News & Updates

Fueling Advisor Growth: Vodafone Business Now in the AppDirect Catalog

By Rebecca Muhlenkort / August 8, 2023

In an exciting development, British telecommunications service provider Vodafone Business has extended its partnership with AppDirect to accelerate success in the channel. This collaboration marks an important milestone for Vodafone Business as it expands its reach in North America through the AppDirect platform, catalog, and our network of 10,000 advisors.

By adding Vodafone Business solutions portfolio to the AppDirect catalog, advisors can now secure international opportunities with options to sell and deliver Vodafone’s mobile and Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity in different European countries. The expanded alliance empowers advisors to diversify their portfolios and address customers' complex technology challenges with the Vodafone portfolio.

Why Vodafone Business selected AppDirect for channel expansion

Vodafone Business selected AppDirect to gain access to our innovative marketplace platform and because of our extensive channel reach. The company’s aggressive channel sales goals sync with the AppDirect go-to-market strategy that supports multiple routes to market for our service providers, putting Vodafone Business in an ideal position to reach profitable new customer segments and to boost indirect sales in the U.S.

Vodafone Business is a long-time AppDirect customer, leveraging the AppDirect marketplace platform to power 13 of their Vodafone branded B2B marketplaces. Vodafone Business successfully uses these marketplaces to support its direct and partner sales across Europe and to simplify how partners and customers find, buy, and manage technology.

What the partnership means for advisors

Christopher Shubert, AppDirect VP of Channel Sales, believes the agreement with Vodafone Business demonstrates that the AppDirect channel vision is paying remarkable dividends and is unrivaled in the industry.

This strategic agreement unlocks tremendous value for current and prospective AppDirect technology advisors.

“We are thrilled to add one of the world’s premier providers of telecommunications services to the AppDirect catalog,“ said Christopher Shubert, AppDirect Vice President of Channel Sales. “Vodafone Business has long been a leader in international mobility and network services, and putting their portfolio in the hands of our domestic advisor community is a huge win for both organizations. Partnering with Vodafone Business also furthers the AppDirect commitment to growing our catalog and Marketplace with the best providers worldwide to offer further value to our advisors and end user customers alike.”

What can advisors expect?

• Serve multinational U.S. customers—With this agreement, AppDirect advisors can now connect multinational U.S. customers to parts of Vodafone’s global network backbone, serving customers' worldwide internet needs and opening up the door to new customer engagements. Vodafone’s global IP backbone provides the fast, secure, and reliable connectivity required to serve customers, offering tier 1 capabilities in Europe, widespread coverage in the USA, and connectivity to major content distribution networks.

• Tap into profitable technology segments selling mobility and IoT solutions— AppDirect advisors can diversify their portfolios, offering Vodafone Business solutions in fast-growing industry segments like IoT and mobility. This is a massive market opportunity for advisors, with analysts predicting the 5G IoT market will grow over $77 billion from 2023 to 2027. By cross-selling IoT and mobility, advisors can create stickier and more loyal customers while increasing their Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR).

  It also enables advisors to meet buyers' evolving preferences. Studies show B2B buyers, in particular, want a single trusted source to help them solve their technology challenges and business problems. According to a recent report by Analysys Mason, 35 percent of SMBs have switched and continued to change channel partners in the past 12 months in the search for more consultative support. It’s clear that through advisors’ expertise customers can more effectively build their technology stack and maximize return on investment.

• Enhanced cross-sell opportunities: Enable customer success with AppHelp—To ensure a smooth transition for customers adopting Vodafone Business solutions, AppDirect advisors can also sell AppHelp services. These services provide training and support to empower customers to harness the full potential of their Vodafone Business investments. Including AppHelp services enhances the overall customer experience and drives maximum value.

"It is a game-changer to be able to tap into Vodafone Business service offerings and global footprint to support customers with offices all over the world,” said Roberto Saravia Client Advocate at AppDirect | StrataCore. “The company’s reach and brand awareness is key in supporting this type of customer." [1]

The rise of partner ecosystems

This agreement taps into the thriving partner ecosystem trend, and exemplifies what AppDirect calls the flywheel effect, also known as the 'multiplier effect' by Forrester, a leading global research and advisory firm.

“A multiplier effect increases the impact of a force, including the drivers of partner ecosystem transformation. To take advantage of this effect when scaling a successful indirect business, organizations must reorganize themselves to align, ignite, and orchestrate ecosystems of co-innovation and value creation across the diverse universe of partners.” (Source: The Future Of Partner Ecosystem Marketing Fuels The Multiplier Effect, Forrester, January 17 2023, by Maria Chien, Carrie Hayes with Kathy Contreras, Hannibal Scipio, Kiri Bartels, Arianne Burnette.)

By participating in a vibrant partner ecosystem, Vodafone Business and other innovative providers are expanding their routes to market to reach new customers and tap into a giant wheel of growth and opportunity.

For more information, read our press release.

[1] Source: The Future Of Partner Ecosystem Marketing Fuels The Multiplier Effect, Forrester, January 17 2023, by Maria Chien, Carrie Hayes with Kathy Contreras, Hannibal Scipio, Kiri Bartels, Arianne Burnette.