2012 Channel Survey: Invitation for Sponsorship

Overview

Early in 2000 a team of veteran industry analysts from the telecom and datacom space, formed the IN-Fusion Group in order to create a study on how the market for converged voice and data products (CT) was developing. The study focused on the resellers, systems integrators, consultants, and others that represent the indirect channel, who we called Convergence Resellers (CRs), reflected an industry in transition. Now, 12 years later, converged technologies have evolved to unified communications (UC), and the convergence resellers have evolved to Solutions Integrators (SIs), yet many of the channel challenges remain the same. Several of the IN-Fusion Group team are now part of UCStrategies, which will conduct another survey, focusing on the business needs of the solutions integrators and the key factors driving their success in the UC market. As before, we will be measuring how vendors are meeting the needs of their channel partners. The study will consist of both a quantitative online survey as well as qualitative phone interviews with solutions integrators. The SIs participating in the study will represent a cross section of the various UC vendors.

Study Objectives

The first objective of the study is to gain knowledge of the reseller sales organizations, their relationships with clients, and the key sales operations processes. Specifically, we will be gaining insight into the skills and sales competencies necessary to identify opportunities in this complex sales environment. This data will be in the context of their company background, size of the organization, types of solutions they are selling, and the quantities they are selling. As an extension of the 2000 study, we will measure Solution Integrators’ satisfaction with the market and business opportunity. 

Our most important objective, however, will be to find out how the SIs could be more successful and how vendors can help them achieve their goals. Survey participants will be asked questions about their businesses in a number of areas, including:

• vendor support
• assistance on various business issues
• sales and marketing
• technical and customer support issues

They will be asked to evaluate whether the actual support that they have received in those areas lived up to their expectations. Finally SIs will be asked to comment on which vendors are easiest to work with, and to list freely any comments they have regarding vendor-related issues.

Benefits of the Study

The results of the study will be used to help vendors better understand their channel partners interests and concerns, and identify how to better support their partners. Vendor sponsors will also receive objective insights as to how well their channel partners feel the vendors are meeting their needs and where they are lacking. Vendor sponsors that opt for briefings on survey finding will be privy to comments made about them (the SIs names will be anonymous). Vendor ratings, satisfaction with channel programs and relationships, and specific comments made about them and their effectiveness at channel support will be provided to sponsors.

Sponsor Pricing

Contact

For more information contact:

• Blair Pleasant, (707) 324-3104,
• Orrin Broberg, (952) 270-7978,
• Jim Burton, (707) 963-9966,