One point about The Channel: There is no “The Channel.” There are a variety of business types and models that partner with various vendors to bring their product and services to market.
ISV, VAR, MSP, Inter-Connect, Influencer, Referral, Affiliate, Super-Agency, Agent and VAD/Distro are the most common in Telecom/Tech. They are not inter-changeable.
A VAR buying from a VAD (Distributor) like Scansource, TD Synnex or Ingram Micro has a different expectation and experience interfacing with that Distro than an Agent selling network through a brokerage, even if that brokerage is inside a VAD!
The VAR gets billed directly from the VAD. The VAR gets a credit line from the VAD. Sometimes the VAR has to have permission to purchase certain SKUs from the VAD. The VAR then installs the gear for the customer and bills the customer.
The Agent sells WAN connectivity to a business and collects a commission on the sale if/when the customer pays the bill, which is sent directly from the vendor (say, AT&T) to the customer. The vendor collects from the customer and then pays a commission to the brokerage (Intelisys/Scansource, Telarus, AppDirect, whatever). The brokerage (TSB) then pays the commission to the partner per the agreed split (80/20).
See the difference? And that is just one single example.
Another vast difference: when the VAR is ordering from the VAD through the portal, the VAR is checking inventory. Does this VAD have that SKU available to ship now — and is it close to the customer (since shipping is not free!)? That is why many VARs have a line of credit with more than one VAD. That way they can find inventory close by – and know when the gear will be delivered to the customer. NO floating FOC dates. No surprise LNPs. UPS brown shirting that gear to the customer on the day they say.
When an Agent orders a circuit it is a different path. The TSB portal has an app like ConnectBase that allows the Agent to see who has fiber in the building that the customer office resides in or nearby. Then there is a quote request – maybe through the portal; maybe via email. Then there is an info spreadsheet, LOA and MSA to be signed and returned. No portal to order through. Just a flurry of emails. The agent then waits anywhere from 30 days to 9 months for the vendor to deliver the circuit due to permitting and other hurdles. Then the Agent coordinates the test and turn up before the telco/vendor bills the customer.
Again stark differences. In experiences. In ordering. In delivery. In billing. In install. In how the partner gets paid and by whom.
These differences affect YOUR partner program. Know the differences. (This is why having a Partner Profile is vital.)
This is also why someone who has worked on the hardware side of the business for years will have a disconnect with how the Telecom side of the business works. A disconnect that costs everyone business.