TRACK 1: DISCOVER

Discover New Opportunities

From wireless to cloud services to managed services to multimedia conferencing, new technologies and service delivery models present channel partners with a range of options for increasing revenue. Learn more about these opportunities and strategies for success. Extras include case studies and demos.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24

2:45 – 4 p.m.

Managed Services Made Easy

You know you should add managed IT services to your portfolio, but building your own NOC and staffing it...

You know you should add managed IT services to your portfolio, but building your own NOC and staffing it 24/7 is intimidating, as well as capital- and time-intensive. As an alternative to the do-it-yourself approach, managed services providers and some master agents are making managed services easier with turnkey programs. You can identify the prospect, sell the service and get paid while the MSP does all the heavy lifting. In some cases, the services are even private-labeled, so you get all the credit and customer ownership. In this session, you’ll find out more about how you can jumpstart your time to market in the managed services space.

Speakers:

Kevin Goodman, Channel Marketing Director, Broadview Networks
Pete Keane, President, Outreach Technology
Ron Dunworth, President and CEO, Advoda Communications Inc.
Alex Rogers, CEO, CharTec

4:15 – 5:30 p.m.

Comparing Cloud Communications Solutions

Moving communications capabilities out of the telco closet is no longer a radical concept. Companies...

Moving communications capabilities out of the telco closet is no longer a radical concept. Companies increasingly are embracing hosted and cloud models. That said, not all solutions are equal. This session will review and rate the different types of hosted and cloud communications platforms – from carrier-grade and open source to public cloud and privately managed. Experts will map the options to the customer requirements and offer advice to help channel partners choose the best providers for their portfolios. To validate the expert evaluations, audience members will be polled about their experiences with cloud communications providers.

Speaker:

Clark Atwood, Vice President, Concierge Communications

THURSDAY, AUGUST 25

8:30 – 9:45 a.m.

Choosing a Cloud Business Model

Channel partners are at a crossroads: stick with their current business models and risk obsolescence, or add new...

Channel partners are at a crossroads: stick with their current business models and risk obsolescence, or add new technologies and risk failure. There’s little doubt that agents and VARs will have to pick one or the other. But failure doesn’t have to be an option if you go into a strategy shift with all the right information. That’s especially true when it comes to the cloud, arguably the greatest channel opportunity in decades. But how do you know which role you want to play in the cloud sector? This session will explore the various hats partners can wear, from Cloud Broker and Cloud Aggregator to Cloud Provider. You’ll learn the characteristics of these models, compare their costs and benefits, and map your company’s transformation from Point A to Point B.

SPEAKER/SESSION LEADER:

Christine Dover, Research Manager, IDC

SPEAKERS:

Jeff Kaplan, CEO, BTG

Jim Safran, President and Founder, GreenAppX

Greg Praske, CEO, ARG

10 – 11:15 a.m.

What’s Next in Collaboration: Virtual Meetings, UC-Style

Conferencing is experiencing a face lift. It’s no longer enough to have an audio call; today’s businesses are...

Conferencing is experiencing a face lift. It’s no longer enough to have an audio call; today’s businesses are embracing web-based platforms that support presence, video, social media, desktop-sharing and more with the ease of a reservationless teleconference. These capabilities are not just cosmetic, however; they are improving user engagement and upping the effectiveness of virtual meetings. Find out more about the latest UC-style collaboration offers and how you can use them to open doors to new sales. Demonstrations of several platforms, and customer case studies, will be presented.

SPEAKER/SESSION LEADER:

Hyoun Park, Research Analyst, Collaboration and Integrated Communications, Alberdeen Group

SPEAKERS:

Peter Stewart, Senior Vice President, Collaboration Technology Services, PGi
Kim Niederman, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales, 8x8 Inc.
Joe Berger, Senior Director, Unified Services, InterCall