Not all small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are ready to make the switch to the cloud… The shift to cloud communications has been one of the most significant telco trends of the past few years, with many businesses embracing the benefits cloud solutions can offer.  From unlimited scalability and increased flexibility to improved security and savvy multi-channel integration, cloud communication has the potential for innovation and new capabilities — especially for businesses that rely on telecommunications to conduct their business.  But committing a whole organisation to the cloud can feel like the digital equivalent of a trust fall. Moving all data off-site and keeping communications solely in the cloud can be a recipe for an IT headache — and some businesses would prefer to take the impending digital transformation at their own pace. So, for all those customers who haven’t quite got their head in the cloud, wouldn’t it be nice if there was a best-of-both-worlds solution that offered all the benefits whilst keeping their feet firmly on the ground? 

Welcome to a hybrid cloud solution

Not everything belongs in a public cloud, which is why many companies are now choosing a hybrid mixture of cloud solutions — offering the benefits of both public and private clouds. Organisations can use cloud services where it works best for them — whilst keeping certain operations within their on-premises network infrastructure. For example, your customer might store sensitive financial or customer information on their private cloud and use a public cloud to run the rest of their enterprise applications. For any SMEs hesitant to make the complete switch to cloud communications, the hybrid cloud is a perfect solution.  After all, no matter how well businesses plan to meet today’s needs, unless they have a crystal ball (wouldn’t that be nice?), who knows how demands could change within a year — or even a month? A hybrid cloud approach lets organisations move at their own pace, splitting their workload between a public cloud and a small-scale private cloud to see what suits their enterprise.  If it works for them, SMEs can continue expanding their cloud presence as needed without having to over invest in hardware they’ll only use temporarily.  Sounds like a win-win, right? We’ve not even got to the really good bit! 

Reaching new heights with Avaya 

Avaya is recognised as one of the leading global providers of communications solutions, with the sole vision of reimagining how people and businesses engage and experience the world. Like us, Avaya strives to create boundary-pushing, transformative solutions that make the complex simple…   And that’s where Avaya IP Office comes in. Together, we’re bringing a revolutionary unified communications subscription to the SME market. Combining voice, messaging, video and conference capabilities into a single phone system, Avaya IP Office subscriptions aim to bridge the gap for customers using outdated systems, allowing them to migrate to future-proof platforms.  Your customers won’t have to stray too far out of their comfort zone. In fact, our subscription service provides the same functionality and features as an onsite PBX — it’s just a cloud solution coupled with the ChorusCX infrastructure.  The good news for our resellers? We’re saving you an IT headache, offering a stellar end-to-end service wrap and supplying the software, system setup, migration, ongoing maintenance and support. All you need to do is sell the software… 

All the bells and whistles

For your customers, the Avaya IP Office subscription offers many benefits. They’ll receive a highly reliable, powerful and easy-to-use unified communications platform that combines voice, messaging, video and conference capabilities into a single phone system — whilst allowing them to make and receive calls from their desk phones, softphones, mobile devices or even web browsers.  Connectivity is ensured from anywhere (anytime) with multi-experience collaboration across devices and touchpoints without compromising service quality. Plus, all calls will be routed through our industry-leading Number Manager platform, forwarding them to the IPO via a SIP destination. This intuitive plug-and-play app can be integrated with loads of other ChorusCX products — such as our intelligent ChorusCX Call Shield solution, which works to combat suspected caller fraud and keep your customers safe from pesky scammers. For SMEs currently using older systems, calls will be routed over an old ISDN line (heads up — the 2025 switch-off is looming) or another SIP trunk provider, which will incur a monthly cost. Moving to ChorusCX’ service means your customers can say goodbye to that wasted fee — and hello to more bang for their buck. 

Heading to the cloud in 3, 2, 1… 

With various options available, SMEs can flex their subscriptions to meet their business needs. Do they want to pay monthly for three years? No problem. They can even try it for 12 months and see how they get on! We’ve designed the Avaya IP Office subscriptions to make life simple for your customers — with easy-to-add features and upgrades to advance digital transformation at their own pace.  How does the Avaya IP Office subscription benefit resellers, we hear you ask. Well, if you aim to stay current within your customer base, enjoy recurring revenue and bask in free support entitlement, you’ll want to grab a slice of the IP Office pie. Our service allows you to focus on selling the user experience — with loads of opportunities for cross-selling, upselling and multi-year contracts. Ready to take Avaya IP Office subscriptions to your customers?  Revolutionise your offering and stay one step ahead of market trends with ChorusCX’ groundbreaking solutions. To find out more, get in touch with our sales team at 0161 444 3333 or email sales@invosys.com.  

Thanks to rising customer expectations, shifting business models and disruptive technology, the face of telco as we know it is changing.

The landscape is increasingly competitive — and for telcos to keep their edge, they need to strike a balance between trusted ways of working and revolutionised strategies that can spread their portfolio of products and services far and wide.

For decades, the channel has been synonymous with wholesale distributors. The traditional has served its purpose: the distributor, acting like an independent contractor, sells the products and services of a vendor, utilising the distributor’s customer base and existing connections.

But now, the master agent model has started to establish itself around the UK and Europe — opening up opportunities for innovation. It allows telcos to work as the middleman, providing vendors’ products to sub-agents (what we like to call ‘channel partners’) who package the best deals for the end customer.

Still with us? Let’s look at the major differences between the two models…

The wholesale distributor model

As a wholesale distributor, not only do you connect with a vendor — you grow with them.

By developing this direct relationship, you can take the time to become an expert in their products and services and build on your existing sales skills.

You’ll work closely with your customers, acting as their point of contact and developing a clear understanding of what their business needs and how you can supply them with the solution.

So, becoming a wholesale distributor has its perks, but it also comes with its challenges.

As a wholesale distributor, you’re limited to the amount of business you can take on. There may be opportunities to sell for multiple vendors — but doing all the heavy lifting like finding the customers, negotiating and closing their contracts, and establishing trusted long-lasting relationships with big vendors is no small feat.

Getting your foot in the door with big vendors (whilst being the direct point of contact for all your customers) is a little, let’s say, ambitious. And if any IT issues arise, it’ll be on you to liaise with customers and your vendor’s customer services teams until the problem is resolved.

It can be a promising career path, but the pressure will definitely be on. You’ll need a strong roster of trade connections to get you started and an extensive knowledge of the vendors’ products and services at the ready.

So, if you’re looking for a way into telecom distribution, how about option B?

Why become a sub-agent?

Working with a master agent means you’re not out in the field alone. You won’t need to start from the ground up, struggling to find windows of opportunity to deal with big-time vendors — the master agent does all the legwork for you.

Through the master agent, you can access the vendor’s entire portfolio (or multiple vendors’ portfolios!), bundling products and services together to maximise your profit margins and get the best possible deals for your customers.

After all, every business has its pain points. As a sub-agent, you’re not limited to showing up with a pre-identified solution and then trying to find the right customer to fit it, like mismatched puzzle pieces. Instead, you’ll have the opportunity to investigate the solutions they already use — and what they want to achieve as a business — which will allow you to present packaged solutions to suit your customers’ needs.

Thanks to support from the master agent, you’ll also have the freedom to think outside the box. For example, most businesses nowadays have unified communications as a service (UCaaS) platforms, so how can you approach their needs with an innovative solution to help you become a reliable telecoms provider they’ll keep coming back to?

Whilst you worry about what your customers need, the master agent remains the single point of contact. So, you can put together effective packages for the end customer without the hassle of negotiating and closing contracts, dealing with IT issues or providing ongoing support.

Sound too good to be true? Hold onto your hats. There’s more…

Get on board with ChorusCX

 

You might already be selling products through one company via the wholesale distributor model — but if you’re looking to embark on a new venture that could take your telecoms career to new heights, now could be the perfect time to become a sub-agent.

Want to work with a master agent that has access to a stellar portfolio and provides ongoing support? You’ve come to the right place…

As the proud master agent of Avaya, ChorusCX provides innovative solutions that our sub-agents can present to their customers — including UCaaS, bundled carrier services and desktop options with monthly, subscription-based billing and support delivered by Avaya.

And we’re only growing from here. Working with Avaya gives us the opportunity to create bigger and better partner products to layer over our professional and managed services. So, as we’re committed to offering choice in the channel, our sub-agents have the chance to offer their customers industry-leading solutions that create effortless experiences.

Are you ready to join us? Discover our revolutionary solutions and get in touch to learn how we can transform your career in telecoms.