With networks adding more bandwidth due to IoT applications, CommScope plans to provide its customers with products that can transform their networks with efficient solutions that optimise network performance and deployment speed. Gavin Milton-White, Vice President, Enterprise, Asia Pacific, CommScope, shares more details
How has been the growth of CommScope’s business in the Indian market; what are the factors that have led to this growth?
We believe consumer demand for bandwidth, competition among operators and continuous technology advancements are driving communication network deployments and investment. We see growth opportunities especially with the government driving ‘Digital India’ initiative. To become a digital nation, the government is aiming for 100 smart cities and investing more than US$ 15 billion over the next few years. As networks add more bandwidth due to Internet of Things (IoT) applications, we plan to capitalise on these opportunities by providing our customers with products that can transform their networks with efficient solutions that optimise network performance and deployment speed.
As customers continue to embrace CommScope as their essential infrastructure partner, how significant has been the contribution of your channel in this journey?
CommScope believes that strong collaboration between partners, CommScope and customers – sharing the goal of solving a problem – is the best way to bring CommScope solutions to market. Our partners provide a voice for the customer that leads into our ever-growing innovation pipeline. That is why CommScope’s PartnerPRO Network is designed to help the channel find new opportunities in today’s competitive and challenging market.
What competencies and capabilities do the partners need to build to address customers’ complex digital challenges?
CommScope is in the communications network business. We’ve seen first-hand the dramatic growth and rapid change in this dynamic environment. Communication networks are a vital resource to enable the technology and communication that surrounds us and empowers us in our digital lives every day. We are committed and energised by the challenges and it is important the companies we partner are passionate and dedicated to shaping the networks of the future.
Our PartnerPRO Network consists of consultants, integrators, installers, distributors and alliance partners trained and certified by CommScope to deliver the company’s broad range of network solutions. CommScope builds programs around our six partner types to support our market solutions. Each program is designed to help our partners stand out and offer more value to our joint customers.
CommScope is helping enterprises envision and realise their digital future. How critical will be the role of your partners here?
Cloud video, mobility, the explosive growth of digital communications continues to transform how we connect with each other, putting unprecedented demands on network infrastructure. Capacity, performance and cost challenges demand innovative strategies to help network operators stay ahead of the digital curve. In an increasingly competitive market, our qualified expert partners in the PartnerPRO Network bring CommScope solutions to customers around the world. It is not enough to just provide our partners with innovative solutions and products. We also work with them on training to provide an even deeper level of value.
Please explain how CommScope’s broader offerings and increased incentives will accelerate business growth of partners?
CommScope helps our partners to be successful through giving them the best tools and support to serve their customers. For instance, we believe education should never stop and that is why we developed the CommScope Infrastructure Academy app for members of the PartnerPRO Network.
The new app, available for iOS and Android devices, allows students to access a large library of demonstration videos, interactive product demonstrations, instructional documents and other information. All this material is available on a student’s smartphone or tablet wherever they are and can even be saved to their device so it can be accessed when offline.
How are your rewards program, rebates, and sales enablement tools accelerating and expanding partners’ revenue opportunities?
CommScope helps our partners in our network to benefit from market opportunities. For instance, CommScope recognises the ways our customers want access to information on products and solutions. With this in mind, CommScope provides a better way in which customers can gather accurate information and seek out the proper contacts to complete their buying process. To keep up with the changing needs of how customers access the information and interact with partners, CommScope has introduced the PartnerPRO Portal. The portal is considered a collaboration software tool that pairs the needs of CommScope customers with our PartnerPRO Network members.
How do you measure the success of your partners? And how much of their success mean to CommScope?
We plan to expand our industry leadership positions in fiber and wireless space by developing and enhancing value creating partner relationships with our customers, suppliers, distributors, including channel and technology partners. We intend to expand these relationships by innovating, collaborating and selling with our customers. We expect to meet our commitments and maintain our product quality while collaborating with our customers to provide solutions to their key network challenges. It is important that our partners share the same goals as us.
Our sales force has direct relationships with our customers and end users which generates demand for our products, with a large portion of our sales fulfilled through an extensive global network of channel partners. CommScope believes that a strong partner program forms a mutually beneficial relationship for both companies and our customers.
