The Channel's Weekly Top 7: AT&T Ethernet, Fusion Bankruptcy, Cisco Contact Centers

F5 Networks and DigitalOcean announced new indirect sales partner programs this week.

The channel news wire was buzzing once again, as multiple vendors announced new channel initiatives. Our editors covered a wide variety of stories. Cisco announced several updates to its contact center program, Granite celebrated a major revenue milestone and AT&T enjoyed another Ethernet win.

Check out our seven most popular stories from the week below.

7. Granite Telecommunications Reaches $1.5 Billion Milestone

Granite Telecommunications thanked partners for helping it reach $1.5 billion in fiscal 2019 revenue.

Granite, which says its yearly growth has averaged more than $100 million, increased its revenue this year without outside acquisitions or investments. And most of all, no debt.

“Our channel team has worked with partners nationwide for 15 years, but the volume of interactions and opportunities is increasing considerably as we sell more data, IP voice and wireless solutions,” Granite’s chief operating officer told Channel Partners.

Edward Gately has the scoop.

6. DigitalOcean Targets Managed Service, IT Providers, More with Partner Program

The app creation developer cloud introduced a new program geared toward SMB customers.

MSPs, IT providers, web development agencies and platform builders are some of the 400-plus partners that will benefit from the new program. DigitalOcean piloted it in the spring.

“This offering, which allows companies to deploy, modernize and migrate their customers’ infrastructure, is uniquely tailored for SMBs, as DigitalOcean exists to serve this market’s need as cloud adoption rises,” DigitalOcean’s chief customer officer told us.

Learn more about DigitalOcean.

5. Cisco Revamps Contact Center Solution, Capitalizing on 3 Acquisitions

Cisco Systems is building recently acquired artificial intelligence and machine learning features into its contact center offering.

Cisco bought Voicea, CloudCherry and Accompany in the last year, and each transaction furthers its contact center strategy. Cisco announced that its Cisco Webex Contact Center solution is aligned with the Webex Control Hub to allow for more centralized management. Cisco also increased data centers and agent seat capacity for Webex Contact Center.

Learn more about the updates, which Cisco announced at its annual Contact Center Summit.

4. F5 Networks Revamps Partner Program to Match Software, Services Push

F5 Networks is realigning its partner program as the vendor pursues more software and services sales.

The company’s new F5 Unity program rewards partners for adopting new solutions and business models. F5 provides application delivery services, and its recent purchase of Ngnix pushed it in a multicloud direction.

We learned that F5 partners had requested more deal registration protection.

“This is not a one-time investment but a sustained effort to ensure mutual success through uniquely collaborative relationships and the best partner experience that drives greater global customer adoption,”  F5’s vice president of global channels said.

Get details about the program.

3. AT&T, CenturyLink Top Latest Ethernet Rankings

Vertical Systems Group once again named AT&T the top global Ethernet services provider.

The leaders looks the same as they did at the end of 2018; AT&T leads …

… Colt, CenturyLink and BT Global Services. Vertical Systems Group takes into account a company’s share of billable retail ports outside of its home country.

Check out the rankings.

2. Image Gallery: Channel Partners Evolution Expo Hall

The biggest vendors in the channel came out in full force last week in Washington, D.C.

A smattering of telecommunications providers, IT companies and everyone in between held court in the expo hall at Channel Partners Evolution. Evolution is our fall show, which we hold in a different location each year. Our editors roved the show floor, snapping pictures of all the networking that occurred.

Feast your eyes upon Craig Galbraith’s ever-popular gallery.

1. Fusion Connect Claims ‘No Partners Lost’ During Bankruptcy

Fusion’s chairman and CEO said his company’s upfront communication has helped maintain partner approval during chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Matthew Rosen said partners did initially express concern when the company entered a restructuring support agreement (RSA) earlier this year. Rosen said it was natural that partners wanted to make sure they would keep their commissions and compensation structure.

“All of these things that are natural to worry about — and we assured people at the beginning of the process that we’re not going to mess with that and we haven’t messed with it, and we don’t plan to mess with it. I think we’ve just done the right thing and because of that, people have treated us the right way,” he told Edward Gately last week.

Read the full Q&A.