Verizon Enterprise: Partners Should Adopt Mobility Now

CHANNEL PARTNERS — If you want to make your future more profitable than today, make sure mobility comprises part of your portfolio.

That was the word from Janet Schijns, vice president, global enterprise, public sector, medium business and channels marketing at Verizon Enterprise Solutions, during Monday’s luncheon keynote.

Thing is, a lot of end users still don’t know what to make of the burgeoning mobility field, giving partners prime opportunity to make money.

“Where there’s mystery, there’s margin,” said Schijns.

She illustrated that reality with a new robot that joined her on stage. The video- and audio-enabled device connects to Verizon’s LTE network and works on Wi-Fi, allowing users to experience the world from afar. To illustrate that point, Schijns spoke live with the robot’s developer, who’s located in Vermont, from the Las Vegas stage.

The developer then talked the robot’s applications. For example, a housebound boy recently was able to “attend” the circus. The robot was taken to the circus and the boy got to watch through the robot. Another real-world scenario comes from the Ebola epidemic. Doctors ostensibly can send in the robot to interact with infected, or potentially infected, patients, preventing unnecessary exposure to the virus.

When it comes to selling mobility, then, the possibilities are endless but partners shouldn’t wait to embrace the trend, Schijns said. Otherwise, the opportunity will bypass them.

Meantime, Verizon Enterprise is amping up incentive for partners to work with the provider. This year, the company will send its top 10 partners to Puerto Rico; next year, 15 of those partners will get to go to Disney World with their families.

On top of that, Schijns wants to ramp up participation in her company’s channel initiative. To spur activity, she said that if a partner is at a metal level in a competitor’s program, she’ll match that if you join her program.

“Sharing is the new referral,” she said.