CRADLEPOINT’S CHANNEL STRATEGY
Straight to the point Cradlepoint, a part of Ericsson, has recently developed a channel programme in EMEA, and attracted key partners, including Softcat, resulting in a year of growth for the company, including the launch of a new global MSP programme.
Cradlepoint, a major US player, has recently made more of a move into EMEA, attracting key partners along the way, helping to grow the company. Sarah Ralston-Good, enterprise partner sales lead at Cradlepoint, – who has a 20-plus year career in the channel sector – joined Cradlepoint more than a year ago and has been key in developing the channel strategy and in this feature, she explains how this was done. Meanwhile, Thomas Rowley, chief technologist – Network & Connectivity at Softcat, explains why the company has partnered with Cradlepoint, and what the future holds. Q How did you go about developing the channel programme? What was the biggest challenge? Sarah Ralston-Good: “The biggest challenge with any new channel programme is selling a new brand into an established channel market. While Cradlepoint is extremely successful in the US, we were not as well known among the value-added reseller, service provider and system integrator community. “Overcoming this challenge relies on gaining the trust of the C-Suite and leadership teams within these communities. Part of this strategy has relied on my over 20 years of experience in the industry, but even more helpful has been the fact that partners’ customers have been asking for the solutions Cradlepoint offers. This is because they know our 5G for enterprise and private networks strategy solves the problems they currently face around connectivity.” Q How do you build successful channel partnerships? SR-G: “Building successful channel partnerships begins with personal connections. Nothing compares to meeting potential partners face-to-face. Listening is key; partners have so much knowledge about the market. They are the closest to their customers and understand their challenges. By understanding these problems, we can show we offer the solutions they need to meet them. For example, one of the challenges we see
is the current strain on connectivity networks due to IoT device deployments. As a result, we focus on offering easy-to-deploy solutions to address these demands. “Another crucial aspect is our willingness to collaborate on test deployments and actively listen to partner feedback. This approach fosters trust and helps us refine our offerings. For instance, when we partner with a titan partner like Softcat, we are still agile enough to offer a white glove service for our training and certifications programme via Cradlepoint University, providing partners with a seamless onboarding process.” Q What can channel partners expect to see in the coming months? SR-G: “In the coming months, our signed and certified partners can expect more leads; meaning qualified opportunities with the support of our field sales teams. They will be privy to market trend information ahead of the curve that we have invested in to support our partners in their markets. We are blowing the doors off our global and regional partner summits, a key platform we use to communicate to our channel partner community. We will be giving our partners access to industry first insights and activities, as well as accelerating their sales and enhancing their customers experience, by deploying our cellular based secure wireless solutions portfolio.” Q How have the demands of Softcat’s customers changed over the years? Thomas Rowley: “Undoubtedly, the connectivity needs of businesses have undergone significant transformations in recent years. With the surge in IoT device adoption, companies now seek robust connectivity infrastructure to fully capitalise on their deployments. Take, for instance, manufacturers who can remotely monitor their machinery using these devices. The true value of the collected data lies in transmitting it in real time to its intended destination from any location. Therefore, businesses require networks that provide high-speed connectivity
Sarah Ralston-Good
cradlepoint.com
Building successful channel partnership begins with personal connections. Nothing compares to meeting potential partners face-to-face “ ”
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