There may not be a faster-moving market than communications and networking today, with innovation happening faster than vendors and service providers can keep up with. In fact, it seems that, too often, services are becoming “last-generation” shortly after they are developed. While there’s good news there, in that better and faster capabilities lead to new revenue opportunities, the challenge, especially for resellers, system integrators, and VARs, is keeping pace with the latest opportunities and how they match up with evolving business needs.
There are countless potential partners out there, all with great products or services that can be integrated to broaden portfolios and drive revenue. The question becomes how to effectively sort through the countless product strategies, partners, and products or solutions and understand where your best opportunities lie? It’s not an easy task, but it’s a critical one.
Superior Telephone Systems, a 31-year-old telecom solution integrator serving Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York businesses was faced with this very challenge several years ago, when Ideacom president Rich Gralto invited owners David and Carol Jones to attend his organization’s annual conference. With a very real need to better understand opportunities for growing their business, the Joneses took Gralto up on his invitation, largely because of the event’s history of providing a community of like-minded integrators and the service providers and vendors they work with.
Today, after three years as Ideacom members, it’s a decision they look back knowing the result was an opportunity to reconnect with familiar colleagues as well as new companies bringing innovation to the integrator community, as well as a reseller community that is happy to share their experiences with many of the solution vendors at the conference.
“Having access to other like minded business who have tried different technologies or service offerings that Superior Tel is considering is a big plus, because we’re able to get input on the value the products hold and how customers are responding,” says David Jones. “That is a testament to the Ideacom organization.”
Many businesses shy away from sharing best practices for fear of competition. The Ideacom conference, and the organization as a whole, are founded on the idea that sharing experiences helps drive market success overall. An environment where all members are willing to share insights on adapting to changing technology and how they are impacting not only the reseller community, but also the different vertical markets they serve, is a valuable resource for evaluating both current and future growth opportunities.
In addition to the valuable education and networking at the conference itself, Ideacom membership carries benefits that can help vault resellers and integrators into more profitable business relationships, though maximum buying power, marketing assistance, and national partnership arrangements with many of the other member organizations.
“It’s impossible to grow a reseller business without implementing technology, and technology changes all the time,” adds Jones. “The industry offers an overwhelming amount of products and service solutions.”
Ideacom offers its community an annual networking event to drive understanding of those products and solutions, and an ongoing opportunity to build on relationships created at the conference. It’s a no-brainer for any reseller on integrator truly interested in growing its business.
This year’s conference takes place April 8-10 in Washington, D.C., highlighted by keynotes from FCC CTO Eric Burger, author of “IoT Transform” and Vice President of Customer Solutions at Equus Compute Solutions Steve Grady, and TMC CEO Rich Tehrani. Collectively, these three featured speakers can address effectively every aspect of technology impacting the Ideacom community. For information on becoming an Ideacom member or attending the conference, contact Rich Gralto.
Edited by
Mandi Nowitz
