The Weekly Wrap: Contact Center Providers Rally, ScanSource Makes Big UCaaS Announcement

Contact center providers, distributors and master agents are doing their best to give partners the resources they need during this pressing time.

Our site’s editorial focus has shifted significantly in the last three weeks to covering the impact of the current health crisis on the IT/telecommunications industry. Our writers have been working to tell the story of how companies in our industry are introducing drastic changes to give their customers peace of mind.

Check out our seven most-read stories from the past seven days.

7. ScanSource Broadens Avaya Portfolio with Cloud Office

The distributor will offer Avaya and RingCentral’s forthcoming UCaaS solution.

Avaya Cloud Office by RingCentral will hit the general market on Tuesday. It’s a “work-from-anywhere” cloud solution that will, according to ScanSource, bolster VARs’ and agents’ cloud practices.

“Our partners can now sell a complete suite of Avaya solutions – as well as all of the connectivity – for whatever path their customer chooses, backed with our exceptional presales, finance, solutions engineering and technical teams,” Intelisys president Mark Morgan said. Intelisys is owned by ScanSource.

Lynn Haber has the scoop.

6. Ribbon Communications Launches Remote UC&C Solution, Introduces New CEO to Partners

A new CEO, an acquisition and a work-from-home frenzy. Ribbon Communications has a lot going on right now.

We caught up with Patrick Joggerst, Ribbon’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer, to learn about the company’s new Work@Home solution and several other initiatives. Ribbon also is working to communicate about how its acquisition of ECI Telecom will affect channel partners and enterprise customers.

Learn more about how Ribbon’s spring is going.

5. Oracle SD-WAN and Microsoft: Delivering on New Worker Paradigms

Oracle, which stepped into the SD-WAN market with its 2018 acquisition of Talari Networks, is sharing how the technology can help customers handle a remote workforce.

The company announced that it will hold a webinar, hosted on our site, about how its partnership with Microsoft can help partners maximize revenue growth. Gary Levy, Oracle’s vice president worldwide alliances and channels, and George Just, Oracle’s vice president worldwide SD-WAN sales, will lead the presentation.

Check out the webinar’s new landing page.

4. COVID-19 Prompts More Responses from Ingram Micro, LogMeIn, More

Ingram Micro rolled out new financing programs to help push its partners through the economic disruption.

The two new programs extend $110 million in credit, providing a lifeline for partners who end user payments are going to be delayed.

“This is going to be tough; they need our help and we’re going to be there for them,” an Ingram executive told Channel Partners.

Another company making changes is LogMeIn, which expanded its Emergency Remote Work Kit to help K-12 schools.

Get details on the new offerings.

3. BullsEye Hires XO, Frontier Alum, Promotes Uchil to CTO

The CLEC announced two key leadership changes.

First, Vilas Uchil moved from vice president of technology and engineering to chief technology officer. The company also hired Tamie Whitefoot as vice president of operations.

Read about the two appointments.

2. Coronavirus Prompts New Remote Workforce Offers from Talkdesk, Helpshift, Others

Contact center provider Talkdesk is working to equip more agents to work from home.

Talkdesk announced that multiple solutions are free for three months if customers sign up prior to May. This is part of …

… a new “Business Continuity Program,” designed to give partners new ways to help customers.

We also covered Helpshift and Align Technologies as they work to meet demand in their respective markets.

Check out Edward Gately’s story.

1. Telarus, Intelisys, PlanetOne, TCG Lead ‘Extraordinary’ Master Agent COVID-19 Response

Four master agents offered us a glimpse of life on the “front lines.”

We chatted with Telarus, TCG, Intelisys and PlanetOne about how they and their partners have adjusted to life in the age of mass quarantines. They touched on the topics rise of virtual desktop and advanced commissions.

Stay tuned for news on our site about how other master agents are dealing with the crisis, and how they envision the rest of 2020 will go.

Read the article.