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RTR: Will the big tech brands dominate the Channel?

The headlines have been quick to report on the huge numbers of people that have flocked to brands such as Microsoft and Zoom during this pandemic. Although largely these will be people and businesses taking advantage of the free services offered during this time there will clearly be a drive to convert customers to revenue generating services. For the Channel this could present a number of problems. I asked Sangoma and ReTell their thoughts.

Simon Horton, VP of Sales, Europe at Sangoma said "This may not actually be good for the channel. Big companies may not have flexible programs, or think they can do cloud business directly, thus squeezing out the channel. We’ve seen this dynamic the past couple of years playing out. But we see this as an opportunity for smaller companies, like ourselves, to partner better with the channel."

Neville Bird, CEO of ReTell "I think the channel is going to need to respond to the fact that many people will have been forced to adopt new technology solutions and be a lot more self-sufficient and tech-savvy in doing so. The technology companies that have thrived during the pandemic clearly have solutions that businesses value given this challenging working environment. There will be a slightly longer tail of businesses though whose products – like ours we believe – will have their time in a post-pandemic world. Its for the channel now to match the available solutions with the emerging needs of their customers – providing tailored solutions empathetically, creatively and proactively."

Myles Leach, UK MD of NFON, said "I think it will assist those partners who already trade in the Microsoft arena to continue growing and develop. Partners who weren’t involved in voice will now see the opportunities in adding a solution to their portfolio."