Channel Learning in the News: Windstream (a Fortune 500 company)

Windstream combines decades of dedication to customers with a strong commitment to innovation in communications services. Headquartered in Little Rock, Ark., Windstream is a FORTUNE 500 and S&P 500 company and has more than $6 billion in annual revenues. Windstream is a leading provider of advanced network communications, including cloud computing and managed services, to businesses nationwide.

Windstream primarily sells its products through a channel of hundreds of partners.  Their partners are local companies who choose to market Windstream products and services and also their own value-added services.  These partners have diverse IT backgrounds in areas such as interconnects, integrators, ASPs, data vendors, OEMs, computer vendors and telecommunication consultants.

News Title:  Windstream Introduces Enhanced Partner Strategy for Cloud Solutions at Channel Partners Conference

Date Originally Published:  2/26/2014

Industry: Telecommunications

Type of Extended Enterprise Learning:  Channel Learning

Business Drivers:  Increase cloud sales from channel partners

Business Challenge:  With the industry and Windstream’s rapid migration to Cloud technologies, the channel needed help in understanding the cloud and Windstream cloud solutions so that they could compete better in the marketplace, drive increased revenue and provide outstanding customer service.

Business Solution:  Not all partners are equal in their knowledge or preparedness in regards to cloud computing.  As a result, Windstream deployed a readiness assessment for their partners.  The assessment determines the partner’s skill level and market readiness in a variety of areas.  With the assessment, Windstream can determine the customized training and support required to get the partner to a state of readiness required over time. Customized training can include computer based training, webinars and live seminars.  Additionally, Windstream is hiring 10 additional channel managers who are experts in the Cloud to be the go-to resource for partners on all things cloud.

Key Takeaways:

Matt Preschem, Windstream’s senior vice president and enterprise chief marketing officer shared these insights:

• “At Windstream, we’re committed to helping our channel partners understand the cloud space, to supporting their advancement and success, and to building solid relationships with their customers”

• “By helping our partners become more comfortable with cloud solutions, we are strengthening our position in the cloud market, ensuring our partners’ success, and extending the cloud product suite to even more customers and prospects”

• “Our partners are accustomed to Windstream’s ‘smart solutions, personalized service’ brand promise, and offering these enhanced sales enablement tools provides even more opportunities for them to win in the marketplace.”

• “Whether our partners are ‘cloud ready,’ with strategies firmly in place, or ‘cloud motivated’ and recognize their need to tackle the cloud solutions suite, Windstream is going beyond typical provider certification by establishing specific training and support paths to foster the continued and sustained success of our channel partners.”

Mike Sapien, principal analyst at Ovum had the following two quotes:

• “According to Ovum’s global small and mid-size business survey findings, nearly 40 percent of those not using cloud services today are planning to deploy a cloud service within the next year.”

• “Our survey verified that telecommunication service providers are also in a very strong trust position with small to mid-sized customers, and key to customer adoption of cloud services is having strong sales resources including channel partners who can provide the required support including training and on-going service management for customers.”

All information derived from this news review was obtained from following publicly available sources:

• WSJ Online —  http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20140226-912833.html titled “Windstream Introduces Enhanced Partner Strategy for Cloud Solutions at Channel Partners Conference.”
• windstreambusiness.com
• http://www.reuters.com/

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