When we founded SirviS several years ago, we set out to be a channel-friendly company. Our objective was not to compete with value-added resellers (VARs), systems integrators and managed services providers (MSPs) but to support them through services that enhance their portfolios.
We knew from the outset that it would be a challenging proposition. VARs are extremely cautious about the providers they bring into the client relationship. There are outstanding manufacturers that cater to the channel and do it very well. But VARs are hesitant to bring in a professional services company that might undermine the client relationship.
SirviS is very cognizant of this fact, and has worked hard to create an environment that poses no risk to the channel. We have developed a “white box” model for service delivery, allowing VARs to seamlessly “bolt on” our organization to the solutions they provide to customers.
This approach has been very successful for SirviS and for the VARs we work with. Our company has grown three times its size in terms of personnel, enabling us to address critical areas in terms of project management and field services. We have also helped our channel customers to grow as well in terms of revenue streams and the geographic reach of their companies.
How SirviS Helps the Channel
Most VARs have engineers on staff to handle assessment, implementations and migration projects. However, these resources are necessarily limited. Maintain too big of a bench and engineers will sit idle at enormous cost. VARs often take advantage of expert resources provided by manufacturers, but that can be risky if the manufacturer doesn’t follow through or takes too much control.
Then there are the situations when the customer wants a specific technology, and the VAR is not certified in that solution. Without expertise or a vendor relationship, the VAR will be challenged to complete the project.
SirviS fills these gaps. Our in-house team, coupled with our Global Super Network, provides access to advanced expertise across the spectrum of IT solutions. This allows VARs to take on projects they might not otherwise have been able to handle. It also allows them to expand their reach to virtually anywhere in the world.
This benefits large and small VARs alike. Even members of the VAR 500 face resource gaps that can impact their ability to deliver solutions. Smaller VARs can expand the scope of their services and deliver complete solutions that cement their relationships with customers.
How the Channel Engages with SirviS
We have made it easy to engage with SirviS. There’s an onboarding process that starts with a mutual nondisclosure agreement. That’s all we really need to gain tremendous momentum. We then sit down and discuss the opportunities for partnership and get some basic financial documentation in place. The objective is to move things along quickly so that we can address the customer’s needs.
When we engage with the customer, we can do so as transparently as the VAR prefers. Behind the scenes, however, we can manage the project from A to Z to relieve the VAR of that headache. We handle the assignment and scheduling of the field services team, and ensure that the job is completed to the customer’s satisfaction.
SirviS has always been a channel-friendly company — and always will be. Let us help you deliver a broader range of services to your customers, expanding your revenue streams and geographic reach.
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