With its serious move into AI services, cloud communications provider NFON has announced a new, single partner programme to support all its 3,000 European partners.
Earlier this week, the company hosted a press event at its Munich headquarters, and, as we earlier reported, the firm outlined its strategic plan for delivering AI-related services to the market, what some of the those early AI services would be, and how it would develop them.
We chatted to Alexander Wettjen (pictured), VP of group sales and partner management at NFON, about how AI was changing the way the channel-only firm would be doing business going forward.
In July this year, the company will be launching its Nexus Partner Programme, which will unite all existing channel programmes that NFON currently runs for resellers, service providers, wholesalers and white-label partners.
“This programme will make it easier for our partners to do business, with every partner finding a place in Nexus, whether it’s selling cloud AI services or existing PBXs,” said Wettjen.
On the readiness of partners to adopt AI services, he said: “Some are not interested at the moment, others want a bit more time or information, and then there are the early adopters who already have an AI target base of existing customers.”
The firm is also looking for new partners that can take advantage of the AI opportunity, particularly MSPs. “We want partner investment, and that’s not about money, it’s about willingness and time. MSPs across our main target markets of Germany, Austria, the UK, and Italy can lead the way in this, with other growing NFON markets like Poland in the frame too.”
Wettjen is also positive about the extra sales that AI can bring in too. “We are providing extra functions and productivity, so, by the second half of this year, we expect to be able to charge customers more.
“Instead of charging, let’s say €10 a month per seat, we might be able to charge maybe €11-12 a month for what we are offering. It will be down to the size of the customer and the number of seats.
“But this is a growth opportunity for partners, with us delivering a multi-functional and reliable product.”
