CBM: How have channel partners adapted their connectivity offerings this year?
RO: “One of the hardest things for partners was to work out the logistics of how they maintain their day-to-day business. The other thing was within the technologies they sell – identifying where the opportunities were. That was really driven very much by customer demand at first, particularly around hardware and software sales. Services generally saw an overall decline just because they weren’t required or indeed able to be implemented.
“Today, the opportunities we see are around using Wifi, LAN and Bluetooth for things like contact tracing and proximity tracing in ‘hot zones’ that will emerge in education and healthcare environments. These can be used to actually see how people move throughout an environment and therefore provide better social distancing measures.”
CBM: What advice would you give to resellers for the coming months?
RO: “Generally speaking, the channel has been doing a pretty good job. The current market means that some partners are facing shortages of cashflow and demand from customers. Vendors have reacted quickly to offer new financing deals to spread risk and costs over multiple years. For the partners themselves, it’s about keeping up with what is available to you and trying to manage the difficult situation we’re in.
“That includes making sure you’re aware of all the dates and cut off points for things like furlough and back to work schemes. This is a significant amount of admin, but it can help you stay afloat to a certain extent.
“We have seen an increase in technical training certifications from partners looking to maintain and grow their skills base. For a lot of companies, budgets will fall but we expect that cybersecurity budgets will be maintained. If partners are looking at areas to increase technical skills, that’s definitely an area where customers continue to have a need because advanced persistent threats continue to grow, particularly now.”
This article was part of our ‘Road to Full Fibre’ supplement in September 2020.
Other articles from the supplement can be read on the links below:
- The road to full fibre – CityFibre’s Andy Wilson discusses why regional partners are key
- Rerouting Digital Britain – we examine key opportunities in the transition to a new broadband generation
- Shifting from hype to reality – what is next for 5G?
- Leaving no one behind – we talk to Glide UK about filling coverage gaps
- FTTP: The ONLY answer to Digital Britain? – BT Wholesale talks to us about connectivity options
- The country needs full fibre – CityFibre’s Andy Wilson makes the case for widespread full fibre coverage
- Time to profit from full fibre opportunities – Nextgenaccess discusses how to do this
- Powering mobile connectivity – we talk to Pangea about solving connectivity issues across industries
- Taking a partner-centric approach – ITS’ Daren Baythorpe discusses how to do this
A digital version of the full supplement can be accessed here.