Growing Partner Solutions and Unlocking Opportunities for Business Customers

Risk and reward metrics are commonplace in our line of business. Without taking calculated risks there’s no telling what rewards lie ahead unless you take that strategic first step. This is especially true in the partner solutions business. We see this approach applied in our own investment strategy as a company. We ended 2022 with capital investment marking an all-time high of $24.3 billion, as we continue to make historic investments in 5G and fiber. Our partners see the rewards of this investment firsthand. With our 5G network covering nearly 290M people, more than 10M business customer locations either on or within 1,000 feet of AT&T Fiber connectivity and more than 100M connected devices calling our network home, the greatest reward is knowing that we’re powering more partners than ever with next generation technology.¹

Still, we recognize there are many areas in which we can continue to evolve and help set a new standard for networking. Our partners come to us as experts who know business, who understand the importance of reliable technologies like 5G and fiber and a security backbone that starts at the network. With our channel partners specifically, we know that along with addressing partner needs and making investments into the channel, we must continue to unlock new opportunities for growth and further enhance the potential of the channel.

We’re more encouraged than ever to breathe new life into the channel and identify those growth opportunities that take things to the next level for our partners. From our view, here’s how we plan to get there.

• Expanded Distribution – There is never a shortage of opportunity to grow within partner solutions. Over the last year, we’ve shifted our programs into overdrive to help create new business prospects – leaning in on our distribution strengths, with a combination of our channel expertise and network leadership. We’ve also been re-building and regaining trust with the channel by championing the needs of our partners. As a result, we’ve seen expansion in our reach, adding more partners year-over-year and continuing to add more each month. We attribute this as well to improving our capabilities with enhanced lead generation and fiber targeting, where we’ve been able to grow penetration and leverage all our fiber assets for our partners. We’re also seeing partners expand their portfolios and add more services to their customer offers. Continuing to find new ways to reach customers will be essential as the year progresses and more partners join the channel.
• Platforms and Tooling – Listening to our partners is a huge part of our commitment to setting a new standard for networking, and their feedback is immensely valuable. We’ve continued to enhance our suite of APIs based on their insights, which has simplified processes to help partners scale our fiber and 5G connections more efficiently. We’ve seen our partners gravitate and embrace IoT connectivity for a wider range of use cases across multiple industries, making it simpler for them to access the power of our network. Many of our partners are also now taking advantage of AT&T’s full-service suite of consulting and professional services in designing and managing their compete connectivity solution. This has been encouraging as we continue to evolve our capabilities and grow our already extensive partner relationships. Knowing that the channel requires a level of flexibility, we will continue to assess the platforms and tools we offer to ensure we’re moving the channel forward.
• Partner Enablement – One place we never want to find ourselves is complacent, which is why it is important to work closely with partners to choose how they go to market. Working with our partners in new ways to help drive speed to market, especially where they already have existing relationships, has been essential to enhancing the channel to where it is today, and where it can go tomorrow. As we look ahead through the rest of the year, we are working with partners on 5G and related edge service use cases while enhancing our efforts to drive partner specific campaigns. We’re also actively expanding our market development funds program to leverage market specific activities and incentive programs to help further drive momentum. Being in lock step with our partners not only ensures were enabling them to their fullest potential, but that they are coming to market with the resources they need to succeed.

As we continue into the next half of 2023 and beyond, it’s going to be crucial to maintain momentum in the channel and continue identifying the solutions that are going to allow our partners to succeed. Placing investment into the channel and watching our partners flourish in it continues to be the ultimate reward in this business – one that is certainly worth the risk.

Come see the latest we have to offer solution providers at the Channel Partners Expo, May 1-4 in Las Vegas.

Learn more at AT&T Partner Solutions.