Issue #10
ucadvanced.com
News, analysis, insights and more
Isn’t Everything A Hybrid Event Now? See pages 36-37
Introducing DrayTek Vigor 3912 The DrayTek Vigor 3912 series is a next generation multi- WAN router ideal for demanding and complex networks. This VPN concentrator router is brought to you by award-winning specialist vendor, DrayTek.
Powerful Enterprise Internet Gateway
High-Performance VPN Concentrator
Flexible WAN Architecture
High Availability
draytek.co.uk info@draytek.co.uk @DrayTekUK
Manage Multiple Networks
Switchable WAN & LAN Ports
COMMENT COMMENT
The Summer of Networking
UC Advanced covers large interactive screens in the AV sector this month Conventionally a large proportion of sales are derived from the Education sector – both with new installations, replacing screens and projectors for ones that have touch functionality, and replacing old for new – it’s been over two decades since they were embraced by educational institutions. However, those pupils and students who grew up with Interactive whiteboards, and are familiar with their features, are continuously entering the workforce each year, and requesting them for the workplace. Three vendors – Promethean, Avocor and CTOUCH give UC Advanced their perspective of the Corporate sector, and the opportunities it presents. Adam Wilson from Vonage kicks off our series on Contact Centres – stay tuned for an in-depth look at CC’s in next month’s issue too. In the words of Neil Titcomb from Awaken Intelligence, “customer conversations are a goldmine to transform any business” – so why wouldn’t we harness AI with the workforce to optimise the customers’ dialogues and turn valuable feedback to improved operations and enhanced CX. It’s been a pleasure guest editing this edition, and I really want to thank Jabra for giving me the opportunity to review their Jabra PanaCast 50 video bar, which came with one of the best remotes I have seen in ages and a sleek table mount. It thoroughly deserves this month’s Editor’s Choice award and I might be preaching to the converted, but there really is no need for anyone anymore to feel left out of a meeting room when working remotely – it really is as if you’re in the room. I am now an excited “convertee”, and will gladly preach to anyone with bits and pieces of quite frankly clutter, ditch the mismatch of equipment and trip hazards, and get your meeting room one of these.
It’s summer, and we’re in full swing communicating and collaborating with partners and customers. For those who didn’t get out and about, UC Advanced gives you the insights and the lowdown on the gatherings in June – the AI Summit with Exertis Enterprise in London, the 8x8 CX South Conference held at Southampton FC and Giacom’s Imagine Nation on London’s Southbank. All gatherings included plenty of opportunities to network in relaxed settings, making it a much more enjoyable CX (customer experience) for those attending.
Trish Stevens Guest Editor
In this issue, our Editor Dan Parton had the pleasure of interviewing Joe McStravick, Head of Channel & Strategic Alliances EMEA, at Zoom. Joe brings a fresh pair of eyes to Zoom’s strategy and strong focus on investing in the channel, which is good news for Distributors and MSPs. Recognising that Zoom’s partners are on different journeys, as are Zoom partner’s customers, with the integration and rollout of platforms and new solutions and development of cloud marketplaces, as well as realising the potential of AI, Joe is keen to enhance and enable channel partners to realise the growth opportunities that exist. With 38% of Zoom’s new business going through the channel, Joe is enthusiastic about embracing the channel and taking that up to as much as 80%, in areas such as the telephony CX space, so Joe’s interview is worth a read for those looking to enhance their revenue streams.
CALLING ALL BRANDS
Support your Channel Distributors and Resellers by using the new FREE Stock in the Channel functionality: “Authorised Distributors”. Click here to learn more
ucadvanced.com
03
CONTENTS
News You should know p6 Zoom Investing in the channel p14 Interactive Flat Panel Displays Bye bye to boring meetings p20 Product Review Jabra PanaCast 50 p24 Events: Giacom Imagine Nation p28 Contact Centres Delighting the customer p31
The Wireless Router category is experiencing stellar search growth with a 45% increase in Q2 2024 compared to Q2 2023.
p14
Zoom has recently invested in the channel, and this now forms a key part of its go to market strategy in EMEA.
p44
Conference CX South 2024 p34
Sustainability Barco’s ecoscoring system p38 Exertis Enterprise Showcasing at the AI Summit 2024 p42 Eagle Eye – BI Wireless routers p44 People Moves All change p46
p34
p38
Barco is aiming to provide with its comprehensive “ecoscore” ranking of the environmental footprint of its products.
8x8, together with CX South 2024 conference sponsors Verint and Awaken Intelligence, took their thought leadership event to the South.
04
“I was there!” at glorious live events? UC Advanced was there at Giacom’s Imagine Nation, and it was a truly special event.
Editorial Guest Editor Trish Stevens Dan Parton 07941 979 845 dan@ucadvanced.com Head of Sales Martin Jenner-Hall 07824 552 116 martin@ucadvanced.com Publishing Director Justin Penn 07816 573 186 justin@ucadvanced.com
p28
p24
Jabra PanaCast 50: Most work we do involves teamwork; interacting, informing, brainstorming and put quite simply, we humans need each other.
Written permission from the publisher is required before any part of UC Advanced can be reproduced. © 2024 In the Channel Media Ltd.
UC Advanced explores the Interactive AV sector, which features numerous industry terms and acronyms such as IWBs and IFPDs.
p31
Published by: In the Channel Media Ltd Company registration number: 14363401 Registered office address 14-18 Heddon Street,
p20
Adam Wilson from cloud communications provider Vonage gives his views on enhancing the customer experience.
Mayfair, London, United Kingdom, W1B 4DA In conjunction with:
ucadvanced.com
05
NEWS
Nuvias UC Partners with Talkdesk®, Inc.
Nuvias UC has announced a partnership with Talkdesk®, Inc., a global provider of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered customer experience (CX) technology that serves enterprises of all sizes. Through this partnership, Nuvias UC customers will now have access to the full suite of Talkdesk cloud contact centre solutions, including Talkdesk’s flagship offerings Talkdesk CX Cloud™ and Talkdesk Industry Experience Clouds™. Combining enterprise performance at scale with consumer simplicity, Talkdesk CX Cloud allows companies to easily adapt contact centre operations to the evolving needs of customers, customer service and sales teams. Wayne Gratton, CCO at Nuvias UC, commented: “Talkdesk are on a mission to rid the world of bad customer experience with their AI-powered offerings. The company is also changing the CX game with the first purpose-built industry-specific products for contact centres. At Nuvias UC, our focus is on
building complete solutions alongside our key vendors, and the seamless integration Talkdesk offer with vendors we already collaborate with solidifies their pivotal role in enhancing our comprehensive portfolio.” Most recently, Talkdesk has introduced several GenAI innovations in CX, including Talkdesk Navigator, mood insights, Talkdesk Ascend Connect, Talkdesk Autopilot for Banking, Talkdesk Autopilot for Retail and Talkdesk Autopilot for Healthcare. “Customer experience is fast becoming the key driver in building brand trust and loyalty,” said Al Caravelli, Senior Vice President of Strategic Alliances & Partnerships, Talkdesk. “Organisations are increasingly recognising this and evolving their contact centres into a strategic resource for powering better customer experiences. We are proud to partner with Nuvias UC to help businesses make that transformation and create better customer engagements to meet unique needs and CX goals.”
Wayne Gratton Chief Commercial Officer
nuvias-uc.com
Shure MV7+ OBS certified Shure has recently announced that the MV7+ microphone is now certified for OBS (Open Broadcaster Software), making it one of the first microphones to receive OBS Certification, and ensuring it meets the
Launched in April, the MV7+ is an ideal choice for streamers seeking to capture broadcast-quality audio in even the most challenging of spaces. With Shure’s Voice Isolation Technology, the focus lies on the user’s voice, avoiding annoying background noises and ensuring outstanding audio for every recording and streaming session. It also includes a new onboard Digital Signal Processing (DSP) engine which powers a suite of advanced features, like an improved Auto
requirements of today’s streamers. Certification from the OBS Project guarantees that the MV7+ microphone meets the criteria of functionality necessary to ensure users have a positive experience while using the microphone with OBS. The certification further indicates that Shure and the OBS Project will conduct ongoing testing to confirm the microphone continues to work seamlessly with OBS. “When you’re on stream, technology should help you to create and express yourself, not be a roadblock. Streamers deserve to know their audio gear will work seamlessly and simply with their broadcasting software,” shared Eduardo Valdes, Associate Vice President of Global Marketing and Product Management. “For this reason, we’ve invested in certifying MV7+, underscoring our commitment to delivering extraordinary audio to the hundreds of thousands of streamers who rely on OBS each day.”
Eduardo Valdes Associate Vice President of
Level Mode, a Digital Popper Stopper™ for enhanced plosive control, Real-time Denoiser, and Adjustable Reverb. With its unique full- touch LED live meter display and numerous customisation options, the MV7+ is setting a new standard in sound quality and personalisation for streaming.
Global Marketing and Product Management
shure.com
06
AD
Dive into seamless voice and video deployments
As part of our pre-packed ‘Deep Dive’ service, we provide a comprehensive technical assessment, offered to your customers on your behalf.
Our team will review your customer’s current environment and infrastructure. We consider all factors, from current network connectivity to room aesthetics, to offer the perfect solution to their challenges - whether this means utilising an existing set-up or implementing entirely new systems.
The result? The right solution, seamless deployment, and a happy customer.
www.nuvias-uc.com | 01635 225000 | salesuk@nuvias-uc.com
ucadvanced.com
07
NEWS
Five9 IDC Leader for CCaaS
Five9, provider of the Intelligent CX Platform, has been named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Contact Center-as-a-Service (CCaaS) Applications Software 2024 Vendor Assessment . The evaluation was based on several criteria evaluating platform capabilities such as analytics, channels, artificial intelligence (AI) and integrations. Five9’s customer base includes companies such as Central Bank and The Estée Lauder Companies. Five9 recently launched GenAI Studio, that can serve as a central hub to build, test and monitor Generative AI applications, including customising for contact centers in just a few clicks. Additionally, Five9 recently announced a new integration with Salesforce with the latest release of Service Cloud Voice with Partner Telephony. The integration combines Salesforce Einstein with Five9’s suite of AI solutions to empower agents to better service customer requests, improve contact center management’s understanding of the overall
health of operations, and help to provide customer resolutions that exceed expectations. “As part of the IDC MarketScape research, IDC found that Five9 is a good fit for companies looking to leverage AI and real- time insights to drive operational efficiencies, agent performance, and customer satisfaction,” said Mary Wardley, program vice president, Customer Service and Contact Center at IDC. “Five9 delivers effective AI capabilities across channels and its AI suite of offerings is in a continuous development cycle, emphasizing its ongoing commitment to innovation.” “Leveraging AI to power the customer experience is critical for today’s businesses to successfully deliver effortless, personalized and connected omnichannel experiences,” said Mike Burkland, CEO, Five9. “We believe that this recognition in the IDC MarketScape as a Leader in CCaaS reinforces our strength in enabling businesses to elevate the customer experience and drive better business outcomes.”
Mike Burkland CEO
five9.com
W-C’s Sales “Flying” with Nokia
hence demand for industrial-grade drones is gaining momentum across sectors including ports, oil and gas, mining, public safety, telecommunications and utilities. According to Westcon-Comstor’s research, estimates of the size of the global drone market is anticipated to grow from US $26.3 billion in 2021 to US $54.6 billion by 2030. Numerous applications exist, including automated drone missions that require efficient data gathering and secure transfer. “Drones are a technology of the future, with strong and growing demand across public safety, smart cities, construction, energy and more,” said Antony Byford, VP of IoT & Collaboration at Westcon-Comstor. “We are excited and honoured to be building on our strategic relationship with Nokia by bringing its market-leading drone-in-a-box solution to a wider audience of end-user businesses through our channel partners in multiple geographic territories.” “The use of industrial drones as well as global spectrum policies to use drones within 4G and 5G networks is growing. This development accelerates the introduction of Nokia’s European made 5G drone-in-a-box system for private and public 4G/LTE and 5G networks,” said Pri Rawal, Global Head of Enterprise Campus Edge Partnerships at Nokia.
Westcon-Comstor has announced an agreement with Nokia to distribute their Nokia Drone Networks drone-in-a-box solution to its channel partners to capitalise on the growing utilisation of aerial drones and drone technology across multiple industries. Under the agreement, Westcon- Comstor becomes an approved distributor of Nokia Drone Networks in the EU, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. Westcon will distribute the solution through Nokia-certified technology resellers, systems integrators and service providers – creating further sales opportunities through cross-sell and upsell opportunities. 4G/LTE and 5G connected automated drones can serve numerous use cases from site security, machine inspection, predictive maintenance and environmental sensing,
Antony Byford VP of IoT & Collaboration
westconcomstor.com
08
NEWS
Evolve IP’s Anywhere Mobile
Evolve IP is putting the power of a desk phone into the hands of mobile users with its launch of a new Fixed Mobile Convergence [FMC] mobile solution, combining desk phone functionality within a personal mobile device, to further accelerate its ‘work from anywhere’ strategy. Using eSIM technology, Evolve IP has announced Anywhere Mobile, designed to streamline business communication into one personal device in a ‘best of both worlds’ scenario. Powered by technology partner Tango Networks, the service enables Evolve IP EMEA partners to have flexibility in device usage and encourages a BYOD (bring your own device) culture by turning any employee’s personal mobile phone into a fully-featured business extension. Evolve IP Solutions Director, Scott Rixon, says this enables a business direct control over a second line on an employee’s phone whilst personal communications remain private and secure, all whilst using the existing UC platform and business number. “It allows employees to use the mobile phones they like and are familiar with. It’s about working smarter and more effectively in an increasingly mobile-driven
world. As it’s a full extension the presence of a user is visible, and the calls can be recorded and fully reported with reports and on dashboards. This should be thought of as just another way to take a call, supporting all our platform features.” Anywhere Mobile requires no special apps, phone clients or training. It supports eSIM and physical SIMs. Furthermore, a business could reduce overheads by eliminating personal phone expenses, according to Rixon. “They can prevent employees from making business calls with personal numbers and retain business contacts when employees leave. Routing calls correctly means having proper call treatment, fewer missed calls and ultimately higher customer satisfaction.” Rixon concluded: “This is another innovative addition to our Anywhere UCaaS Solutions. Anywhere Mobile is the latest UC solution we are excited to be offering to partners across EMEA after seeing a clear demand and understanding that mobile services should sit within the essential part of any UC offering. Empowering teams to have the tools that allow them to work anywhere.” Resellers can register to attend a webinar on 7 August by clicking here .
Scott Rixon Solutions Director
evolveip.net
Business Calls
Personal Calls
Sona Business enters Connectivity Market Sona Business has entered the UK connectivity arena, promising to ‘raise the game’ of integrated network communications. Sona, a wholesale internet, cloud and hosted UC solution provider, is backed by a 12-year international pedigree. The ambitious company is opening flagship offices in Hull to spearhead UK activities led by experienced industry professional and new UK Partner Manager John McKindland. The privately owned business was started by founders Sonia Harjani and Walter Perris, with global operations centred from Dubai and Rotterdam – supported by data centres across the EMEA region. Sona’s wide-ranging portfolio includes hosted UC, SD-WAN and private cloud services, offering ‘last mile’ access and data connections across the UK and Europe. Sona enjoys a strong market presence in
the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland, supported by a 24/7/365 Global Network Operations Centre. Sona provides real-time data, video and voice communication solutions over IP based on the brands of EziData, EziMobile, EziPBX, EziRoam, EziSIP, EziSMS and EziTalk. Co- Founder Walter Perris stated, “We are a complete one-stop-shop with a global reach. Equally the short lines of communication with after-sales, helps us stand out from the competition. We are reachable, caring and professional. In many ways we hold the same importance as a utility provider and recognise that speed of service really matters.”
John McKindland UK Partner Manager
sonabusiness.com
ucadvanced.com
09
NEWS
Zoom Workflow Automation
Zoom recently launched the new Workflow Automation in beta, allowing users to increase efficiency and reduce time spent on routine tasks. Workflow Automation automates workflows within Zoom Team Chat and Zoom’s AI-powered chat solution, with more product capabilities coming soon. Zoom Workplace helps users make the most of their workdays with innovative features, and users can now leverage Workflow Automation to set up automated messages in Team Chat introducing new members to a channel, create recurring reminders for project status updates, simplify the process of submitting time off requests, and prompt users with questionnaires to collect feedback inside a chat channel. Users do not need technical skills to build workflows; all they have to do is utilise the drag-and-drop functionality, with no coding required. “We built Workflow Automation to be easy for teams of all sizes and abilities to use.
We’re launching Workflow Automation with Team Chat first because it’s an opportunity to strengthen collaboration with team members and get work done asynchronously,” said Wei Li, head of Zoom Team Chat at Zoom. “Workflow Automation helps teams by taking the guesswork out of setting up workflows and helps cut down on tedious and repetitive tasks.” With Zoom Workflow Automation, a user can select from pre-built templates or build their own workflow to automate everyday tasks. During the beta period, Workflow Automation is available to those paid Zoom users in the applicable beta regions and applicable industry verticals at no additional cost, however not all regions and industries are applicable. At general availability, paid plans will include unlimited standard workflow runs and allotments of premium workflow runs, with specific per-run charges for allotment overruns. Visit the Zoom blog for more ways to save time with Workflow Automation.
Video conferencing manufacturer, Boom Collaboration, has launched a new website (boom.co), enhancing reseller resources and more informative content. The Boom website was created around a theme of “look, sound and hear better” – visually highlighting the difference between built- in webcams and Boom’s high-performance cameras, for example. Co-Founder Holli Hulett enthused: “The new Boom’s New-Look Website
website is another tangible example of how we continue to move forward and build stronger relationships with existing as well as new customers.” Formed in 2020, Boom has developed a growing global footprint, spanning hardware solutions for all types of meeting rooms. The Texas-based company is headed by founders Fredrik Hörnkvist and Holli Hulett and now operates in over 30 countries. Boom is enjoying a year of record sales success – as it plots a multi-million-pound pathway to become a bigger industry force with new distribution deals now including Colombia, India and Turkey. Boom’s new HALO videobar, MAGNA Pro high- performance camera and GOJO multi-camera mixer are firing further sales success throughout this year. Hörnkvist concluded: “We are determined to remain the friendly face of video conferencing, based on a personal touch and a passion for long lasting partnerships through the distribution channel. Boom is all about creating better meetings, simply. Our new-look website is an inherent part of this process.”
Holli Hulett, Fredrik Hörnkvist co-Founders
boom.co
10
Empower your customers business: Turnkey solutions to lead their IT infrastructure revolution. Rely on the industry experts Vertiv is the global leader in manufacturing and servicing critical IT infrastructures. Through hardware, software and analytics, Vertiv solves the most important challenges facing today’s data centres and edge locations, communication networks and commercial and industrial facilities. Multiple Edge solutions in a single rack
Complete, globally consistent and rapidly configurable infrastructure solutions
We are number one in 3-phase UPS business across Western Europe
We support all major Cloud players in their data centres
80% of new Colocation data centres deploy Vertiv critical infrastructure in Western Europe
Vertiv ITA2 Three Phase UPS The Vertiv ITA2 3PHS UPS offers high-efficiency power protection for critical systems, with advanced features for seamless integration and reliable performance. Avocent LCD Local Rack Access Console Vertiv™ VRC rack-based cooling Vertiv™ VRC IT rack cooling unit ensures efficient cooling for IT racks, optimising performance and reliability in a compact, powerful design.
Vertiv Edge single phase UPS Vertiv Edge 1phs UPS: Reliable power protection for critical systems. Compact design, advanced performance. Vertiv™ Geist™ Rack PDUs The Vertiv rack PDU delivers reliable power distribution for server racks, optimising energy usage and enabling seamless management of IT infrastructure. The Vertiv Avocent ACS80000 provides secure, centralised management of IT devices, ensuring reliable remote access and control for critical systems. Avocent® ACS advanced serial console
he Vertiv Avocent ACS80000 provides secure, centralised management of IT devices, ensuring reliable remote access and control for critical systems.
182
Buy direct from leading approved distributors
Join the Vertiv Partner Program today! Join the Vertiv Partner Program to empower resellers in meeting customer demands for edge computing, digitalisation, and other IT trends. Free sign-up, no minimum sale, rewards from Day 1. Simple!
Not over-distributed Greatly reducing the need to compete with your peers for the same business.
Margin rich
Worlds leading critical IT infrastructure provider Our portfolio gives you access to one of the largest incremental opportunities in IT.
High margins to ensure you maximise your profits and remain competitive in the market.
Join now! Scan the QR code
Fuel your business growth
Partner with confidence
Decades of experience
Allowing us to build a strong portfolio and an effective team.
Partner with a trusted brand dedicated to secure solutions and supporting your sustainability goals.
Unlock business expansion, greater profits, and stronger customer loyalty with exclusive
CONTINUED
prices for our reliable IT infrastructure solutions.
ucadvanced.com
13
ZOOM
Zooming ahead in the channel
Zoom has recently invested in the channel, and this now forms a key part of its go to market strategy in EMEA – and there are opportunities for resellers to get involved in what is a growing sector of the communications market.
When managers at Zoom decided the company was going to utilise the channel more to help grow the business, it signalled a fundamental shift in the company’s selling strategy. It also meant they needed an experienced hand to lead this in the EMEA region – and they turned to Joe McStravick. Joe joined Zoom on March 1 with the brief to lead the company’s engagement with the channel. Previously, he was managing director of Blue Jeans by Verizon for two and a half years, predominantly leading the business outside of the US and driving sales growth. Prior to that, Joe was with BT, where latterly he was head of professional services for some years, working with large consulting houses such as Deloitte and KPMG on things like digital workplaces. Before that, he worked in various other leadership and specialist roles at the company. The pull of Zoom was strong, says Joe. “The leadership team said Zoom was truly investing in the channel and wanted someone to come into the organisation in
EMEA and transform their go to market,” he says. “Channel was at the centre of that and so here I am. The management at Zoom did a great job of convincing me. I’m delighted to take that mantle on and drive that forward. “I have many years of leading large teams and leading globally owned companies with hundreds of millions of pounds worth of revenue and P&L. I’ve worked in the service provider industry, I’ve worked with the consulting industry, I’ve worked in the UCaaS so it gives me a unique perspective of value that I can bring to Zoom to enable that engagement with the channel.” Shift to channel Now, Joe is focused on driving Zoom’s engagement with the channel – but it is not an easy task to change the company’s focus. “Zoom has been a very successful organisation over the years growing to circa $5 billion dollars annual revenue, but everything has been built for direct, whether it’s marketing, sales, ops, the systems, the tooling,” he says. “Now to say we’re going to shift that all to the channel you can imagine the cultural and the operational challenges that we have there. But we are absolutely committed to making that happen, and that’s why I’m here at the helm to drive that. “At the beginning, everything at Zoom was built to be direct. We were building against the channel as our messaging was plug and play, it was a service that didn’t require management. “Likewise, resellers aren’t interested in just selling and just getting a referral fee, they want to provide value and service around our platform to drive ultimate value. So that was the messaging around our video platform. But if you now look at telephony and
Joe McStravick Head of Channel & Strategic Alliances, EMEA
www.zoom.us
41640
contact centres, they need many integrated services and solutions, even adoption deployment management. It’s far more involved of partners than it would have been historically from Zoom direct. And that’s where we’re seeing a lot of value from our partner community. “For instance, if you look at the market by 2030, the market will be worth globally about $300 billion and $149 billion of that is contact centre, which is a key focus area for us, and 95% of that $149 billion is owned and delivered and has managed service wraparound from the channel. “So we have to embrace the channel, and we are embracing it in a big way. We don’t have the appetite to build out hundreds or the thousands of resources it would take to scale this direct. We want to leverage the power of the channel to go and deploy and deliver, for and on behalf of Zoom, with Zoom.” Training and support With this shift to channel, Zoom will be providing as much training and support as partners require. “We are based on competency, so we will train and develop and provide all the support that the partners need to work with us and alongside us,” says Joe. “We have lots of deals and engagements levels. We have partners that are very confident in delivering the solution themselves, and they’ll provide an end-to-end service. There’ll be partners that are just interested in providing a referral service and they’ll engage us, and we’ll go and close that sale on their behalf. There’s lots of variances, but we will provide whatever support they need. “We have global strategic alliances and partnerships with the likes of AWS, but we are doing more than that, I’m building a practice alongside that has four pillars: our global service integrators and consultants, technology alliance partnerships, service provider partnerships and our hardware alliance partnerships. The idea is to build on those, and they’ll meet in the middle through
the channel. “We’re working with partners that have two or three people that are purely consultants advising on contact centre work, to large organisations with 200 salespeople driving solutions into their partner base. Very much from one end of the scale to the other.” Delivering results Of course, this change to working with the channel is a big one for a large company, but one that Zoom is fully committed to. “I would be lying if I said it was easy to make this change,” says Joe. “It’s not. It’s a cultural change, changing the mindset of the teams.” But while there are challenges, the change in strategy is already paying off, Joe adds. “We are already seeing huge success with our channel work,” he says. “Once you show you can, and you’re building the momentum, teams can see that and the value of it. I complement that with constant messaging and overlay of stats and information.” While the strategy is still in its relatively early stages, as Joe mentioned, it is delivering results already. “About 38% of our new business is currently going through channel,” Joe says. “The ambition is to get that closer to 80%. So my focus is on enhancing the team that I have today, but also complementing that with hiring people with the right skills and leadership to help me build this strategy out. “I’m very much in the build phase of
We want to leverage the power of the channel to go and deploy and deliver, for and on behalf of Zoom, with Zoom.
CONTINUED
wu cwawd v. naenwc es idn.tchoemc h a n n e l .c o. u k
15
ZOOM
CONTINUED
delivering that. But we are already seeing good momentum and execution working with the channel.” Joe adds that he is looking to recruit people with various but complementary skillsets. “I’m looking for people whether they have a consulting background, a pure technology background or a partner background,” he says. “Recently, I shared an advert on LinkedIn for a service provider leader, someone who can help build strategies around the service providers, so we’re out to market on quite a few roles.” Zoom Up But it is not only people that Joe is looking to add to the mix. Zoom is also looking to add more reseller partners to its roster through its partner program, called Zoom Up. “Zoom Up program has different levels from bronze through silver and gold to platinum, which are revenue based but underpinned by competencies,” explains Joe. “There are many different channel partners out there with many different values they can bring, from service providers managing telephony services to a traditional IT hardware provider partner that are managing room systems, to software integrators and those with end-to-end experience. There’s different value that different channel partners can bring. “Roughly 12 months ago, we had just under 600 live partners working with us. We now have more than 1,200. Some of that has come from shifting our focus and driving towards channel, but also when people see the great things that are happening, you create a kind of
with. “The value of Zoom is that there is a suite of products within a platform that’s all integrated and native,” says Joe. “And you can use whichever parts of the platform that you would like to leverage.” Another advantage is that Zoom does not solely work with one other software system, such as Microsoft. “We can sit alongside a platform, we can integrate with it, we can enhance it,” says Joe. “For instance, if you want to use our phone platform, but still Microsoft, you absolutely can. It’s all integrated. “The companies that do well are those that play well with others. Gone are the days where you just build a platform, and no one else could either integrate or use anything outside of that platform. “The value to the end user of being able to purchase the device is being able integrate it into their environment and having the ability to switch from Microsoft or Zoom. That enhances the end user experience, so it is where we play nice with our rivals. Education But while there are an attractive suite of products, services and solutions on offer from Zoom, some in the channel do need education about this, notes Joe. “Gone are the days where you walk through an airport or get a cab, and you’d see a Zoom billboard here, there and everywhere,” he says. “But now Zoom is well known, but we’re known for being a video platform although we provide so much more than that. Our marketing investment now is very targeted at working with many different segments within the business environment, whether that’s SMBs, enterprise to multinational companies. We are also driving that message and education through the channel too.” Workvivo One major platform that Zoom is pushing is Workvivo, which designed to simplify communication and drive engagement. As Joe notes, when Meta decided to close Workplace recently, it named Workvivo as the only preferred migration partner. “What’s better than a customer reference? One of our competitors shutting down their platform because of the pace of investment and innovation that we’re driving and then recommending us as the platform to move to,”
Zoom Up program has different levels from bronze through silver and gold to
platinum, which are revenue based but
underpinned by competencies.
FOMO – fear of missing out – so other resellers are attracted to us because they can see the value that we’re driving within their ecosystem of partners. It’s the laws of attraction.”
Suite of products There are plenty of reasons
that Zoom is attractive to resellers to get involved
he says. “My phone was ringing off the hook from customers wanting to know how they can do that.
CONTINUED
168
For MSP’s to Buy, Manage, Sell & Report on Cloud Services
Cloud Services Marketplace Browse cloud products from the top leading vendors, along with expertise, guidance and insights.
Indirect CSPs
Subscription Management For MSPs to Buy, Manage, Sell and report on Cloud Services.
Billing Automation Integration with Business Systems such as NetSuite, Salesforce, MS Dynamics NAV, GP, Business Central, Xero, etc.
Cloud in the Channel connects to a host of indirect CSPs, vendors, cloud platforms
Direct to Vendor
Cloud Middleware
Add Subscription Services
Our links to distribution, vendors, and your PSA, ERP and CRM remove manual processes in cloud management.
0333 772 0003 Sales: sales@cloudinthechannel.com Support: support@cloudinthechannel.com
Interested in partnering with us? : partners@cloudinthechannel.com cloudinthechannel.com
ucadvanced.com
17
ZOOM
CONTINUED
“How can we do that? Quickly. We pivot to channel and drive it from there. A lot of our pipeline and conversations around our Workvivo platform to drive end user experience and user engagement within organisations. “If you talk to the C-suite, one of the biggest challenges that they have is this diverse workforce that is located all over and trying to create those moments to matter and a company culture, whether it’s working a five-day week in an office or completely remote and everything in between. Workvivo can create those moments and engagements. When this is mentioned, it changes the conversation in meetings with customers, from talking about video platforms and telephony to contact and workforce engagement.” Developing AI Of course, Zoom is continually developing its product and service range, and at the forefront of that is artificial intelligence (AI). Joe notes Zoom is an AI first organisation and is integrating AI assistants and the like into its platform. “But if you look at what our competition are doing, they’re charging for it,” he adds. “Zoom provide it for free, integrated into our service because we want to provide that better experience to our end users. “All our services are integrated, and I think it provides so much value.”
Zoom is continually developing its product and service
range, and at the forefront of that is artificial intelligence (AI)... Zoom is an AI first organisation and is integrating AI assistants and the like into its platform.
Positive outlook With constant innovation such as this adding to Zoom’s suite of products, Joe is understandably excited about the future for the company, but also its relationship with the channel. “There is so much opportunity ahead of us here at Zoom,” he says. “It’s good to be part of a journey that I can see just growing. Our journey with the channel in the next six months is to finish this year strong and build the solid foundations we need. “Then 2025-26 is where I just see exponential growth from our perspective. I see growth for the second half of this year, but we’re building towards that moment of tipping point where I can just see us drive to the moon.”
18
CONTINUED
ucadvanced.com
19
INTERACTIVE FLAT PANEL DISPLAYS
Bye Bye to Boring Meetings UC Advanced explores the Interactive AV sector, which features numerous industry terms and acronyms such as IWBs, IFPDs, and touchscreens, available in a variety of sizes and specifications. Concentrating on the 45/55in+ panels UC Advanced asked three vendors for their insights into the Corporate Sector, and all remained upbeat that the opportunities for resellers are most certainly there.
What Wave are we on? Hundreds of column inches have been dedicated to defining where we are in the technological evolution. Apparently, in the education sector the market is on the fourth wave of embracing technology – from the first wave of pupils and classrooms embracing devices and then connectivity, to software and applications and latterly embracing data and AI. In the “modern” workplace, which is seen as the advent of hybrid and hybrid flexible work models, accelerated by the pandemic, according to some internet pundits we are on wave 2. The first wave was adopting technology for all functional areas of workplaces to accommodate shifting work patterns and globally remote-based personnel, some technology hastily bought on a “needs-must” basis. The second wave is all about replacing, upgrading and redefining workspace areas, replacing those hastily bought collaboration tools or those that have reached end-of-life, as well as customers and end users gaining a greater understanding of what is possible and embracing the broad depth of collaboration tools.
Emergence of the IWB in Corporate Originally intended for offices when launched in the 90’s, but largely and rapidly embraced by the education sector, a key technology that has emerged as vital in the new workplace landscape is the interactive whiteboard (IWB). With the advent of hybrid and hybrid flexible work models, IWBs have transitioned from niche educational tools to essential components of modern business collaboration. These interactive solutions are invaluable in bridging the gap between physical and remote teams, boosting innovation and productivity in meeting rooms and huddle spaces. As businesses approach the next wave of technological refreshes since the initial UK lockdown over four years ago, the demand for interactive panels is surging. Companies are increasingly recognising the importance of tailored, integrated collaboration technologies to foster seamless and efficient workflows in a dynamic work environment. Demand: Sales-led or Customer-led? Simon Port, Regional Vice President of Sales, UKI, at Promethean thoughts on the question
Simon Port Regional Vice President of Sales, UKI
prometheanworld. com
Although demand is
diminishing for physical office locations, the need for collaboration hardware continues to grow, with more square footage dedicated to meeting spaces
20
Businesses are increasingly recognizing the value of collaborative technology to boost innovation and productivity...
were: “From what we’re seeing, it’s very much a combination of both. Some customers have a clear idea of the technologies needed and where they will fit in an established ecosystem. Others recognise they are battling communication and connection challenges and seek expert advice on how technology can help resolve these.” Kurtis Oliver, UK sales lead at CTOUCH thoughts were, “Many business environments used to be flooded with flipcharts, dry erase boards, and projectors. However, we are now seeing an increase in demand for touch technologies. I believe this shift is fueled by a generation entering the workplace that has been raised with the ability to manipulate digital content using compact and versatile touch screens, and has been taught in classrooms equipped with this technology. In short, there is an increasing expectation that the modern meeting room will be equipped with touch technology in the same way modern classrooms are. Simon Port at Promethean continued, “Although demand is diminishing for physical office locations, the need for collaboration hardware continues to grow, with more square footage dedicated to meeting spaces. There is still a relatively low infiltration of IFPDs (Interactive Flat-Panel Displays) in the workplace, and mixed media meetings with remote colleagues, suppliers and customers will continue to be the norm. Office spaces that remain have an even stronger focus on business continuity and need to support hybrid work models with collaborative communication solutions to meet those needs. Collaboration is a fundamental feature of IFPDs, so it’s a given that customers
are looking for this if they are considering purchasing an interactive display.” Till Gotterbarm, VP Products, Partnerships, Operations Europe at Avocor echoed the sentiment that the demand in the corporate market is there, “At Avocor, we’ve seen a surge in demand for our interactive whiteboard solutions beyond the traditional education space. Businesses are increasingly recognising the value of collaborative technology to boost innovation and productivity in meeting rooms and huddle spaces. In addition, the post-pandemic shift towards hybrid work models has created a prime opportunity for IWB solutions.” The unique needs of Corporate UC Advanced asked Simon Port to elaborate on a Promethean IFPD that has been designed specifically for corporate needs. Simon replied, “When developing the Promethean ActivPanel LX, we considered the unique needs of the corporate sector, leading to the development of a modular IFPD solution which doesn’t need an in-built operating system. This non-OS panel has been designed to be used with users’ computers, as well as different computing modules, allowing customers to integrate the panel with their preferred ecosystem and working seamlessly with all major operating systems. The ActivPanel LX is easy to maintain and helps customers keep pace with ever-changing technology. ActivPanel LX is a secure, sustainable, and flexible interactive solution for collaboration in remote, in-person, or hybrid business environments. Workplace technologies evolve, but the ActivPanel LX meets users
Till Gotterbarm VP Products, Partnerships, Operations Europe
avocor.com
CONTINUED
ucadvanced.com
21
INTERACTIVE FLAT PANEL DISPLAYS
CONTINUED
where they are, providing them with a futureproof interactive solution with security and sustainability at its core. As a plug-and-play panel, ActivPanel LX brings ease of use and familiarity, allowing customers to connect with colleagues and produce their best work, freeing IT to manage networks and security, not training every employee how to use it. It is one of the most secure IFPDs on the market, requires minimal ongoing maintenance and management, and easily fits into customers’ current ecosystems. When choosing an IFPD, customers want to know that it’s been built to stand the test of time and minimises environmental impact. That’s why, when developing the Promethean ActivPanel LX, we put longevity and sustainability front-and-centre of solution design.” Avocor recommended the Avocor E 92. The Avocor E 92 interactive touch screen display is great for meeting environments because it has a 92-inch ultra-wide LCD display and 21:9 aspect ratio, eliminating the need for dual- monitor setups and expanding interactive workspaces. Offering a high resolution of 5120x2160, it ensures crystal-clear visuals and supports multi-user interaction with up to 50 touch points on Windows. Optimised for major video conferencing tools like Microsoft Teams and Zoom with high-speed HDMI and USB-C, the E 92 enhances remote participation. Designed with durability in mind, the sleek display features toughened glass and a 30,000-hour backlight life, making it a reliable choice for high-traffic environments.
CTOUCH recommended the CTOUCH Neo interactive panel. The CTOUCH Neo is suited for corporate meeting rooms due to its intuitive user interface, which ensures a seamless and efficient start to meetings with minimal setup time. The four most frequently used functions – whiteboarding, screen sharing, web browsing, and source changing – are readily accessible, simplifying the workflow. Its enhanced writing experience and JBL® optimised front-facing speakers ensure clear communication and interaction. The wireless screen sharing capability facilitated by AirServer supports devices’ native sharing technologies like AirPlay, Miracast or Google Cast, fostering a collaborative environment without the agitation of additional apps. Moreover, its ability to integrate with the Heartbeat programme provides lifetime updates, remote management tools and training, ensuring the device remains up-to-date and maximally effective throughout its use. Thoughts for Resellers The majority of Gen Z, the population demographic that are born between 1995 and 2012, have been taught using interactive whiteboards. The didactic method of teaching, whereby the teacher gives instructions to the students and the students are mostly passive listeners, has been outdated for some time. As more of the Gen Z population enters the workforce, they will not be looking for flipcharts, whiteboards and static computer screens to collaborate with their peers, customers and suppliers – they will be looking for an interactive panel. The large, touch-sensitive display is well suited for engaging several people in meeting spaces, with full colour displays and the ability for everyone to write their own text, call up videos and run a range of software suited to needs with a high range of inter-connectivity to several devices and platforms. Additionally, the possibility to save and recall current and previous collaborations sets them apart
Kurtis Oliver UK sales lead
ctouch.eu
There is an increasing expectation that the modern meeting room will be equipped with touch technology...
from other non-interactive screens, enabling the modern meeting rooms
to produce lively, engaging, well-structured and interactive collaboration sessions. In summary, every corporate meeting space looking for future-proof collaboration tools should be equipped with an interactive flat- panel display.
22
Make your workspace work for you Our work-from-anywhere solutions connect and protect computers and office equipment to help you thrive. Discover our solutions available across the channel.
Desktop UPS Systems
Display Mounts
Laptop Docks
Cables & Adapters
Surge Protectors & Power Strips
Device Chargers
Discover the tools you need to work from anywhere!
Find solutions that make you more productive and efficient…no matter where you make your desk today with Eaton.
We make what matters work*
ucadvanced.com
23
PRODUCT
Intuitively Intelligent Most work we do involves teamwork; interacting, informing, brainstorming and put quite simply, we humans need each other. Most studies find that efficiency and effectiveness improve when we discuss tasks, share responsibilities and in essence, work together. Any team is only as good as their collaboration tools – it is imperative that audio and visual should be of a high quality and be synced so that no time is wasted, and everyone involved can hear every word and see clearly – whether that’s looking at the whiteboard or seeing the speakers’ mannerisms and gestures.
Jabra PanaCast 50 VBS The Jabra PanaCast 50 has made remote collaboration easy and engaging. Ideal for small and large rooms, the Jabra PanaCast 50 VBS (video bar system) is a plug and play all-in-one collaboration solution. The videobar fits discreetly into any room environment, it can be versatilely positioned on a wall, table or screen and so if customers choose a wall or screen mount they can do away with those space-hungry devices on valuable working space areas such as tables. The concern of positioning the videobar in the absolute optimum place is eased, because the three 13 megapixel cameras catch all the action – the intelligent zoom and 180 degree view means no angle of the
Key Features: l 180° field of view – gives a wall-to-wall natural view without distortion l Panoramic – 4K quality – everyone looks sharp and in focus l 8 beamforming microphones for crystal clear conversations l 4 speakers in vibration-free, stereo setup for high-definition audio l E ase of Use and Plug-and-play connectivity to enable instant collaboration l Whiteboard sharing – captures anything you write on a whiteboard in real-time, enhancing readability Jabra PanaCast is optimised and certified for use with Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Teams Rooms, Zoom, Zoom Rooms and is compatible with Cisco Webex and many more. Built with the latest AI-enabled technology, video conferencing becomes easy and enjoyable. The Jabra PanaCast 50 can be managed on its own, or as part of the Jabra+ for admins, which is a cloud-based software platform that enables remote monitoring and management of meeting rooms, providing a clear visual overview of rooms, locations, and devices for seamless management of Jabra solutions. Mounts/Installation We tested the Grey Table Mount – and were suitably impressed with its sleek design and
room or movement is missed, even if you have quite a few people in the meeting room. It is as if you have a “virtual director” in the videobar – detecting active speakers and intelligently framing the action accordingly.
Jabra PanaCast 50 remote
Integration and
Compatibility The PanaCast 50 VBS offers a Bring-Your- Own-Device (BYOD) Mode, allowing users to join meetings on other platforms from their own laptop by plugging a USB cable into the video bar.
234
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48Powered by FlippingBook