Over 2021, EDGE360 featured insights from many leaders in the IT channel, each sharing their best insights into the changing needs of end-users and how partners can provide competitive solutions. While there is no way to guarantee what the future holds for the IT channel, experts like these help set partners up for success by sharing tips to build profitable businesses.
As the channel prepares to move into 2022, here are some of the most popular pieces of EDGE360 content from 2021 that reflect on the strides the entire industry has made.
Cisco Refresh Builds Profitability for Cisco Partners and Their Customers
Over the course of 2021, many organizations have faced limited funds and decreased profits. This slow-down of income has many asking hard questions about their costs and considering how Cisco solutions factor into cost-saving efforts. To help explain how Cisco is working to pass savings onto the end-user, Brett LaCourse, Cisco Refresh Account Manager at Cisco, joined EDGE360 to discuss Cisco Refresh.
“Successful Cisco partners are looking for ways to serve their customers better while increasing their overall profitability,” LaCourse began. “This program can help in both areas, as it not only gives partners a way to address customer pain points such as budget challenges and lead time issues, but it also provides them with additional margin and the flexibility to offer their value-added services.” As end-users approach 2022, and as COVID continues to loom large, being prepared with knowledge of deep discount options is critical.
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What does Customer Experience Look Like?
From the desk of Partner Success Executive at SYNNEX Comstor, Carl Paul, this article explores the ongoing shift toward anything-as-a-service (XaaS) solutions and the role that it is having on the customer experience. As expected, the changes are fundamentally altering what end users expect from their IT solutions. This requires a change in how Cisco partners approach new business opportunities.
“The purchasing power is beginning to shift,” Paul said. “These types of customers want to be able to access their information from anywhere and change vendors on the fly if they are not happy with the results.” Paul noted that older approaches to customer service may not be enough for the influx of new IT purchasers. He added that partners need to adopt a more proactive customer experience rather than a reactive one.
To read the full article, click here.
MNJ Technologies CEO Sue Kozak Takes Leaps of Faith in Her Career
It’s understandable to assume that Sue Kozak, the CEO of a major company in the IT channel, was a STEM or computer science student growing up. This, however, is not the case. Having started down the path of an educator, it wasn’t until Kozak took on a temporary work assignment that she discovered her talent for technology sales and ran with it.
Kozak, CEO of MNJ Technologies, joined EDGE360 and shared her own unique experience as a woman in the IT channel. As someone who “took a leap of faith” into an industry with a disproportionate gender ratio, her experience shined the light on the role that diversity plays in creating a profitable business and how her story can be an example to others.
To read the full article, click here.
The Year of Acceleration: A Look Back at the Software-as-a-Service Adoption in 2021
Rounding out top content for 2021, a relatively recent article with Joe Vlajcic, Director of Customer Experience at SYNNEX Comstor, digs into his reflections from 2021.
“Many partners built their businesses around traditional VAR services – design, integration, deployment, and support,” Vlajcic said. “Yet in a software-driven world, that opportunity has shifted. We see partners developing offerings around lifecycle management, programmability, customization, and outcome measurement.” Vlajcic offers his insights on how the evolving expectations of patterns will continue to change what the IT channel will offer, and notes trends that he believes will drive the conversation in 2022.
To read the full article, click here.
