It’s widely accepted that the Covid pandemic has accelerated digital transformation by a serious rate of knots. Depending on who you listen to, businesses are between two and ten years ahead of where they would have been had the pandemic not happened.
That represents a huge opportunity for the telecoms channel, because it makes connectivity more important than ever. Without the right connectivity, video calls stutter and freeze and the transfer of data to and from the cloud slows to snail pace.
The scale of the opportunity becomes clear when you think about what a business internet connection needs to do. Five years ago, it was largely about supporting email, a basic website and perhaps the occasional VoIP call. Fast forward a couple of years and many SMEs had added a limited range of cloud services to that requirement.
Security and productivity
Today, even smaller businesses are using an array of cloud services, replacing face-to-face interactions with video conferencing, and ditching ISDN lines en masse for VoIP equivalents. The pandemic has forced many businesses to develop sophisticated online e-commerce services and accept cashless payments.
And then there’s remote work. If you’re a small business with 50 employees working from home, you’re effectively managing 50 small satellite offices that all need to connect securely to cloud services, head office systems and each other. SME leaders are naturally concerned about how all this affects security and productivity, creating a new market for specialised home worker connectivity solutions that has yet to be fully explored.
What all this suggests is that it’s not just about speed and bandwidth. SMEs are looking to us to support them as they transition to new ways of working and adopt a new generation of digital apps and services. They may need to secure multiple sites privately and securely, or allow mobile workers and vehicle fleets to link back into the company network.
Connectivity is increasingly complex
So do they need FTTP or FTTC, DIA or EAD, MPLS or SD-WAN? They almost certainly need VPN, but what about SECaaS? Understandably, many SMEs are scared to step out into this blizzard of acronyms. Their dilemma is that they need increasingly sophisticated connectivity but may be unaware of what exactly that means for them.
That’s where the channel comes in, of course. It’s always been our job to advise customers on the right connectivity for their specific needs, and make sure they get it. But that job is getting more complicated, which is why Vaioni Wholesale has developed the concept of the Connectivity Exchange.
At its core, the Connectivity Exchange is simply a one stop shop for all connectivity requirements, bringing together the widest range of suppliers, technologies and delivery mechanisms possible. For customers looking for nothing more than simple, reliable and cost-effective connectivity, it offers a huge amount of choice.
But if customers have more complex needs, Connectivity Exchange gives our partners the flexibility to build a connectivity stack that is tailored to each unique circumstance. Connectivity Exchange offers resellers a single platform on which to procure, buy and manage multiple solutions for the same customer, and to develop new connectivity propositions to take to market.
Creating difference
How might that work in practice? Imagine you have a customer with two sites. One requires an ultrafast connection to Microsoft Azure, while the other can operate with an EoFTTC leased line for general online tasks. Both require back-up 4G, while a vehicle fleet also needs connectivity for tracking and on-the-go administration. These are all very different solutions, but with Connectivity Exchange they can all be procured, overseen and managed, as one, from our powerful partner portal. In time, you’ll be able to swap different elements in and out as your customer’s needs change.
And if the exact benefits of MPLS over SD-WAN (or vice versa) escape you, don’t worry: our experts are always on hand to help with trickier assignments.
For partners, Connectivity Exchange is a way to easily offer both simple and complex connectivity solutions while differentiating yourself in a crowded market. There are huge opportunities in post-pandemic connectivity, but only if you can offer the technology, choice and flexibility even smaller businesses increasingly need. Connectivity Exchange from Vaioni Wholesale is the easiest way to do so.