INTERVIEW
Leveraging the Right Technology
Comms Business Magazine speaks to Emily Fallon, Senior Channel Marketing Manager, EMEA & APAC at
RingCentral about what users and resellers want from suppliers and the difference between pre-built
integrations and open APIs
Has uptime become the new
battleground for providers?
I would say SLAs are becoming
increasingly crucial, as they
act as an important agreement
between a business and its
customers. In the ‘as a service’
world, customers aren’t just
buying technology, they’re
buying features and SLAs, which
means it’s important to ensure a
proper measure of performance
and service quality is agreed by
both parties before contracts are
signed. e SLA can be used as a
measurement tool as part of the
contract for the technology.
An important consideration
that is often overlooked when
signing a contract is if the service
can be extended internationally
and complies with legal
regulations—this includes
supporting a full ‘in country’
experience, as well as ensuring
that if there are any issues with
the technology, that there is 24/7
technical support available.
Are all IP features born equal?
Many companies may believe
that demands for cutting-edge
features come from end users.
But in reality, they mostly ask
for basic functionality like calls,
video meetings and instant
messaging.
But while users want the
basics to work well, it’s also
important to educate them and
show them what is possible with
technology. ere’s a lot you
can do with UCaaS tools, such
as access enhanced analytics
that give you insights into a
business’ communication habits
or ease tedious admin tasks with
document sharing or calendar
management. ere are also
more advanced features like
integrations; businesses can
become a lot more ecient if
they integrate tools reducing
time spent accessing dierent
applications. Applications like
Salesforce and Google Docs can
all function within a UCaaS
tool, but not all users will know
how to optimise their platform
to best t their individual needs.
What kind of integrations are
available in the market now?
To help businesses and
employees relieve some of
the chaos that comes from
navigating apps, it’s crucial
to have API integrations. But
when it comes to APIs, it is
important to have both pre-built
integrations and an open API
approach. Pre-built integrations
will be much simpler for
businesses to implement, as
it’s simply a case of ‘turning
on’ that API and it’s ready to
go. e open API approach
is equally important, as this
is the part that will continue
to support businesses in the
future. While a business may
be using one app today, who
knows if it will continue to use
that application next year, or
even next month. Having an
open API platform that allows
businesses to integrate the apps
they require will mean they will
have a solution in place that will
continue to support them as they
evolve.
What do partners really want
out of an IP proposition?
Ultimately, partners want all of
the above—and it is certainly
possible to have one solution
that can cover all bases. is
is one of the benets of a SaaS
based solution—it has the
Emily Fallon, Senior Channel Marketing
Manager, EMEA & APAC at RingCentral
power to provide the basic
functionality that users demand,
plus the business benets that
drive eciencies and revenues.
While it may seem like a long
shopping list of needs, in today’s
competitive market, these are
the technology fundamentals. If
channel players leverage the right
technology solutions, pursue the
best business opportunities and
oer valued expertise, they’re
in a prime position to grow.
e opportunity is there for the
taking—it’s up to the channel to
make it happen.
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