Poly, formerly Plantronics, this week announced that is has unified the two disparate channel programs through which it makes headsets and the unified communications hardware and software it gained by acquiring Polycom in 2018.
The four-tier Poly partner program makes it possible now for more than 15,000 channel partners that sell the company’s portfolio of offerings to access a portal to access deal registration programs, training, marketing tools, market development funds and other incentives for incorporating multiple products together in a single solution, says Nick Tidd, vice president of global channel sales for Poly.
Instead of rewarding partners solely on volume, the Poly program assigns partners to specific tiers based also on demonstrated commitment to Plantronics and the margins generated, says Tidd.
The launch of Poly comes at a time when many channel partners are finding it difficult to find headphone inventory and other communications related equipment in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There’s just been unprecedented demand,” says Tidd.
The good is manufacturing capacity in the wake of the pandemic in China is being brought back up, said Tidd. However, now the challenge is finding space on container ships that are now operating at capacity as myriad products required by a wide range of industries are all arriving at port cities at the same time, adds Tidd.
Once that inventory arrives in the U.S. many channel partners will find that working remotely to one degree or another will become the new normal in the U.S. The opportunity for channel partners will mainly be focused on higher-margin communications hardware and software that provides a better user experience within the context of a larger solution, says Tidd.
That approach means there should be less focus, for example, on the price of a headset, adds Tidd.
In general, Tidd says that channel partners that worked closely with distributors to be able to drop ship equipment to home addresses tended to fare better than channel partners that could only ship products to a business location that become inaccessible overnight.
It’s still too early to determine to what degree communications requirements have been transformed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. What is clear is there is a greater appreciation for communications as an integral element of any business continuity strategy. The opportunity and challenge for solution providers now is finding a way to have that business continuity conversation at a time when many potential customers still scrambling to recover.
Be First to Comment