Interview A
t the end of January this year Zoom Video Communications, Inc. announced strong financial results with total revenue of more than $4 billion growing 55% year over year. Tere
has been a significant amount of development for the company so we spoke with Zoom’s Head of EMEA Channel, Dion Smith to find out more about where it places it channel business and how the company plans to evolve its growing portfolio of products.
What’s your background within the channel and current role at Zoom? I joined Zoom from Amazon Web Services where I led worldwide teams on their Global Strategic Partnerships selling multi-billion dollar engagements. Prior to AWS I spent 25 years building and leading partner ecosystems (Channel Sales, Programs, Operations, Technical, Marketing, PRM) for Hewlett-Packard, DELL, Samsung, DXC & Veritas Technologies. Specifically, I focused on identifying new countries, markets, verticals, and industries for new lines of business whilst enabling partners to build, sell and deliver client value. I am super excited to take on the role as Head of Channel, EMEA
at Zoom, where my focus will be to build scale, depth and specialism for the Zoom platform, in turn helping our partners grow their value to their clients through embracing hybrid working. We have ambitious plans for Europe, Middle East & Africa. Over these next 12 months, we will show our partners our first approach in engaging our teams to collaborate on the Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) opportunity by building out a world-class partner ecosystem and team for EMEA.
Where does Zoom place the channel amidst its global business plans? Channel partners are central to Zoom’s plans. Troughout 2021, we welcomed over 3,500 new partners to our programmes. Our channel is now contributing more than 30% to our non-online bookings across EMEA, and our partners are driving more than a quarter of Zoom Phone sales. Tis year we will launch Zoom Up, our new partner program.
As part of this we will be driving increased focus and presence with our partners to help them not just progress through tiering, but strengthen their technical expertise in the competencies they specialise in. In the UK&I market, we have seen major success across
our platform. For example, Zoom Phone, an extension to our video- first UCaaS platform, has seen great focus and growth from our partners. We have scaled from SMB through to the largest enterprise companies and we will lean in with our channel as the primary enabler through the depth of their capabilities, relationships, and decision-making authority with clients. We want to ensure that all clients have the opportunity to enjoy our platform. Te channel is a strategically critical pillar in our Go-to-Market
Strategy. Zoom Up will help us accelerate in opening up new partnerships across all partner types from Distribution, Resellers and ISV, to Carriers, Services Providers and GSIs. Choice, flexibility, ease of doing business, and the ability to add value are all important considerations to channel businesses.
How does Zoom work with its partners? On a fundamental level, the channel is our key route to the market, and so it is strategically important for Zoom to work with partners to realise our regional and global ambitions. We also understand that customer choice is paramount and channel partners have strong relationships and delivery capabilities, so these types of partnerships help us stay connected to our core markets in a direct and effective way. Te channel approaches offerings from different points of view
and delivers significant value in a variety of ways. In addition, the insights we gain from our partners provide information and data that help us continue to innovate and progress our platform.
Why should channel companies consider adding Zoom to their portfolios? As a Gartner Magic Quadrant leader, the demand from the market for Zoom is strong. Clients are demanding the best solutions in the UCaaS space for their new ways of hybrid working. Partnering with Zoom can help organisations meet their UCaaS needs. Te relationship we have with our channel partners is never one-sided, and we’re continuing to invest in and focus on enhancing our partner programs and teams. Our goal is to support our partners in their journey as they develop new competencies, grow their businesses with Zoom, and add value to their clients. In September 2021, we offered a look into our partner programme
advancements globally. Tis included a teaser for Zoom Up, which introduces levels, competencies and better incentives to reward partners for their investments. Zoom Up also allows partners to create a way to differentiate themselves and increase their profitability to be able to scale effectively as they grow with Zoom. Additionally, we have initiated an updated Zoom Phone Certified
Integrator Program, which offers more robust training, so partners are better equipped with important skills and capabilities. Finally, we have introduced enhanced cloud peering in the form of the Zoom Phone Provider Exchange, which aims to improve the end-to-end experience with Zoom Phone.
What predictions and trends can you tell us about for the channel in 2022? Enterprise adoption of UCaaS will increase dramatically in 2022 as the world continues to grapple with increased complexity borne from the pandemic whilst also trying to adapt to hybrid ways of working. Tis will see voice and telephony, video and meeting
48 | April 2022
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