www.comms-dealer.com
MARKETWATCH
New demand for MPLS
BUSINESS UPDATE
John Dawson, Managing Director of Griffin,
has worked in the SMB market in the UK and
North America for over 20 years. He spends
much time analysing and assessing market
trends and needs, and has highlighted MPLS
as a growing opportunity for the channel.
awson has canvassed demand. Flexible working practices
D
many Griffin partners are popular and every survey
on the state of the shows a rise in the number of
market and he companies that encourage remote
reports that his resellers are ‘busy, working. “The threat of epidemics
profitable and sick of hearing the and terrorism is forcing many
word recession’. “It is true that the companies to look at contingency
banks curbing borrowing has had plans which often include sending
an effect and that there has been their employees home to work,”
a focus on cost saving, however commented Dawson. “On the retail
the channel is agile and responds side, many stores that use ISDN-
well to change,” noted Dawson. 2 for EPOS and chip and pin are
“In particular, Griffin Partners with faced with either going back to
recurring revenues that have dial-up or upgrading to broadband
focused on the relationship with when ISDN is fully withdrawn by
their existing customers have BT. Broadband is getting faster
done well. When times are tough and more reliable and the trend
John Dawson
companies tend to want to deal towards hosted applications is
with fewer suppliers, and if you are driving companies to look for That’s one reason why the channel replace dial-up for chip and pin
one of those selected this presents ways to link all of their offices and has been so successful in the UK.” with IP. Get your ISP to come to
an opportunity to supply a broader employees to centralised servers.” customer meetings with and help
range of products and services.” Dawson said that resellers need to construct a competitive bid to
Traditionally, resellers supply an ISP that has the products and win the business. For retailers secure
Griffin was invited to participate the SMB market rather than support to help them. Key things transactions are essential. If the ISP
in the Forrester SMB Survey in the carriers, and have close to look out for are lead generation works with a transactions specialist
August and received a preview relationships with their customer support, bid support, cost effective who has the systems in place to
of the report in return. The report bases, Dawson believes. “There is prices from multiple suppliers with manage secure transactions this
details the general market but an opportunity here for resellers to full UK coverage, case studies will stand resellers in good stead.”
one key trend that stands out for increase their ARPU by letting their and testimonials. “For ease of
Dawson is the take-up of MPLS customers know they can quote management the provisioning Dawson also points to the public
private networking. Dawson noted: for MPLS requirements and beat portal is vital,” added Dawson. sector as fertile ground for resellers.
“Large enterprises have been the carriers in the bid process with “Resellers don’t need to invest in He said: “Pick out customers in
installing MPLS networks for years, support from their ISP,” he stated. specialist staff to manage suppliers the public sector that are looking
and Forrester claims that this has “Even our smallest partners have if they use one that manages them to connect offices securely. Do
now spread to the SMB market found that they can win bids on their behalf. With products they need a remote working
with around 24 per cent having against the carriers for MPLS. The and support in place I suggest contingency plan? If so target
already installed one and a further SMB market feels unloved by the resellers start by analysing their them. Accountants, solicitors and
25 per cent planning to do so in big telcos and most would rather customer base. Look for retail mortgage advisors with multiple
the next two years. That’s around deal with a smaller reseller anyway. opportunities, stores looking to branches are good prospects.
200,000 new opportunities to sell Pop in for an account review and
what is a very high value, high end up with new business from
margin and ‘sticky’ product.”
Even our smallest partners
the corporate network. If resellers
manage the network, they have
have found they can win
Dawson attributes this new trend the opportunity to manage all the
to a number of factors that have applications that run over it, and bids against the carriers for MPLS
combined to create a surge in the associated hardware.”
n
To advertise in contact The Sales Team on 01895 454425
www.comms-dealer.com COMMS DEALER OCTOBER 2009 49
49 Griffin_rhp.indd 1 6/10/09 13:45:01
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