Myself and the Zest4 team had a fantastic 2 days at the inaugural Channel Live event at the Birmingham NEC last week. It was great to catch up with many familiar faces but also to meet some new ones too.
As we expected, there was a huge buzz around M2M and IoT solutions with partners asking how they can successfully get involved. Dealers and resellers definitely have the appetite to add IoT to their product portfolios but there’s still a lot of nervousness and a lack of confidence in taking the leap.
To demystify some of the myths surrounding IoT and to highlight how resellers can get involved, the Channel Live team held a panel discussion on the subject. Our very own Anton Le Saux was delighted to be on the panel to share his experience and knowledge. The session titled ‘Channel IoT – Getting your proposition right’ focused on 3 areas with 3 key messages…
1. STOP fearing M2M and IoT.
It all may seem a little daunting on the outside but with a bit of guidance and a focussed approach, the rewards are a plenty. As we at Zest4 have highlighted before, success in selling M2M and IoT is all about choosing the right partner. By working with a wholesale partner, like Zest4, who have the knowledge and experience, resellers can be assured of the support that they need every step of the way. Click here to read stories of partners we’ve already helped.
2. START looking at your customer base.
Getting started with M2M and IoT doesn’t mean that you have to re-invent the wheel and find a whole new batch of customers. Opportunities already will already exist in a resellers customer base – it’s just a matter of looking through and identifying them. Having an existing relationship with a customer definitely makes it easier to introduce them to M2M & IoT and discover how the technology can really enhance their business.
3. CONTINUE to engage with your customers.
Even if your customers don’t see a use or a benefit for M2M and IoT initially, certainly don’t give up. The technology and its application is being developed all the time so it’s important to keep customers up-to-date and keep in contact with them. After some time mulling it over and seeing how others are using M2M to their advantage, your customers will eventually see how it can applied to them.
As well as positive messages coming out of the panel discussion, our team on the Zest4 stand saw a lot of interest in our recently launched Smart Witness Connected Camera solution. An extension to our vehicle telematics solution, video telematics provide fleet operating companies with video footage which can be invaluable in insurance claims – particularly those where HGV drivers are being (wrongly!) accused of causing damage to other vehicles. Similarly to our other end-to-end M2M solutions, our video telematics solutions offer resellers a complete hardware, software and connectivity solution which can be offered to end-customers in an easy-to-sell bundle.
To find out more about M2M & IoT solutions from Zest4 and how we can help you add them to your portfolio, call us on 0161 956 3355 or visit http://www.zest4.com/m2m/.