In the competitive world of enterprise cellular connectivity, teaming up with the right value-added distributor can make all the difference in market expansion and customer adoption for both the manufacturers and the resellers/system integrators of the technology. A good value-added distributor is much more than just a warehouse bursting with SKUs.
By focusing on a small suite of industry-leading manufacturers, value-added distributors are able to offer an unparalleled level of service and support for the products in their portfolios.
The best value-added distributors provide value at every touch point in the distribution chain – from a comprehensive inventory, to training and support; to marketing and system design; all the way to professional and handling services. These value-added distributors offer:
- Pre-sale consultation, including product and use case expertise, BOM assistance, and solution design
- Marketing services, including customized product literature, cooperative advertising and social media campaigns, co-organizing events, and lead generation
- Professional training and continuing education, as well as product certification programs
- Tiers 2 & 3 post-sale technical support, including RMA and Warranty administration
- Professional services, including configuration/provisioning, connectivity testing, asset-tagging, and kitting
- Significant stocking commitment with rapid delivery of products
- Discounted demo hardware and a demo pool for partners to leverage
At GetWireless, we have determined the best path is to offer a very focused, feature-rich product portfolio that is thoroughly researched and tested before any of the products are launched. This process ensures the products are “best-of-breed” and that they deliver the technological functionality our reseller/system integrator partners need. By doing this, we are confident that installations will be successful, customers delighted, and manufacturers pleased with the volume of product we distribute.
To learn more about the success of our partnership with Nextivity, download “GetWireless Partners Provide Cel-Fi Cellular Coverage Solutions Across a Myriad of Verticals” here.
For example, Nextivity, Inc. is one of the five primary manufacturers whose cellular-based solutions are distributed by GetWireless. The company’s patented line of Cel-Fi products, with IntelliBoost chipsets, delivers an exceptional level of cellular coverage not available from other products in the category. The Cel-Fi product line includes cellular coverage solutions that address mobile environments like vehicles and vessels (Cel-Fi GO), as well as small offices and retail environments (Cel-Fi PRO and DUO+), and even commercial spaces as large as 500,000 square feet (Cel-Fi QUATRA).
In collaboration with Nextivity, the GetWireless team has delivered training webinars for our reseller/systems integrator partners on each of the products in the Cel-Fi portfolio and we also support Nextivity’s certification programs. We help our resellers/system integrators with their sales efforts; and can engage directly with the end-customers when additional sales support or solution design is needed.
We have developed marketing campaigns for the introduction of Cel-Fi PRO and Cel-Fi DUO+ small office products, and those resulted in great awareness throughout the Nextivity reseller/system integrator community. We routinely collaborate with our partners on customized product collateral, content creation, personalized email campaigns, and setup for their websites. We have also co-sponsored multiple trade shows – Mobile World Congress Americas, DAS Small Cell Congress, IoT Evolution – which have generated leads and allowed the Cel-Fi cellular coverage solutions to be demonstrated in real-time.
Over the last several months, we have found that resellers/system integrators have been particularly interested in the Cel-Fi QUATRA active-DAS hybrid solution to address the in-building cellular coverage challenges experienced by their commercial and government clients. QUATRA is a multi-carrier coverage solution that can be installed quickly and at a much lower cost than a traditional active DAS in middleprise buildings (25,000–500,000 square feet). QUATRA is installed with Cat5e or Cat6e cabling, so it eliminates the signal attenuation issues experienced with coaxial cable and passive DAS. It also leverages RFoE and PoE, so additional power outlets do not need to be installed in remote areas throughout the building.
Cel-Fi QUATRA is in a class of its own and is accompanied by some unique field tools. For example, Nextivity offers a free BOM Estimator Tool to help resellers/system integrators specify the system configuration and installation plan. GetWireless offers training on this tool and we have frequently worked with our partners to develop their BOMs, or just offer a second set of eyes on the BOM they have generated.
Our reseller/system integrator partners also value the Cel-Fi WAVE Tool that allows intelligent remote management of the Cel-Fi cellular coverage solutions, including streamlined commissioning, optimum antenna positioning, and the ability to troubleshoot from a mobile device without expensive truck rolls. All of this means a better bottom-line for our partners, and delighted end-users.
The Cel-Fi line is also an excellent fit with our focus on IoT. As IoT gains explosive traction, we are seeing edge devices that have traditionally been connected by short range wireless technology, like Bluetooth and WiFi, moving to cellular connectivity. When there are billions of these IoT devices in thousands of unique environments worldwide, there are bound to be signal challenges, and the Cel-Fi products can help.
Due to the flexibility of the Cel-Fi product line, our network of partners has been able to successfully deploy cellular coverage solutions across all verticals, such as hospitality, retail, government, residential, healthcare, industrial, and general office buildings.
As you can see, excellent strategic partnerships – between the manufacturer of a superior product line, savvy resellers/systems integrators who are committed to providing the best technology solutions to their clients, and a value-added distributor that offers top-tier support – can make all the difference in the market success of sophisticated in-building cellular connectivity solutions.
To learn more about the success of our partnership with Nextivity, download “GetWireless Partners Provide Cel-Fi Cellular Coverage Solutions Across a Myriad of Verticals” here.
About the author:
Brian Taney is CEO and co-founder of GetWireless, an award-winning value-added distributor of cellular connectivity solutions. Brian has a passion for superior technology that solves complex problems. GetWireless has developed a successful business around the simple principals of exceptional customer service and support for their reseller/system integrator partners, and the manufacturers GetWireless represents.
