INTERVIEW Toby Sturridge - SD-WAN Solutions
“It’s scary to read some of these posts and views, some down to genuine naivety, but others to intentionally
misinform their customers for their own benefit.” Toby Sturridge, CTO - SDWAN Solutions
Starting at the top
In this interview Toby Sturridge, CTO of SDWAN Solutions, talks about the latest challenges in the SD-WAN
market and how his new product ASSIST will empower resellers to become experts and sell into the space
Comms Business Magazine
(CBM): Why is there so much
confusion still around the
SDWAN market?
Toby Sturridge (TS): Too many
conicting messages in the press
and online – everyone shouting
that their version of SD-WAN
is the best - vendors making
statements that are not accurate
to promote their own interests.
We (all of us at SDWAN
Solutions) live and breathe SDWAN
24 hours a day. A lot of
that time is dedicated to research
– and research includes reading
things like Reddit & Quora
posts, LinkedIn posts, expert
panel discussion transcripts etc.
It’s scary to read some of these
posts and views, some down to
genuine naivety, but others to
intentionally misinform their
customers for their own benet.
is approach is short-sighted
and will be detrimental (to their
business and to their customers)
in the long term.
CBM: What kind of challenges
are partners still facing selling
this technology?
TS: Lack of in-depth
understanding of SD-WAN
technology, solution design
and true benets. Insucient
technical and sales training,
limited knowledge across a
variety of SD-WAN vendor
platforms. A mindset of applying
MPLS type network design to
solutions and if I am brutally
honest, a desire to promote
what the resellers and agents are
comfortable with and what brings
perhaps the most revenue/ prot,
at the customer’s expense.
CBM: Tell us about ASSIST and
how it addresses the above?
TS: ASSIST is an automated
solution scoping and intelligent
sales tool that delivers a
complete SD-WAN solution
(everything you need from
the white-labelled solution
design document, technical
assistance, all connectivity,
installation and solution
management) tailored to the
specic needs of every customer
- without requiring any SDWAN
knowledge, experience,
training or investment (Yes it’s
FREE OF CHARGE). ASSIST
empowers any re-seller, agent
and consultancy, regardless of
their size, to almost instantly be
able to compete in the SD-WAN
market, without changing their
current business model. We
have ASSIST base models for
Master agents, agents, re-sellers
and MSPs – and each model is
further customisable to suit your
business model.
A true SD-WAN sale is a
highly consultative and timeconsuming
process, sometimes
taking months to get to a Proof
of Concept stage. ASSIST cuts
the timescales down to a couple
of days, without cutting any
corners. ASSIST also bridges
the gap between traditional
re-sell only (box shifter) and
consultative business models.
e Channel is able to focus
on customers that are seriously
progressing SD-WAN and
spend less time on the “tyre
kickers” – smarter ways of
working.
CBM: How does the product
impact current connectivity
sales?
TS: SD-WAN requires a
minimum of two connections
at every location, and usually
includes dierent technologies
(MPLS, leased line, Internet,
FTTC, 4G) It is not unusual
for say a small 10 site solution
to include 25-30 connections!
With ASSIST you have
the option of including the
connectivity options that you
supply. ASSIST provides exact
details of the requirements
at every site. You supply the
services that you can, and we
provide those that aren’t in your
product portfolio, eectively
boosting your product range.
CBM: Is your typical reseller
sales team redundant in your
model? Is it just too technical?
TS: Not at all – ASSIST is there
to simply assist your sales teams,
lling in the gaps and simplifying
processes. e Channel has the
relationships with their customers
and ASSIST gives everything else
you need to sell SD-WAN. Your
sales team get access to all of our
sales and technical departments,
white labelled documentation,
proposals etc
CBM: How does the product
empower resellers?
TS: Our ASSIST programme
lets you enter the SD-WAN
race at the very top. You are
able to oer tailored true SDWAN
solutions based on best
of breed technologies while
gaining valuable knowledge and
experience, backed and supported
by the trusted experts in all
things SD-WAN. Where do you
see your business in 5 years time
– re-selling retro technologies,
entering the SD-WAN market
or already a reputable SD-WAN
provider, with 5 years solution
experience?
READER OFFER
Comms Business Magazine readers are eligible for a half day SD-WAN
sales training session to make sure that their team is comfortable to
have an opening discussion about SD-WAN before passing to ASSIST
– the SD-WAN basics, benefits, problem solving, scoping questions
and buying signal etc.
36 | Comms Business Magazine | November 2019 www.commsbusiness.co.uk
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