Windstream Makes Select Data Center Solutions Available to Channel Partners

Windstream, a leading provider of advanced network communications, recently decided to open up its portfolio of solutions a little wider to channel partners, certifying channel managers to sell a selection of its key data center products. Prior to this, all of Windstream's data center solutions were sold only through its direct sales channels.

Initially, only four data center products — colocation, dedicated servers, disaster recovery as a service (DRaaS) and unified email management — will be available to channel partners. However, Windstream does plan to include more data center products and solutions down the line.

"The addition of these products to our partners' portfolios will allow them to offer their customers a more robust Windstream solution — from the network all the way out to the cloud," said Don Perkins, senior vice president of Business Marketing for Windstream, in a statement. "The data center products they will now sell are complementary to the solutions they have already been offering; it's a great fit. The extension of our relationship will be mutually beneficial."

Apparently, around half of Windstream's channel managers received data center certification training in Charlotte, N.C., in early February. In turn, those channel managers trained their agents and began selling Windstream data center solutions as of February 25, while additional channel managers and agents are expected to complete their certification training this summer.

Windstream offers cloud computing and managed services, as well as, a full suite of advanced network communications and technology solutions, including voice and data services like VoIP, SIP trunking and MPLS.

Early in January, the company launched Wendy, its intelligent virtual agent that provides a new online customer engagement channel. Powered by VirtuOz, a provider of intelligent virtual agents, Wendy is meant to offer an engaging customer experience while lowering operational costs.

Later that month, Windstream's IP Simple unified communications solution was named the 2012 Internet Telephony Product of the Year by TMC.