What is a Channel Partner? How to Drive Client Success with TEM

As a technology stakeholder, you may have heard of the term “Channel Partner” and wondered how it fits into the overall strategy of Technology Expense Management (TEM). According to Gartner, “A channel partner is a company — such as a reseller, service provider, vendor, retailer or agent — that partners with another organization to market or sell their services, products or technologies.”  

At Calero, Channel Partners are an extension of the sales team. They own the relationships with the customer and in return are trusted within their ecosystem. When a Channel Partner incorporates TEM into an opportunity, they can sell a solution that could save the customer 10-20%  in the long run. They also have the option to cross-sell and/or add on net new services such as additional licenses and software. They can even leverage those savings to repurpose the money saved for a whole new project.  

Below, we’ve highlighted some ways that an enterprise can gain visibility and optimization with a technology expense management partner. 

TEM provides a behind the scenes look at a customer technology ecosystem (from SaaS to network to wireless). It helps review, manage and proactively monitor the various technologies solidifying your role as a true partner of the business. In return, the customer can use the savings recognized to repurpose funds for net new projects where the partner could leverage their  industry partnerships to deploy new technology. 

Some partners also offer our solution as part of a wider systems integration package, making it an easy way to consolidate services and gain even more value. How much could your enterprise save by consolidating services? It’s an important concept to consider when looking at technology budgets and managing the broad scope of the technology ecosystem.  

Technology Service Distributors (TSDs) provide the opportunity to scale our business and market our solutions to a broad partner and/or advisor community.  In certain instances, Channel Partners have resources available to deliver implementation that can assist in the closing of a deal.  

With enterprises  growing globally, it’s important to have a presence around the world. Channel Partners allow us to expand our already strong global presence and better serve customers. They can provide you with local consultants who understand regional practices and speak the same  primary language as your end-users, ensuring consistent communication and service  along the way. Having a team that can support implementation in your location makes the process go smoother and more efficiently, yielding better results for everyone involved.  

As technology stakeholders assess their TEM strategies and managed services, it’s important to factor in the value a Channel Partner can add. Overall, Channel Partners allow us to better implement solutions all over the world and make a bigger impact for our customers. With the ability to consolidate and scale resources, Channel Partners are a great way to drive innovation and support successful global implementations.