Sprint Reaches Out

The systems integrator channel is integral to Sprint's seamless strategy that integrates its wireless, wireline, voice, data, hosting and other services, said Tom Gerke, vice president of business development, strategic planning and alliances

at Sprint, based here.

"I think what the customer wants is for the carriers and systems integrators to become much more mutually dependent so that a total solution can be delivered," Gerke said.

Sprint's dependence on systems integrators will manifest itself in joint sales calls and joint development and delivery of products and services, he said.

"We are increasing our resources toward this [program when overall resources are static or being reduced in the industry, and I think that is very tangible evidence of our commitment to this," Gerke said.

Systems integrator Nexus Technology, Chicago, is forming a master services agreement with Sprint that Nexus CEO and CTO Dean Adamopoulos said will lead to more proactive marketing from Sprint and investments to integrate joint solutions. This month, for example, Nexus is sharing a booth with Sprint and Sun Microsystems at an SAP forum in New Orleans.

Nexus and Sprint have developed 10 solutions for customers, with Nexus providing the application integration and project management work and Sprint providing wireline and wireless connectivity and managed services out of its data centers.

"From a customer point of view, it's important, moving forward, to be able to provide a totally integrated solution from integration to ongoing management, and Sprint is one of the few providers, if not the only telco, that provides the data center, connectivity, wireless and wired communications," said Adamopoulos.

Accenture, for its part, has a long history with Sprint that ranges from installing the billing capabilities for Sprint's long-distance division to helping the carrier launch its wireless PCS division. Currently, the pair is partnering on the development and delivery of mobile solutions to the enterprise, said Fred Fosnacht, partner in the communications and high-tech operating group at Accenture, New York.

"We are in the create-demand mode right now," he said. "This is a space we intend to play a significant role in in the future, so we decided to team on joint opportunities and leverage each other's capabilities for those wins."

Accenture built a mobile solutions platform that will leverage Sprint's transport and network capabilities, with Accenture providing the strategy and process-development pieces, Fosnacht said.