Carriers Should Stop Putting Solution Provider Partner Programs On Hold

I spent a good 20 minutes the other afternoon placing a simple order to move my phone service. I'm trusting that my order with the phone company will be filled as promised, but I haven't even gotten that far yet. And I expect my experience with the cable company, when I call to arrange for high-speed data access, will be much the same.

Normally, I would shrug off something like this, but the less-than-stellar service I experienced, along with all the turmoil in the telecommunications industry right now, is particularly troubling in the context of the larger evolution that's going on right now in data services,especially in the wireless arena.

One of the biggest stories at the recent TechXNY/PC Expo trade show in New York was mobile convergence. That is, the marriage of wireless voice service with wireless data, as accessed through various smart phones or phone-enabled PDAs. There are scads of opportunities in this field,not the least of which surround location-based services, in which information is "pushed" to users depending on where they happen to be at a moment in time; and the whole problem of synchronizing files, calendars, addresses, you name it.

Consider, as an example, the MobilityConnect feature that Toshiba America is adding to its notebooks and PDAs with the help of Ascendant Telecommunications, a Los Angeles-based wireless communications software developer. The product will allow Toshiba users to forward calls among multiple devices,from an office phone over to a laptop, as an example.

Or consider synchronization technology from companies such as Synchrologic, which is working on an enterprise-focused platform that integrates corporate information managers and various handhelds and is slated for release this month.

Chances are your local and long-distance phone company is desperately trying to figure out how to play a role in delivering stuff like this. Think about how ubiquitous voice-mail service has become. The problem is, most carriers simply don't know how to represent IT solutions. Vendors from Synchrologic to Palm readily admit this is a major concern as the market evolves. In his TechXNY/PC Expo keynote last month, PalmSource President and CEO David Nagel estimated that at least half of enterprise mobile wireless purchasing decisions will be influenced by the IT channel. This is great because it means plenty of business for VARs and systems integrators. Trouble is, most carriers don't know how to handle these partners, as our cover story this week analyzes at length. Many of them have failed to realize that VARs are very different from agents; that simply offering residuals for service contracts isn't enough.

And then there's the whole matter of trust. The WorldCom accounting debacle is just the latest in a series of financial mishaps that have made it tough for solution providers to choose which service provider to represent. Remember all those DSL companies that flamed out late last year, leaving many small businesses high and dry?

The telecommunications industry really has no place to go but up, and if the carriers step back and take a deep breath, they'll discover that the only way to enter the age of convergence,whether it's in the mobile world or in the equally exciting world of home networks,is by building thoughtful partnerships with solution providers.

HEATHER CLANCY, editor of CRN, is looking for your tips at (516) 562-7446 or [email protected].