Ingram Micro, CSG Win Big Verizon Partner Awards

Verizon recognized the channel partner organizations most committed to its brand in an awards announcement Thursday.

Six partners took home honors from new Jersey for a variety of successes, including their community impact and sales performance. The Verizon Partner Network Recognition program, first announced last spring, represents Verizon’s first formal partner recognition program.

Verizon’s Mike Caralis

“We’re incredibly proud of our partners and are pleased to deliver these special awards to elevate and recognize them for their significant achievements,” Verizon vice president of business sales Michael Caralis said. “It’s a great platform for our partners to showcase innovations and help drive their businesses forward.”

Partners filled out applications for five of the six categories: partner innovation, social and community impact, operational excellence, customer business impact and marketing excellence.

The sixth category, business internet sales, took into consideration raw 2021 sales performance. On the reseller side, Connected Solutions Group (CSG) earned recognition. Ingram Micro led its distributor peers.

Application-Based Winners

Wireless partner Source Inc. won the Partner Innovation award for its 5G business internet solution.

Arrow Electronics subsidiary Seneca provided solutions to a prosthetic arm manufacturer and earned Verizon’s Social and Community Impact award.

SHI International, a member of Verizon’s Mobility Co-Sell Program, surpassed its revenue goal for the program in part due to its marketing efforts. That earned it Verizon’s Marketing Excellence award winner.

“I’m so proud of what the SHI team and I have done over the past year with the Verizon/SHI partnership. We have been bringing awareness to all sales reps and customers regarding the Mobility Co-Sell program within all sales segments and showing them why we are #BetterTogether,” Robert Jarembinsky, SHI’s Verizon-focused business development manager, wrote on LinkedIn.

In addition, ConectUS Wireless won the Customer Business Impact.

CSG

Virginia-based Connected Solutions Group (CSG) won two awards: Business Internet Growth and Operational Excellence.

On the operational side, CSG earned the recognition for building an online ordering platform Verizon sales reps could directly use to log orders.

CSG’s Michael Pittman

“In our discovery process we could palpably feel the desire for faster delivery and installation of products which obviously is just a natural trend of life today and the on-line shopping experience,” CSG CEO Michael Pittman told Channel Futures. “Our ability to simplify the complicated through automations and questionnaires in our portals have helped Verizon give the customer that “prime” experience without suffering a loss in quality of deployment. We have much more coming to further this initiative for Verizon customers.”

He also said CSG’s business internet sales growth stemmed in part from modeling after Verizon’s own strategic priorities.

“The desire for flexible business internet products and services has been evident and our organization reacted and built some incredible products including our own mobile yet business focused routing solution called the CSG m106 that had a tremendous impact on Business Internet adds for Verizon in 2022. We are proud to align our initiatives and deliver game-changing solutions for the market,” Pittman said.

The Awardees

Partner Innovation: Source Inc.
Social & Community Impact: Arrow Electronics/Seneca
Operational Excellence: Connected Solutions Group (CSG)
Customer Business Impact: ConectUS Wireless
Marketing Excellence: SHI International Corp
Business Internet Growth Achievement: Connected Solutions Group (CSG) and Ingram Micro