AT&T Realigns Alliance Channel, ACC Business Groups

AT&T's Alliance Channel and ACC Business organizations are shifting their reporting structure within AT&T Partner Solutions.

The carrier on Friday announced the change, which shifts the two commission-based groups to report into AT&T's midmarket business. AT&T wholesale and Partner Exchange will continue to report to the company's enterprise segment.

On one hand, the change reflects the traction AT&T's sales-based groups (Alliance and ACC) have typically held in the midmarket, as well as the strong market opportunity AT&T sees in the segment.

The realignment helps AT&T distinguish Alliance Channel and ACC Business from its wholesale initiative and Partner Exchange reseller program. The latter two are margin-based and typically include other carriers, network aggregators and resellers.

Alliance Channel and ACC Business, on the other hand, include commission-based partners such as direct-selling solution providers, technology services distributors (TSDs) and technology advisors (agents).

The shift recognizes the increasing complexity and growth occurring within AT&T Partner Solutions members, AT&T said.

Alliance Channel and ACC Business members will still sell to enterprise customers in addition to midmarket, a source told Channel Futures. Moreover, the realignment reportedly will not reduce any of ACC or Alliance Channel's funding.

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Indirect Alliance Channel

The realignment takes Alliance Channel and ACC Business out of the purview of Sarita Rao (president of integrated and partner solutions) and Randall Porter (vice president of AT&T Partner Solutions). AT&T has named two individuals who will lead the "Indirect Alliance Channels" group: Shelley Goodman and Shiraz Hasan.

AT&T's Shelley Goodman

Goodman, senior vice president of East business sales, has worked at AT&T for 34 years. Hasan most recently worked as head of go-to-market strategy and strategic alliances at RingCentral. In a previous stint at AT&T, Hasan led the company's enterprise channel sales and marketing group.

"These experienced leaders will continue to build on the strong momentum in expanding our distribution through improving and simplifying how we work with partners," AT&T said.

AT&T's Shiraz Hasan

Chris Jones, who has been leading AT&T's efforts with TSDs within Alliance Channel and ACC Business, will continue in his position, but report to Hasan and Goodman.