CBM: Are customers still making purchasing decisions?
JW: Yes, customers are moving to the cloud. They see the necessity of the cloud for remote working and a second wave of the virus. File storage systems, CRM systems and communications will drive these purchasing decisions.
Our home worker module which is a free add on is very popular with our customers. At the moment I think businesses are sticking with their current suppliers and less likely to engage with new unknown suppliers. We expect this to change in a few months time, but at the moment its vital to engage as a trusted supplier.
Improving broadband resilience will be another demand area for customers. They wont want their whole business dependant on a single broadband connection. Customers are looking at their connectivity plans.
Mifi devices are popular for home workers as they look at the infrastructure they need to integrate with their companies.
CBM: Are businesses making technology U-turns right now?
JW: Yes, customers can see much more reason for working from the cloud. Some customers are experimenting with bolt on services, such as the byphone bring your own device product to avoid sharing handsets, or byphone’s easy route (an cloud based IVR) before we pass on the call to their traditional phone systems. Others are embracing the change and upgrading their systems.
One of the biggest change is the insistence of web demos rather than sales visits as they consider how to upgrade their technical estate.
CBM: What do you believe Channel Partners should be doing right now to protect themselves?
JW: They need to be actively engaging with their existing customers before somebody else does. Becoming the trusted advisor and ensuring there is a simple, easy to understand road map for transitioning to cloud computing and telephony.
On top of protecting their customer base, the time is now for reviewing their go to market strategy, product portfolio and marketing plan. We’re all guilty of getting our head stuck in the day to day running of our businesses and not taking a step back to look at the bigger picture.