Across the globe, Systems Integrators (SIs), telecoms resellers and CPaaS providers are embracing the widespread move towards cloud adoption and digitalisation as a major opportunity for growth.

Increasingly, they’re moving away from their traditional role of application management to helping customers digitalise their business processes, with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and big data.

But without their own networks, they’re in need of reliable partners in the application and infrastructure space to achieve this. And often, they’ll want to deploy these solutions at multiple sites in different regions – which is complex to navigate without prior expertise or experience.

To take on these challenges as an SI, telecoms reseller or CPaaS provider, you’ll need to adopt a more open-minded approach to channel partnership. As you move further up the value chain to support your customers with digital transformation, many telcos have also expanded their offerings to provide more than just underlay and bandwidth.

They’re evolving towards a consultative approach, offering a range of platform-based services and working collaboratively with SIs, telecoms resellers and CPaaS providers to gain a holistic understanding of their end-customers’ needs. This includes secure connectivity, reliable voice services and contact centre solutions. In fact, the right partner can help to provide seamless digital experiences to customers in many different regions, by properly integrating services into platforms and working together to deliver real strategic value.

For the best-possible support with moving up the stack, there are four things you should actively look for in a channel partner.

Today, customers expect choice. SIs, telecoms resellers and CPaaS providers are under pressure to offer a range of connectivity options, SD-WAN technologies, collaboration platforms integrated with GSIP and contact centre solutions with managed voice options. Furthermore, they must all be delivered in a secure environment and proactively managed by their service provider.

Even smaller SIs, telecoms resellers and CPaaS providers are now exploring reselling cloud-based collaboration and contact centre platforms with managed voice and managed security services. For this purpose, the right partner should be able to provide solutions from a range of different vendors, at competitive prices, to support a variety of different size customer requirements.

In the current market, a partner who can offer a new approach to commercial modelling – with a usage or outcome-based pricing model – is essential. Not only because more tailored, consumption-based services help to win business, but because it’s far more likely to make the contract profitable.

To ensure consistent application performance and uptime, you’ll want a partner who guarantees round-the-clock proactive service management and end-to-end visibility as part of their service. For rapid troubleshooting and problem solving, their service experts also need to thoroughly understand your end customers’ technology environments. And, where possible, you’ll want the flexibility to adjust responsibilities as well as the ability to adapt the service model to reflect your organisation’s strengths and ways of working.

A dedicated partner should have a strong emphasis on co-creation, working closely with you to develop an innovation and transformation programme that offers real value to your end-customer. Beyond just discounts and support, they’ll draw on their ecosystem of technology partners to provide better go-to-market offers. Plus, they’ll share their regulatory experience across different regions to help you navigate compliance.

With our large ecosystem of technology partners and ongoing investments, we’ve built a future-proof portfolio for the indirect market. We work alongside channel partners to co-create services that drive revenue acceleration and ensure they provide the best solutions to their end-customers.

Our successful Smart Transformation programme can help you transform customers’ legacy environments and get them ready for digitalisation. This includes our platform-based services, with OpenAPI to integrate tailor-fit solutions, as well as a self-service partner portal for pricing, quotes, technical documentation and service management. Plus, proactive and reliable service management enabled by enhanced visualisation, monitoring and AI-driven analytics.