Intelisys, Partners Explore AI Offerings Beyond CX
Contact center has been the tip of the spear for many partners' AI-related sales. Will that change in 2024?
For Farbak and Intelisys, AI capabilities will augment platforms across the technology pillars partners already sell, including cloud, CX, security and IoT. And the widespread presence of AI could make cross-selling easier for partners.
TSDs such as Intelisys have urged their sales partners to sell more than one line of technology.
According to Intelisys partner data Farbak showed, agents who sold only one technology drove only $6,442 in monthly recurring revenue. Those with two lines of technology drove $16,760 in MRR, and those with three drove $48,726. The data showed that the more lines partners were selling, the fewer number of customers they needed to reach the same amount of revenue.
Intelisys director of sales engineering Patrick Chen gave the example of Netflix to explain the nuances between machine learning and artificial intelligence.
Chen called machine learning a subset of AI and a key force behind the Netflix recommendation algorithm. Users input data through the shows and movies they search for and watch, and Netflix ingests that data through machine learning to make the proper recommendations.
A generative AI platform, on the other hand, could brainstorm and create a binge-worthy show.
Chen and Five9 director of global partners Kelli McMillan outlined three different forms AI takes with customers: tool, copilot and muse.
Whereas "tool" functions as a platform or solution and "copilot" functions as a capability that makes a solution or service more effective, "muse" focuses on creative. In the "tool" mode, partners source for their customer agent-assist capabilities for their contact center solution. But on the "muse" side, partners might use OpenAI and Canva internally to generate their own marketing content.
"Now you have in-house ownership of that marketing, and you are more in control of your branding," McMillan said.
In the category of "copilot," Granite vice president of channels Charlie Pagliazzo gave the example of his company's network operations center. He said a simple reboot can solve 62% of the network's outage. AI troubleshooting and action save both the customer and vendor time.
"It's taking away the mundane, remedial tasks," Pagliazzo said.
For James Morrison (left), Intelisys' senior director of security programs, the topic of AI makes him think about what bad actors can do with the technology. Take for instance, ChatGPT's "evil cousin" WormGPT, which operates on the dark web and can scan corporate networks.
Morrison said AI has made it possible for cybercriminals to exploit a vulnerability 90 minutes after discovering it. That's in contrast to the average months it takes for a corporation to patch a vulnerability.
"When we're looking at cyber and the world going forward. Who is going to help your customer faster than 90 minutes?" he said.
Newly appointed Comcast channel leader Matthew Fassnacht said managed detection and response (MDR) providers are seeing operational efficiencies and improved response times due to AI.
"It's going to improve security monitoring. From a SOC perspective, you can be a smaller organization, and AI really allows you to operate as a larger organization," Fassnacht said.
Mejeticks CEO Rob DeVita (pictured) told Channel Futures that his company is looking for new vendors that offer standalone AI solutions and services unrelated to customer experience.
He said his company has signed at least three such vendors to direct agreements. But he would like to see more of those providers in the technology services distributors' portfolios.
"It's really hard for us to find through our TSDs the pure AI companies that are enabling dynamic changes inside of a customer's enterprise environment. What we keep hearing is AI on the contact center side, and that is great for things like agent replacement and agent assistant," DeVita said. "We're really talking about, how do you change business processes inside of our customers business? And you're not getting that from a contact center provider."
Mayka Rosales-Peterson, Intelisys senior manager of partner marketing, emceed the one-day event. The TSD hosted the show at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. Concurrent AMP'd events took place in California and Massachussetts. Intelisys broadcast its Dallas keynote sessions to the other two locations, and each location ran its own breakout workshops.
Intelisys brought in Pixar artist and writer Matthew Luhn who offered thoughts on AI from the perspective of his career in the movie animation.
Luhn left his job designing for The Simpsons to work on the movie Toy Story at Pixar. He said many people in the industry thought Pixar's computer-generated 3-D animation was a fad and that he was foolish to leave his job with The Simpsons. Luhn said the 2-D animators were worried they would lose their jobs if 3-D animation proved successful. Set designers at Lucasfilm similarly worried that computer animation with their spaceship designs would be unnecessary.
But Luhn said AI can function as a muse for today's screenwriters.
"I see what AI is doing today to be like my R2D2. To help me solve these problems and get me out of these creative ruts for when I'm stuck on a story," he told attendees.
Intelisys brought in Pixar artist and writer Matthew Luhn who offered thoughts on AI from the perspective of his career in the movie animation.
Luhn left his job designing for The Simpsons to work on the movie Toy Story at Pixar. He said many people in the industry thought Pixar's computer-generated 3-D animation was a fad and that he was foolish to leave his job with The Simpsons. Luhn said the 2-D animators were worried they would lose their jobs if 3-D animation proved successful. Set designers at Lucasfilm similarly worried that computer animation with their spaceship designs would be unnecessary.
But Luhn said AI can function as a muse for today's screenwriters.
"I see what AI is doing today to be like my R2D2. To help me solve these problems and get me out of these creative ruts for when I'm stuck on a story," he told attendees.
INTELISYS AMP'D DALLAS — Technology services distributor Intelisys and its suppliers are encouraging channel partners to sell a wide cross-section of AI-enhanced products.
Technology advisors/agents have capitalized on the rise of generative AI by selling contact-center-as-a-service software (CCaaS) and other customer experience (CX)-related technologies. Intelisys at its Tuesday AMP'd event in Dallas highlighted network and security services that are seeing AI improvements.
Intelisys' Bob Farbak
"CX has been the trendsetter for AI," Intelisys senior vice president of sales Bob Farbak told attendees. "We also have AI-powered helpdesks, video analytics, SIM, MDR/XDR, data loss prevention and network operations center (NOC)."
Farbak added in an interview with Channel Futures that he anticipates communications-platform-as-a-service (CPaaS) offerings to grow its share of channel revenue in 2024.
Understanding AI Offerings
Many technology advisors see AI-powered solutions as a way to increase wallet share with customers and play a more strategic role in their businesses. But many of these partners say they are still working to decipher which vendors and platforms possess true AI capabilities, and if such vendors even go to market through the agent channel.
Intelisys director of sales engineering Patrick Chen said that pipeline is increasing for AI-related opportunities, and customers need more help unwinding the wave of marketing messages and hype around AI.
Scroll through the images above to see a recap of the event, with commentary from Intelisys employees, suppliers and partners about AI trends.
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