Cogent Communications Unveils Partner Program

Cogent Communications (CCOI) has taken the wraps off a new channel partner program that aims to utilize a series of master agents to drive its telecommunications sales within the channel.

In the press release announcing the program, the company said it recognizes many customers feel most comfortable when purchasing Cogent’s products and services through a VAR or agent, and hopes to utilize these relationships to drive business and improve customer loyalty.

“We’re at a crossroads of [figuring out] how to increase the velocity of our growth. And in order to increase the velocity of our revenue growth, we think that the indirect channel is a very important and integral part of our strategy because its going to give us access to thousands of potential agents that can sell our products and services,” said Ernie Ortega, Cogent, chief revenue officer and vice president of Global Sales at Cogent, in an interview with The VAR Guy. “That’s something that you just can’t buy in a direct sales force.”

Cogent will begin its channel program this year with a handful of master agents who will work to establish the company within the channel, said Mike Kopp, director of Partner Channel at Cogent in the press release. The first two master agents to kick off the beta program are WTG and AB&T Telecom, both of which have a vast amount of experience in telecommunications, the company noted. Master agent incentives will be determined based on each individual contract, said Ortega.

“Our goal is to build a solid foundation for the channel with competitive compensation and a simple contract, as well as rules of engagement and procedures that make sense,” Kopp said in the release. “Cogent’s product porfolio is not complicated, making it easy to do business with us.”

Cogent’s announcement marks the third incentivized partner program to be unveiled this week, following Digium and Infobelt’s announcements for similar programs which will also utilize the power of resellers to grow the overall business.