Operator Connect Partners at SIPPIO Launch Mobile Offer

Microsoft Operator Connect partners at SIPPIO on Tuesday said they plan to "significantly expand their product catalog. The first launch is SIPPIO Mobile, an offering powered by business mobile communications provider Tango Networks. Subsequently, it will debut an entire suite of tools.

Recently launching this experience on the Pax8 Marketplace, Steve Forcum, SIPPIO's director of program management, said the tool is the first to come in a suite that plugs holes in Microsoft's Teams Phone offering.

With an established channel program that enables partners to facilitate calling from within Microsoft Teams, something Forcum dubbed "a much more automated, flexibly scaled approach," he shared that this launch will deliver added value on multiple fronts — notably for end customers and channel partners who leverage technology from the Operator Connect partners. Forcum believes that channel partners will reap the benefits of what he called "a lucrative opportunity." How so? We asked Forcum, who gladly retorted, "by increasing their average revenue per user (ARPU) and strengthening customer retention within accounts." 

Operator Connect Partners at SIPPIO On the Vanguard?

The offering, fueled by Tango Networks, merges SIPPIO's cloud communication solutions with Tango's fixed mobile convergence (FMC) technology to deliver what Forcum described as "a seamless, unified communication experience across mobile and desktop devices."

While it exists in North America, FMC is far more popular in Europe, yet Forcum said more North American vendors are realizing the importance of the flexibility that FMC extends. Forcum added that for customers, FMC translates to "unparalleled flexibility, enhanced productivity and improved cost efficiency."

SIPPIO's Steve Forcum

"By integrating mobile devices directly into corporate communication systems without the need for app-based solutions, employees can stay connected anytime, anywhere, using their existing corporate identity," Forcum told Channel Futures. 

There are various other implications to the partnership, Forcum pointed out, including simplified communications workflows "along with security and compliance-related benefits," he added. 

New Tool Could Prove Useful to Partners

Zeus Kerravala, principal analyst at ZK Research, got an early look at what SIPPIO is doing.

"The first installment in a coming line of services to be offered is a win-win for customers and channel partners," he told Channel Futures.

Kerravala believes customers will benefit from a "best-of-breed ecosystem to support Microsoft Teams "without integration headaches." As for channel partners, Kerravala said they stand to profit from higher ASPs (average selling price) and more strategic relationships with customers. 

ZK Research's Zeus Kerravala

As SIPPIO adds more services to the suite, Forcum said channel partners will gain new avenues to increase profit.

"By enhancing the Teams Phone experience with additional services, partners can significantly increase the average revenue per user and improve customer stickiness, ensuring long-term success and profitability," he added. 

SIPPIO Doesn't Want to Sleep on Service Providers

Forcum and the Operator Connect partners at SIPPIO believe there's an opportunity for service providers, too.

"By augmenting existing offers with SIPPIO's platform, service providers can speed time to revenue while also offering their customers a cutting-edge, mobile-first Microsoft Teams experience that extends beyond traditional boundaries," Forcum told us.

For Operator Connect partners out there, he said, it comes down to positioning oneself as a forward-thinking service provider and an early adopter of next-generation technologies.

"In essence, we're looking to empower service providers to enhance their product offerings by building stronger and more strategic relationships with clients," Forcum said.

All this, he concluded, paves the way for sustained growth and success in the "ever-changing landscape of digital communications."