In the Post-PC Era, advocated by many Unified Communication vendors, it seems that most services will be provided from some distant cloud, using features on devices employees bring to work managed by a service provider who splits bills between what is work and what is private. In this world, being a Value Added Reseller (VAR) or Systems Integrator (SI); it can feel as stuck between a rock and a hard place. Yes, I am exaggerating it a bit, but pushing what is happening to an extreme is a good way to identify what needs to be done, what competence is needed and who will be your competitors and partners for the future. However, there are opportunities; they lie in the land in between each point of integration, where standard clients meet business processes, where front-office meets back-office and where innovation meets legacy.
As contact center customers look for solutions that are easy to deploy, manage, administer, and purchase – whether an on-premise or hosted solution – Cisco is refining some of its core products to meet these needs. At the same time, it’s offering solutions that are also easier for its partners to sell and manage. Cisco is working to make customer collaboration simpler for its customers and partners, which should ultimately make them all more successful.
This is part seven in a review of the seven major applications for Communications Enabled Business Processes (CEBP) as introduced in “UCStrategies VAR-SI Series: Building Your UC Applications Practice.” Part seven will address the CEBP applications that will “Enhance Collaboration Effectiveness.”
This is part six in a review of the seven major applications for Communications Enabled Business Processes (CEBP) as introduced in “UCStrategies VAR-SI Series: Building Your UC Applications Practice.” Part 6 will address the CEBP applications that will “Speed Information Delivery.”
We have seen the opportunity for application-based selling gathering steam in the voice communications industry since the early days of voice mail. A number of VARs and solutions integrators have seen the trends and migrated their business practices to a new model. Many haven’t fully embraced this new future. This could be the last train out. There may not be many more chances. As voice communications disappears into the plumbing, and selling PBXs becomes an ever more limited opportunity, it is critical to make the transition to understanding applications and selling solutions (on prem, in the cloud…) rather than selling boxes. The UC Summit is exploring these subjects about transitioning business models and acquiring needed skills. Climb aboard.