systems. The platform enables users to securely log in once to access digital resources, strengthening security while also enhancing productivity.
With this certification, Zultys makes it easier for schools and government agencies to integrate the Zultys platform and streamline access. By combining built-in integrations like ClassLink with the ability to create custom integrations for unique school requirements, Zultys adapts to diverse environments. Paired with flexible deployment options — including the Channel’s only true hybrid deployment powered by Hardware as a Service, as well as on-premise and cloud models — Partners can empower school districts to choose the approach that best serves their community while confidently pursuing complex SLED deals.
Backed by a dedicated RFP team and advanced software, Zultys gives Partners a competitive edge with AI-powered RFP Support. By taking on the heavy lifting, Zultys delivers accurate, professional, and comprehensive proposal responses that reduce manual work and increase win rates. This co-selling commitment ensures Partners can focus on customer relationships while Zultys helps them stand out against competitors.
As a PEPPM awarded contract vendor, Zultys enables government and educational institutions to procure its platform without going to bid — giving Partners a faster, easier path to new SLED opportunities.
Learn how Zultys is transforming communications in the education sector or how to become a Zultys Channel Partner.
