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At a time when skills shortages and other conditions make organic growth challenging, getting access to new services and support to help build business is critical.
This is something that channel organisations across Aotearoa New Zealand have recently experienced through the Crayon-rhipe integration. Crayon didn’t previously have a presence in the country, but now it does, and this is giving partners new opportunities to drive digital transformation in a way that directly addresses the challenges that their client’s CIOs are grappling with.
Is M&A a risk to partners?
When M&A activity is announced, it often sparks a mix of excitement and concern among channel partners—this is particularly true when it means a new player enters the market and, potentially, brings change to the way that partners have previously operated.
However, when managed well, the value that it adds can be immeasurable. As Crayon EVP, APAC, Rhonda Robati, said; “A well-executed M&A opens the door to a world of possibilities for partners. This means access to more solutions, newer and more comprehensive resources, and new revenue opportunities that translate to partner growth.”
“On the other hand, it may mean an overhaul of existing partner approaches or the streamlining of portfolios; these often have a significant impact on the channel relationship and how they conduct business.”
For channel partners, the question often boils down to how the M&A will affect their ability to serve their customers effectively. Will it lead to a broader portfolio of products and services? Will there be disruptions in pricing models or support structures? Or will it empower them to become a more comprehensive solution provider?
How Crayon-rhipe continue to disrupt traditional distribution models
In the case of the Crayon-rhipe integration, the outlook has been nothing but positive for NZ channel partners. By integrating rhipe’s established regional channel expertise with Crayon’s global resources and innovative solutions, the combined entity demonstrates how M&A can create positive disruption and help partners find new ways to deliver enhanced value for partners.
One of the key benefits is the new tools that partners can leverage to succeed within the increasingly digital business landscape. The combined Crayon-rhipe entity has new programmes to uplift channel partners and help them navigate economic uncertainty, stringent budgets, and talent shortages.
This is particularly important in NZ, where research shows that almost all (98%) of employers are facing IT skills shortages. Expansion and growth are difficult without having the right employees on board, so Crayon’s enablement and resourcing support for its partners is playing a significant role in helping them find new opportunities.
“We’re seeing that partners are actively looking to grow by building holistic solutions so they can provide everything a customer needs, from cloud deployment to IT management,” Robati said. “As a distributor, we complement our partners’ offerings with solutions that can deliver this. This in turn becomes enormously beneficial to our partners and aligns closely with their business objectives.”
Through Crayon’s channel organisation, partners can access a more comprehensive suite of services, a global footprint with local expertise, and a partner-centric approach that prioritises the success of its partners. This also means profitable pricing models robust technical support, and opportunities for upskilling.
Disrupting the value of traditional distributors
One of the most exciting aspects of Crayon’s channel operation is the potential to disrupt the value offered by traditional distributors. By unifying leading cloud distribution with global IT services, Crayon aims to redefine what channel partners can expect from their distributor. This includes ramping up new services available to partners such as cloud cost optimisation, a critical need in today’s market.
Crayon’s established track record in IT cost optimisation is now being leveraged to bring new cloud cost optimisation services to the channel. This is just one example of how this integration creates new opportunities for channel partners to differentiate themselves and deliver greater value to their customers.
Commitment to Partner Success
Crayon’s commitment to partner success goes beyond financial gains. The company is investing in expanding partner-focused programs, ensuring that partners have the resources and support they need to succeed, however, they define success. This includes value-adding initiatives such as the Partner Advisory Council (PAC), ISV Innovation Hub, Tech for Good and Enablement Hub, and Partner to Partner Programs.
Crayon has now finalised the integration with rhipe, and NZ partners are receiving the full suite of benefits the integration has been building towards. It’s not always easy to take two substantial companies and merge them in a way that they can forge a new pathway and vision without pushing business partners to the side, but with Crayon it has been a pure case of added value for customers and, through that, the partners.
Learn more about how Crayon can help you compete and win in a cloud-powered world here.