Boosted through distribution
8x8, the cloud unified communications and customer engagement solutions provider, has praised the channel for helping it win its biggest contracts, as it plans to accelerate channel growth further.
In the past year, US-headquartered 8x8 says it has significantly expanded its global channel programme, growing the number of enabled partners, which includes wider value added distribution by partnering with Ingram Micro, Jenne and ScanSource.
It has also teamed with PCI Pal in the UK, a provider of secure and compliant payment solutions for customer engagement, and extended US relationships with Ingram Micro Cloud, CDW and ScanSource into the UK and Ireland. 8x8 says it has also bumped up sales through technology service distributors like Avant, Intelisys, TBI and Telarus.
“The 8x8 channel strategy has been instrumental in winning large enterprise business,” said the vendor. “In the third quarter ended 31 December 2017, six of 8x8’s top ten deals were contributed by channel partners, and overall channel bookings increased 50% year-over-year,” it added.
Scott Sampson, senior vice president of mid-market and enterprise at 8x8, said: “As 8x8 expands its global footprint as the preferred choice of enterprise communications, our channel partners continue to play a critical role in helping our joint clients take employee and customer engagement to the next level.”
According to analyst house IDC, the hosted/cloud portion of the worldwide unified communications and collaboration (UCC) market, which 8x8 operates in, is expected to grow to $32.5bn in 2021. Until the back end of 2017, in the case of Ingram, the 8x8 contact centre and UC products were previously only available to Ingram partners in the US and Canada.
The Ingram Micro Cloud now offers the 8x8 Virtual Office and 8x8 Virtual Contact Centre to end customers managed by channel partners. At the time of the extended regional availability, Apay Obang-Oyway, director for cloud and software UK&I at Ingram Micro, said: "UCC is a fast-growing market segment for Ingram Micro Cloud, and 8x8's portfolio is well suited for the needs of our channel partners and the end customers they serve."
Charles Aylwin, director of channel at 8x8, added: "Our cloud communications and contact centre solutions will give partners easy access to a fast growing market and help them accelerate revenue growth with minimal risk.”
