supported by significant investment in BT APIs to deliver a more streamlined and automated ordering journey through the Giacom Cloud Market platform. These integrations meet growing demand from partners for simpler and more scalable ways to transact and manage mobile services alongside their wider managed offerings. Meanwhile, CityFibre used the event to discuss a recent expansion of its business FTTP services across its nationwide footprint, which now reaches more than 4.5 million premises. The update highlighted how access to CityFibre’s residential and business postcodes through Cloud Market is opening up new opportunities for partners to serve SMBs, SOHOs and home workers with high-bandwidth, business-grade fibre connectivity. Comms Connect Live was sponsored by BT Wholesale, CityFibre, Sky Business Wholesale, Virgin Media Business and Vodafone Business, alongside Barracuda, Microsoft and O2 Business, with additional support from the Federation of Communication Services, Intel, Lenovo, Pangea and Samsung. Giacom.com parallel streams for Connectivity, Mobile and Business Support, focused on how partners can build more consistent, scalable businesses by simplifying delivery, improving customer experience and aligning services around recurring managed models. Key topics included the PSTN switch-off, network resilience & security, managed mobile & cellular IoT, PSA & Microsoft Cloud, back-office integration & automation and AI-driven marketing & data visualisation. While these sessions addressed commercial and operational challenges facing the channel, the emphasis was firmly on practical solutions and the ways in which Giacom and its vendor partners can help partners overcome common barriers and position connectivity and mobile as integral elements of strategic IT managed service offerings and, by doing so, make the most of growing opportunities across the SMB market. Giacom CEO Terry O’Brien said: “Technology has become more critical to how SMBs operate, but also more complex. What we’re seeing is that customers increasingly want simplicity, predictable costs and a partner who can ensure their technology investment pays off. MSPs are forecast to grow at more than double the rate of traditional resellers and direct providers over the coming years, reflecting that shift in buying behaviour. Our focus is on helping partners build managed propositions around mobile, connectivity and cloud services that meet those expectations and support long-term, sustainable growth.” EE Mobile partnership To that end, Giacom used the event to announce an agreement with BT Wholesale to distribute EE Mobile through its wholesale model, enabling it to offer partners access to all three major UK networks through its wholesale portfolio for the first time, On Thursday 22 January, Giacom welcomed partners to Comms Connect Live, a one-day event in London focused on how channel partners can build greater value around connectivity and mobile by positioning the technologies as strategic components of broader managed solutions for SMB customers. Instead of a fixed agenda, attendees were encouraged to move between workshops and presentations based on what was of greatest interest and relevance to them and to make use of a dedicated networking area to engage informally with Giacom teams, suppliers and industry peers. Growth opportunity The day opened with a keynote from Giacom Chief Strategy Officer Nathan Marke, Tipping the Playing Field for MSPs, in which he explained how SMBs are increasingly seeking a strategic technology partner to manage their entire technology estate, creating a £20bn growth opportunity within the £55bn SMB technology market. Marke highlighted how MSPs and expert technology resellers are well placed to capture a share of this opportunity as technology consumption continues to move towards integrated, managed and subscription-based models. This keynote was followed by contributions from five Giacom MSP partners, who outlined their own growth journeys and explained how they are positioning themselves strategically with customers. Next, a panel of strategic vendor partners from Vodafone Business, BT Wholesale, Sky Business Wholesale, Virgin Media O2 and CityFibre discussed how vendors are supporting MSP growth through enablement, integration and collaboration. Practical solutions The afternoon agenda, split into three Giacom highlights £20 billion growth opportunity for MSPs and expert resellers at Comms Connect Live Don’t miss out left: Giacom CEO Terry O’Brien MARKETPLACES technologyreseller.co.uk 27
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