Integra Telecom has named Ken Worcester as vice president of indirect sales as it moves to more aggressively target the channel with a suite of high-bandwidth and cloud-based services.
Worcester's is a new position and is the first time the Ore.-based CLEC [competitive local exchange carrier], a mover and shaker in 11 western markets, has appointed executive leadership to oversee its Premier Partner Program, which was formerly under regional control.
Worcester is an Integra veteran who previously served as vice president of sales in Minnesota and senior vice president of sales in Colorado.
Worcester said his appointment is an effort to unify and align Integra’s forces to “create a truly national partner program that will better serve our customers.”
Integra has been steadily investing in its fiber network, offering 3,000 miles of metro and 5,000 miles of long haul Ethernet over fiber. And in areas where fiber hasn’t been or can’t be built-out, Integra offers a growing Ethernet over Copper (EoC) and EoTDM network, to bring necessary bandwidth and scalability to SMBs as they move more functions to the cloud. Integra plans for full network availability of its Ethernet services on Oct. 1.
“[High bandwidth and cloud services] will be an ongoing focus,” Worcester said. “That’s what our agents are asking for, and that’s the direction we’re taking as an organization.”
Last year, Integra Telecom made CRN’s list of the 75 Coolest Telecom Providers -- “mavericks” who were well-positioned to take advantage of the booming cloud market. Now, Worcester said he expects that with Integra’s suite of increasingly in-demand cloud products and services, new acquisition revenue through the channel could grow to 35 percent -- from where it now stands at 25 percent-- by the year’s end.
Integra has contracts with three major master agents, Intelisys, Tellarus, and WTG, and also maintains a diverse base of partner relationships with many regional providers. Worcester will oversee Integra’s Premier Partner program, while a senior channel manager for each market, sales coordinators and engineers, and a national sales desk will provide additional dedicated support for channel partners.
According to Worcester, Integra aims to provide its channel partners with the right mix of products and services, an aggressive compensation schedule with upfronts and residuals, and a level of support that simplifies the way they do business.
“You have to make it easy for [agents] to do business with Integra, and that’s something that we’re really focused on. That’s where the dedicated services and partnerships that we have in place will really pay dividends for our organization and for ultimately customers and our agent partners,” he said. “I think the resources we’ve invested and the shifts that our organization has gone through recently provide a huge opportunity that will take us to new levels on the channel.”
