There is no question that Google Apps represents a sea-change shift in how
organizations approach computing and productivity. The question is how to build a
profitable and sustainable business around the new cloud-based IT modality.
This white paper is intended to stimulate thought and discussion for measuring the return on intranet and corporate portal investment.
It also documents different benchmarks and success stories of leading enterprises that successfully measure such value.
To download a PDF version of the report, please visit: http://www.prescientdigital.com/articles/finding-roi-white-paper?searchterm=finding+roi
Capgemini Leads Digital Transformation for One of the World's Largest RetailersCapgemini
Read how one of the world's largest retailers defined its digital
transformation journey to gain greater customer insights and build a better in-store experience.
Fast Web Media's team have come together to predict what will be big in the world of digital in 2015. Our top 10 includes some great trends including wearable tech, automated marketing strategies, web design, technical development, brand storytelling and much more!
You can get a single, consolidated view of the entire relationship
(across Lines of Businesses and multiple connections within LoBs) of
the customer and gather the context and information needed to
design eective loyalty programs targeted at enhancing customer
experience.
i-Statement has new, unavoidable marketing ‘real-estate’ that is
many more times eective than other customer touch points. Using
this, you will be able to deliver a range of marketing messages based
on customer prole and spend patterns – far more interactively and
eectively than many traditional advertising touch points like press
ads, hoardings, direct mailers and so on!
Interesting point of view from IBM on how some key trends in Social media can be harnessed for maximum business impact by using the right TOOLs, ensuring the right TALENT and having the perfect ConText. Very useful for Digital Marketing agencies interested in devising and executing Social media Strategies for their clients, CMOs who are interested maximizing business impact thru Social
In the first edition of Connections, we talk about the Trends you can expect in the BPO industry and the Allsec-Kronos Partnership. We also discuss the impending possibility of RPA in your Accounts Payable process.
Digital customer growth: Engaging customers in digital channelsTom Nickels
Digital customer growth - a framework
A business model based on customer experience
How to build a strong customer experience
Using digital transformation to build a customer centric organisation
Creating a roadmap for digital customer growth
This white paper is intended to stimulate thought and discussion for measuring the return on intranet and corporate portal investment.
It also documents different benchmarks and success stories of leading enterprises that successfully measure such value.
To download a PDF version of the report, please visit: http://www.prescientdigital.com/articles/finding-roi-white-paper?searchterm=finding+roi
Capgemini Leads Digital Transformation for One of the World's Largest RetailersCapgemini
Read how one of the world's largest retailers defined its digital
transformation journey to gain greater customer insights and build a better in-store experience.
Fast Web Media's team have come together to predict what will be big in the world of digital in 2015. Our top 10 includes some great trends including wearable tech, automated marketing strategies, web design, technical development, brand storytelling and much more!
You can get a single, consolidated view of the entire relationship
(across Lines of Businesses and multiple connections within LoBs) of
the customer and gather the context and information needed to
design eective loyalty programs targeted at enhancing customer
experience.
i-Statement has new, unavoidable marketing ‘real-estate’ that is
many more times eective than other customer touch points. Using
this, you will be able to deliver a range of marketing messages based
on customer prole and spend patterns – far more interactively and
eectively than many traditional advertising touch points like press
ads, hoardings, direct mailers and so on!
Interesting point of view from IBM on how some key trends in Social media can be harnessed for maximum business impact by using the right TOOLs, ensuring the right TALENT and having the perfect ConText. Very useful for Digital Marketing agencies interested in devising and executing Social media Strategies for their clients, CMOs who are interested maximizing business impact thru Social
In the first edition of Connections, we talk about the Trends you can expect in the BPO industry and the Allsec-Kronos Partnership. We also discuss the impending possibility of RPA in your Accounts Payable process.
Digital customer growth: Engaging customers in digital channelsTom Nickels
Digital customer growth - a framework
A business model based on customer experience
How to build a strong customer experience
Using digital transformation to build a customer centric organisation
Creating a roadmap for digital customer growth
With Facebook and Google releasing their Q4 2013 earnings just a day apart, we thought now would be a great time to compare the revenue of these two digital advertising behemoths. In the below deck, we've outlined the revenues of Facebook & Google over the last year or so, analysing their growth rates comparatively. We've also gone a bit further back in order to compare Google's first 6 quarters post-IPO to Facebook's to show the difference in growth rate. Whilst 2004 was a very different time to now, this is still an interesting comparison of the two big-players at a similar stage in their developments.
This presentation will help you to understand why Google AdWords is a good marketing channel for your business. Packed full of stats and tips, you should get to the end and have a better understanding of what PPC can do for you.
Traveling via Tasmanian Campervan hire let's you see more of the world or the country you are spending your holiday. For more information about campervan hire in tasmania log on to http://www.cruisintasmania.com.au/contact-us
Transportation Ecoefficiency: Quantitative Measurement of Urban Transportatio...Anna McCreery
Presentation at the 2012 Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting. Paper Session: Modelling and Visualizing Travel Behavior II (Sponsored by Transportation Geography Specialty Group).
This is the keynote address from the July 17th, 2013 Becoming a Customer Company event. This was a co-sponsored event by Magnet 360, salesforce.com, and Marketo. This presentation includes slides as presented by Peter Coffee, Andy MacMillan, Scott Litman, and Jeremiah Owyang.
As many different products and environments get smarter, there are inevitable implications on how consumers find out about, research or purchase products.
In this SlideShare presentation, we have highlighted some of the most interesting trends related to digital commerce.
The purpose of this first edition of the Market Trends Report is to shed light on the way digital technologies reshape trade finance, a sector which often does not get as much publicity as B2C financial services.
Given that disruption often comes from adjacent sectors or from the application of an existing technology to a new field, we found it essential to begin with a broad analysis of the latest trends before zooming in progressively on financial services and on trade finance specifically.
The report is structured around four chapters, starting from the general core techno trends, and converging towards the changes impacting the trade finance ecosystem:
1- Core techno trends, business model and social changes
2- Disrupted industries, changes in the way we live and work
3- FinTech disrupt (and partner with) banking and insurance
4- Conclusion: Trade Finance is also ripe for disruptive innovations
We really hope that you will like this Market Trends Report and that you will find it useful. When you read it, please keep in mind that it is still being refined. We welcome your feedbacks, insights and suggestions.
Major Disruption! (Report)
Cloud computing is disrupting more than our technological norms. It is also creating new business models and new ways of working together.
KEY MESSAGES
• Cloud computing is disrupting more than our technological norms. It is completely transforming the way businesses interact, people collaborate, and business models are designed.
• Both within and outside the IT sector, companies are capitalising on the changing landscape by using and offering cloud services. This allows them to meet customer expectations, operate in a more agile fashion,
and develop new revenue streams.
• As a result of these changes, companies are becoming both consumers and providers, sometimes simultaneously.
• New business models and changing customer expectations will lead to increased competition and declining revenue and profit opportunities
unless companies proactively change—and continue to change—their understanding of the market and their role in it.
• Survival—not to mention profitability and long-term viability—depends on a company's ability to transform its business models and go-to-market structures.
• Unfortunately, the majority of companies continue to pursue their traditional approaches, failing to satisfy customers and therefore missing out on revenue opportunities.
The Rise of Digital Darwinism and the Real-world Business Drivers for Digital...Brian Solis
Digital transformation (DX) is shaping the future of business. While it can mean different things to different leaders, DX is about migrating from on-premises and labor-based models to the cloud, then complementing migration with cloud capabilities and agility. But to stop there would miss the full potential of using the cloud to enable DX.
The potential of DX is the sum of its parts: “digital” and “transformation.” Explored in isolation, we’re limited to either the constant pursuit and implementation of new technologies that enhance capabilities or a focus on change to modernize and become more efficient and innovative. Combined, they represent the future of business, how it operates, how it serves customers and employees, and how it adapts to industry evolution.
DX is continuous, never ends, and never a “won and done” series of checked boxes. DX is how organizations continually respond to disruptive events, trends, and technologies – beyond IT. The most effective partners in a DX journey explore existing states and capabilities within, benchmark those results against industry best practices and customer needs, and apply those insights to a strategic digital transformation plan of their own.
Future-proofing public sector and commercial businesses starts with future-proofing partner businesses. The PTP is an accelerator to drive DX and business modernization from B2B all the way to B2C. The PTP provides partners with the guidance to accelerate the development of their AWS skills and expertise to better serve their government, education, or nonprofit and also commercial customers’ journeys to the cloud.
Introducing the AWS Partner Transformation Program eBook
For PTP partners to get started, AWS created a DX playbook “The AWS Partner Transformation Program: Setting the Stage to Transformation Your Business.”
The eBook explores digital trends, DX methodologies, and the needs and areas of opportunity for partner organizations. The eBook can help PTP partners chart a “transformation plan” to set the stage for their customers’ digital transformation.
The time is now to future-proof your business to future-proof your customer's business.
SAP Ariba Chief Strategy Officer on The Digitization of Business and the Futu...Dana Gardner
Transcript of a sponsored discussion on how advancements in business applications and the modern infrastructure that supports them portends new and higher degrees of business innovation.
A Seat at the Table: The Case for Making Professional Services a Strategic Fu...JoshuaWalovitch
As the cloud becomes more ubiquitous, software purchasing becomes more decentralized. Individual business units purchase point solutions to solve specific, department-related problems that don't always support the organization's overall efficiency.
Learn how companies can generate efficient sales processes by prioritizing professional services teams in the latest whitepaper from WorkRails.
Mobile is a truly disruptive technology – it has been driven primarily out of the consumer market and will impact almost every part of a company’s operations in 2013. This includes sales, marketing, customer service and yes, the Channel.
Companies can benefit from providing self-service in many ways: increased customer satisfaction, reduced costs and better sales conversion rates. The question therefore is not whether to implement self-service but how to implement it effectively. Reviewing what other companies are doing is a first step in the right direction, but it is particularly important to keep in mind that one size does not indeed fit all.
Self-service involves far more than logging into a portal or using an app; self-service encompasses a complex architecture of various channels, multi-channel links and functions. Achieving excellence means mastering the interdependencies and optimizing the architecture and processes in the right place, at the right time and in the right way.
Introduction to AI for Nonprofits with Tapp NetworkTechSoup
Dive into the world of AI! Experts Jon Hill and Tareq Monaur will guide you through AI's role in enhancing nonprofit websites and basic marketing strategies, making it easy to understand and apply.
Model Attribute Check Company Auto PropertyCeline George
In Odoo, the multi-company feature allows you to manage multiple companies within a single Odoo database instance. Each company can have its own configurations while still sharing common resources such as products, customers, and suppliers.
Unit 8 - Information and Communication Technology (Paper I).pdfThiyagu K
This slides describes the basic concepts of ICT, basics of Email, Emerging Technology and Digital Initiatives in Education. This presentations aligns with the UGC Paper I syllabus.
June 3, 2024 Anti-Semitism Letter Sent to MIT President Kornbluth and MIT Cor...Levi Shapiro
Letter from the Congress of the United States regarding Anti-Semitism sent June 3rd to MIT President Sally Kornbluth, MIT Corp Chair, Mark Gorenberg
Dear Dr. Kornbluth and Mr. Gorenberg,
The US House of Representatives is deeply concerned by ongoing and pervasive acts of antisemitic
harassment and intimidation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Failing to act decisively to ensure a safe learning environment for all students would be a grave dereliction of your responsibilities as President of MIT and Chair of the MIT Corporation.
This Congress will not stand idly by and allow an environment hostile to Jewish students to persist. The House believes that your institution is in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and the inability or
unwillingness to rectify this violation through action requires accountability.
Postsecondary education is a unique opportunity for students to learn and have their ideas and beliefs challenged. However, universities receiving hundreds of millions of federal funds annually have denied
students that opportunity and have been hijacked to become venues for the promotion of terrorism, antisemitic harassment and intimidation, unlawful encampments, and in some cases, assaults and riots.
The House of Representatives will not countenance the use of federal funds to indoctrinate students into hateful, antisemitic, anti-American supporters of terrorism. Investigations into campus antisemitism by the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Ways and Means have been expanded into a Congress-wide probe across all relevant jurisdictions to address this national crisis. The undersigned Committees will conduct oversight into the use of federal funds at MIT and its learning environment under authorities granted to each Committee.
• The Committee on Education and the Workforce has been investigating your institution since December 7, 2023. The Committee has broad jurisdiction over postsecondary education, including its compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, campus safety concerns over disruptions to the learning environment, and the awarding of federal student aid under the Higher Education Act.
• The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is investigating the sources of funding and other support flowing to groups espousing pro-Hamas propaganda and engaged in antisemitic harassment and intimidation of students. The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is the principal oversight committee of the US House of Representatives and has broad authority to investigate “any matter” at “any time” under House Rule X.
• The Committee on Ways and Means has been investigating several universities since November 15, 2023, when the Committee held a hearing entitled From Ivory Towers to Dark Corners: Investigating the Nexus Between Antisemitism, Tax-Exempt Universities, and Terror Financing. The Committee followed the hearing with letters to those institutions on January 10, 202
Instructions for Submissions thorugh G- Classroom.pptxJheel Barad
This presentation provides a briefing on how to upload submissions and documents in Google Classroom. It was prepared as part of an orientation for new Sainik School in-service teacher trainees. As a training officer, my goal is to ensure that you are comfortable and proficient with this essential tool for managing assignments and fostering student engagement.
2024.06.01 Introducing a competency framework for languag learning materials ...Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iateflwebinar2024
Published classroom materials form the basis of syllabuses, drive teacher professional development, and have a potentially huge influence on learners, teachers and education systems. All teachers also create their own materials, whether a few sentences on a blackboard, a highly-structured fully-realised online course, or anything in between. Despite this, the knowledge and skills needed to create effective language learning materials are rarely part of teacher training, and are mostly learnt by trial and error.
Knowledge and skills frameworks, generally called competency frameworks, for ELT teachers, trainers and managers have existed for a few years now. However, until I created one for my MA dissertation, there wasn’t one drawing together what we need to know and do to be able to effectively produce language learning materials.
This webinar will introduce you to my framework, highlighting the key competencies I identified from my research. It will also show how anybody involved in language teaching (any language, not just English!), teacher training, managing schools or developing language learning materials can benefit from using the framework.
The Roman Empire A Historical Colossus.pdfkaushalkr1407
The Roman Empire, a vast and enduring power, stands as one of history's most remarkable civilizations, leaving an indelible imprint on the world. It emerged from the Roman Republic, transitioning into an imperial powerhouse under the leadership of Augustus Caesar in 27 BCE. This transformation marked the beginning of an era defined by unprecedented territorial expansion, architectural marvels, and profound cultural influence.
The empire's roots lie in the city of Rome, founded, according to legend, by Romulus in 753 BCE. Over centuries, Rome evolved from a small settlement to a formidable republic, characterized by a complex political system with elected officials and checks on power. However, internal strife, class conflicts, and military ambitions paved the way for the end of the Republic. Julius Caesar’s dictatorship and subsequent assassination in 44 BCE created a power vacuum, leading to a civil war. Octavian, later Augustus, emerged victorious, heralding the Roman Empire’s birth.
Under Augustus, the empire experienced the Pax Romana, a 200-year period of relative peace and stability. Augustus reformed the military, established efficient administrative systems, and initiated grand construction projects. The empire's borders expanded, encompassing territories from Britain to Egypt and from Spain to the Euphrates. Roman legions, renowned for their discipline and engineering prowess, secured and maintained these vast territories, building roads, fortifications, and cities that facilitated control and integration.
The Roman Empire’s society was hierarchical, with a rigid class system. At the top were the patricians, wealthy elites who held significant political power. Below them were the plebeians, free citizens with limited political influence, and the vast numbers of slaves who formed the backbone of the economy. The family unit was central, governed by the paterfamilias, the male head who held absolute authority.
Culturally, the Romans were eclectic, absorbing and adapting elements from the civilizations they encountered, particularly the Greeks. Roman art, literature, and philosophy reflected this synthesis, creating a rich cultural tapestry. Latin, the Roman language, became the lingua franca of the Western world, influencing numerous modern languages.
Roman architecture and engineering achievements were monumental. They perfected the arch, vault, and dome, constructing enduring structures like the Colosseum, Pantheon, and aqueducts. These engineering marvels not only showcased Roman ingenuity but also served practical purposes, from public entertainment to water supply.
Embracing GenAI - A Strategic ImperativePeter Windle
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies such as Generative AI, Image Generators and Large Language Models have had a dramatic impact on teaching, learning and assessment over the past 18 months. The most immediate threat AI posed was to Academic Integrity with Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) focusing their efforts on combating the use of GenAI in assessment. Guidelines were developed for staff and students, policies put in place too. Innovative educators have forged paths in the use of Generative AI for teaching, learning and assessments leading to pockets of transformation springing up across HEIs, often with little or no top-down guidance, support or direction.
This Gasta posits a strategic approach to integrating AI into HEIs to prepare staff, students and the curriculum for an evolving world and workplace. We will highlight the advantages of working with these technologies beyond the realm of teaching, learning and assessment by considering prompt engineering skills, industry impact, curriculum changes, and the need for staff upskilling. In contrast, not engaging strategically with Generative AI poses risks, including falling behind peers, missed opportunities and failing to ensure our graduates remain employable. The rapid evolution of AI technologies necessitates a proactive and strategic approach if we are to remain relevant.
Macroeconomics- Movie Location
This will be used as part of your Personal Professional Portfolio once graded.
Objective:
Prepare a presentation or a paper using research, basic comparative analysis, data organization and application of economic information. You will make an informed assessment of an economic climate outside of the United States to accomplish an entertainment industry objective.
Acetabularia Information For Class 9 .docxvaibhavrinwa19
Acetabularia acetabulum is a single-celled green alga that in its vegetative state is morphologically differentiated into a basal rhizoid and an axially elongated stalk, which bears whorls of branching hairs. The single diploid nucleus resides in the rhizoid.
How to Make a Field invisible in Odoo 17Celine George
It is possible to hide or invisible some fields in odoo. Commonly using “invisible” attribute in the field definition to invisible the fields. This slide will show how to make a field invisible in odoo 17.
2. Building Revenue from Google Apps 02
Table of Contents
Summary/Questions 03
The Google Apps (Limited) Opportunity 04
The Other Factor Creating an Opportunity 05
Utility vs. Value 06
Four Core Services 07
Make it So 10
About the Author 10
www.gunify.com
3. Building Revenue from Google Apps 03
Summary/Questions
As we move further into the 21st century, overheated server rooms are beginning to
cool down as Wi-Fi networks heat up. For more and more organizations, cloud
technologies are replacing on-premises software and hardware solutions—and
leading the pack is Google Apps. This productivity suite is rapidly becoming the
poster child of how IT energizes and transforms business.
There is no question that Google Apps represents a sea-change shift in how
organizations approach computing and productivity. The question is how to build a
profitable and sustainable business around the new cloud-based IT modality.
Not everyone is riding the clouds. Traditional IT VARs still approach cloud services
as if they were products. When an IT reseller sells a product—say, a printer—the
value lies in immediate functionality, and then it decreases over time. With every
product the reseller implements, its revenue annuity increases with a cycle of sell,
fix, and replace. As product values wane, the reseller’s value to the customer as well
as its revenue increases thanks to updates, repairs, and eventual replacement.
This inherently flawed interpretation of “rinse and repeat” is fueling the adoption of
cloud services such as Google Apps. Cloud services such as Google Apps get better
over time. Plus it offers end-user organizations a compelling opportunity to reduce
costs. But what does it offer the reseller partner? Very little: $10 per user per year.
There is a way to ride the cloud into a sustainable channel partner business. Since
the revenues associated with built-in obsolescence disappear in the cloud, the
product-oriented business model needs to be thrown out. The modern cloud-partner
adheres to a new philosophy. These partners realize the solution to building a
healthy, sustainable business lies in making cloud services work together. The
opportunity lies not directly within the cloud applications, but rather between them.
To illustrate the point, consider the diagram below. Asked to describe the graphic,
people commonly mention lines, crosses, and circles. Wait—circles? There are no
circles in the diagram.
www.gunify.com
4. www.gunify.com
Building Revenue from Google Apps 04
The cloud can be visualized similarly. Think of the crosses as the cloud-apps. The
circles represent the integration opportunities, known as middleware. They are as
clear as day, yet many can’t see them—yet there are more circles than there are
crosses.
Most people are focused on the lines. Yet these cloud apps provide the foundation,
not the solution, for a sustainable channel partner business. To achieve success
requires connecting Google Apps to other critical cloud-related services such as
UCaaS and CRM. It isn’t a matter of simply adding more apps, but interconnecting
them. This way, cloud services provide organizations with a totally new and often
shocking transformational advantage. Delivering customers true value lies in
building on these advantages, not depreciating assets.
This paper examines the pitfalls and the opportunities for Google Apps partners. It’s
a path worth pursuing, because the rewards are significant. The cloud-focused
reseller can deliver incredible value to customers while simultaneously building its
own revenue and ensuring longer term renewals.
The Google Apps (Limited) Opportunity
It’s time to rethink the technology VAR. The term, which stands for value-added
reseller, was popularized when PC resellers replaced factory-direct mainframe sales
teams. VARS are from a different era—back when products were things. Today, the IT
channel is about services and the cloud. The “value add” part remains critical, but
the “reseller” element is more for linguistic convenience. The modern IT channel is
about Value Added Services.
5. Building Revenue from Google Apps 05
Not only IT, but all kinds of channel partners across industries are undergoing
transition. In the past, the channel focused on physical goods. Newspapers relied on
distribution partners such as retailers and paperboys, as well as suppliers for paper
and ink. When newspapers became virtual, these partners largely disappeared. The
same occurred with music stores (CDs to MP3s), travel (local agents to e-tickets),
and movies (video rental stores to movie streaming).
Channel partners in most industries are distancing themselves from physical goods
and focusing instead on helping customers realize the benefits of services. This is
especially true for the IT VAR because cloud-delivered services are changing
everything. Cloud services are far more than simple alternatives to products. The
cloud offers compelling new ways to work, especially in the areas of mobility and
collaboration.
Thus, Google Apps presents a compelling value proposition for VARS, especially
those selling to businesses, schools, and government offices. The Google Apps
channel opportunity offers revenue from the initial implementation and then
recurring revenue through renewals. The problem is that it is hard to build a
sustainable business based on $10 per user per year. This margin may not even
cover the marketing and sales costs associated with the initial customer. A viable
business needs additional revenue streams.
The traditional IT VAR thrived on the initial transaction. The software and hardware
along with installation services. IT servers in particular were the gift that kept
giving, each one sold provided the dealer a revenue annuity. Actually, the constant
costs associated with server upgrades is one of the factors driving the adoption of
Google Apps.
So this begs the question: how does the new channel replace the hardware revenue
that nourished the old channel? The answer lies in broadening the Google Apps
conversation. Successful Google Apps resellers offer complementary solutions that
leverage a customer’s Google Apps deployments. Customers win with a truly
integrated solution that only cloud services can provide. The partner is rewarded
with expanded implementation services, recurring revenues, and improved account
defenses leading to higher retention and renewal rates.
The Other Factor Creating an Opportunity
Two major factors are creating an attractive opportunity for Google Apps partners.
The first and obvious factor is the appeal and low cost of Google Apps. The second
comes from the inability of traditional channel partners to adapt. Together, these
factors are creating a lucrative opportunity for the cloud-savvy.
www.gunify.com
6. Building Revenue from Google Apps 06
It is a recurring theme: when business models change, major players are unable to
make the transition. Think of Blockbuster, RIM, and Borders, all leaders that fell
from glory in the face of a major industry transition. The IT channel is going through
a disruption that is sending users to cloud services. As cloud services move in, IT
VARs see declines in upfront revenues. As the big sales fade away, so do the
associated revenue streams (troubleshooting, upgrades, backups, HVAC issues, and
repairs).
It is a disruptive change. The traditional IT VARs require large upfront transactions.
These fuel the entire business, including compensation plans, management
expectations, and cash flow requirements. These entrenched processes are difficult
to change. The emerging cloud partner nourishes its business by broadening
recurring subscription revenues, together with custom integrations and support.
The differences are not minor and represent a difficult transition that many
traditional VARs will never make.
In this environment, IT channel partners that focus exclusively on delivering
cloud-based services have the advantage. Hardware sales, particularly under
internet pricing pressures, are low-margin commodity business liabilities. The IT
VAR is far more agile and focused on value through cloud services.
Utility vs. Value
The Google Apps solution is actually reasonably simple to implement. Many
customer organizations do so without any outside assistance whatsoever. As with
many cloud-based services, self-service is inherently built in. So it begs the
question: why does Google even have a partner program? The answer: because it is
not about Google Apps.
Sure, there’s opportunity in reselling and implementing Google Apps, particularly
for small business customers. Many small business customers don’t have the
technical expertise to implement the solution, and these organizations frequently
work with partners. It’s perfectly reasonable for a partner to provide basic
assistance with initial setup. And then the project ends, and the customer becomes
self-sufficient. It’s called a utility sale, and there’s no shortage of utility-class
resellers. But the utility model is not sustainable for most partners. It requires a
constant search for new customers, and someone is always willing to do it for less.
The trick is focusing more on the value-add part of the VAR equation. It is not about
reselling, nor about cutting costs—it is about creating value, and this focus extends
to more than small business customers.
Q: why does
Google even
have a partner
program?
A: because it
is not about
Google Apps
www.gunify.com
7. Building Revenue from Google Apps 07
Here’s the secret: customers tend not to pocket potential savings. Instead, they
more often prefer increased value. It is a phenomenon called Jevon’s Paradox, which
states that technological progress that increases the efficiency with which a
resource is used, tends to increase the rate of consumption of that resource. It isn’t
particularly intuitive, but holds true with many examples. Consider gas prices: when
prices drop, people drive more. Simply stated, the higher the savings, the more the
customer is willing to spend. The mistake utility partners make is reducing costs and
then walking away, in a hurry to find a new customer.
Google encourages partners to pursue a value sale. Google Apps provides the
foundation to upgrade not just core components like email to Gmail, but rather
entire business processes. The cloud enables opportunities for unprecedented
efficiencies and capabilities, allowing organizations to upgrade internal processes
in ways that most businesses can’t even imagine.
The opportunity exists because typical business process reengineering efforts focus
only on the features of specific business applications, ignoring the human
inefficiencies between processes. For example, emails often require a follow-up call,
but email systems typically are not integrated with phone systems, contacts, or CRM
systems. Business processes should be integrated with communication channels.
Communications-enabling processes mean better connections, improved response
times, and overall greater efficiencies. To get here requires four core
complementary components.
Four Core Services
Four core services, when combined with Google Apps, create a unified solution for
the customer, increase customer loyalties and renewals, and create a path to
sustainable profitability for the reseller. The four components are: broadband
networking, UCaaS, business apps, and middleware.
Google
Apps
Broadband
Business
Apps
Middleware UCaaS
www.gunify.com
8. Building Revenue from Google Apps 08
Broadband: The fundamental shift that is occurring is from premises-based
solutions to cloud services. This means the internet and access to it becomes
mission critical. Business customers often make the transition to the cloud without
giving network connectivity proper consideration. Consumer-class services or coffee
shops are fine for an individual, but not acceptable for the modern, cloud-based
business. Keep in mind we are talking all communications here—voice, email,
calendaring, office productivity apps, even SMS will utilize the broadband
connection in a modern cloud-based business. The internet no longer can be an
afterthought.
If a customer’s internet experience is poor, so is their perception of Google and the
reseller that provided it. Even worse, the perception of the customer’s customers
also drops with poor-quality interactions. Partners need to be prepared to design
and size reliable and sufficient network connections. Partners should establish a
relationship with a master agent that offers multiple carrier services. As an added
bonus, carriers and master agents offer recurring commissions.
UCaaS: Unified Communications (UC) combines traditional voice communications
with additional, modern forms of real-time communications such as IM/presence,
video, mobile solutions, and messaging. UC is about multi-modal communications,
not just voice. The traditional approach for voice communications is similar to
mainframes—on-site, proprietary equipment and networks. Now, organizations are
moving toward a service model known as unified communications delivered as a
service (UCaaS). This approach aligns nicely with Google Apps.
Google Apps resellers should establish a relationship with a UCaaS provider. There
are thousands of them, and there’s no need to restrict partners to local options.
Despite the quantity of providers, they all build their infrastructure from only a
dozen or so configurations. The most prevalent are providers that use BroadSoft
software, which can integrate to Google Apps.
Google Apps inherently provides some UC components including IM/presence,
video, email, and SMS. Where Google falls short is with voice solutions, including
business-class features, devices, and applications such as a contact center. Leading
a client to UC will offer rewarding improvements in communications, flexibility to
use mobile devices, support for remote working, and improved interactions with
customers. Integrating Google Apps with UCaaS delivers improved revenues and
customer loyalty.
Business Apps: Google Apps facilitates a business, but doesn’t run it. For that, most
organizations rely on specific applications such as customer relationship
management (CRM) and financial/accounting packages. Like Google Apps, general
business applications are also in the midst of a mass migration toward the cloud.
www.gunify.com
9. Building Revenue from Google Apps 09
Solutions such as SalesForce.com and Zoho.com provide advanced features for a
fraction of the cost of on-site servers.
The practice of assisting with this migration is not only lucrative itself, but highly
complementary to Google Apps. In both situations, the customer already trusts the
cloud and has moved past the emotional need of on-site servers. Many of these
solutions, such as Zoho, offer agent commissions, and the setup and migration
often require outside expertise the partner can provide. The best part of these
applications is they can interface with Google Apps including Gmail, Calendar, and
Contacts. Even Docs can connect to most cloud-based business apps, creating
exceptional value for the customer.
Middleware: This last category is the secret sauce. It’s the most critical, the most
misunderstood, and the simplest. Google Apps, UC, and CRM are core to the
growing trend of cloud adoption. Obviously, the three categories are stronger when
tightly integrated, but that’s rarely the case. Instead, the major cloud application
providers offer APIs so that customers can perform their own integrations, but that’s
also rarely the case.
Middleware provides integration between these critical applications. Middleware is
not another cloud service, but instead makes cloud solutions more valuable.
Multiple middleware vendors offer an assortment of integrations. Most relevant here
is gUnify, which connects Google Apps with UC and CRM solutions.
gUnify is not another piece of premises-based software that gets installed on
desktops; instead, the Google Apps administrator enables it. A Google Apps gadget,
gUnify brings communications-enabled processes to your inbox. Once enabled with
Google Apps and a BroadSoft UCaaS provider, the user can, for example, click to dial
a number in an email as well as click to hang up. Connect it to a popular CRM like
Salesforce.com or Zoho, and the user can enter CRM call notes directly from email.
Where the traditional IT reseller found servers to be the gift that keeps on giving, the
modern Google Apps reseller should look to middleware. It is more than just another
revenue source because it solidifies the others, creating additional value and
improved customer retention. By extending Google Apps across business processes,
resellers provide customers phenomenal improvements in productivity.
With these four core services, a small business can have the same integrated,
communications-enabled business processes that large enterprises implement. The
difference is that instead of involving millions of dollars and hundreds of servers,
the Google Apps partner delivers it all without a major upfront capital investment or
on-site servers. All four core services work in harmony to deliver true value to the
customer, recurring revenue to the partner, and long-term customer relationships.
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10. Building Revenue from Google Apps 10
Make it So
As the IT channel changes, some things never change. Selling on price is a sucker’s
game. There’s always someone’s nephew who “knows Google” and who will do it
cheaper. Instead of worrying about driving down to the lowest cost, partners need to
build long-term business relationships that create mutual value. The opportunity to
specialize in Google Apps isn’t as much about Google Apps, as it is about
understanding how to leverage the value of a specific product or technology within
a broader solution.
To put this plan into action, start with gUnify.com for referrals and best practices.
About the Author
Dave Michels is a principal analyst at TalkingPointz, focused on business
communications. Dave focuses on research and writing about telecommunications
and unified communications market trends. He offers an irreverent, incisive take on
the industry, TalkingPointz has become one of the most influential and
often-quoted/linked blogs in the enterprise communications industry.
Dave has also become one of the most popular contributors to the enterprise
communications industry’s leading independent websites, including NoJitter.com
and UCStrategies.com. He also contributes to the GigaOm Pro, TechTarget,
CloudAve and Voice Report websites. Finally, Dave is a key participant in the
enterprise communications industry’s leading conference, Enterprise Connect. In
addition to delivering presentations on major topics, Dave also oversees Enterprise
Connect’s Innovation Showcase, which spotlights new and innovative vendor
companies within the industry. Dave is also a frequent presenter at other industry
events, and routinely attends and covers vendor conferences for analysts and
consultants.
www.gunify.com