What To Expect At This Year's AT&T Partner Exchange Summit

AT&T is throwing its second-annual Partner Exchange Summit this week in Dallas and this year the turnout will be even bigger that the first. Over the course of the next two and a half days, solution providers will have the opportunity to connect with AT&T executives and each other to dive deep into the various tools AT&T has in its Partner Exchange program.

The carrier is looking forward to showing solution providers how they can take advantage of AT&T's toolkit to transform their businesses and capture attractive recurring revenue, while celebrating the successes of partners who've already started down that road.

Sue Galvanek vice president of marketing, pricing and product solutions for AT&T's Partner Exchange program sat down with CRN to highlight what partners can expect this week at the show. Here are excerpts from the conversation.

CRN: Heading into the second-annual Partner Exchange Summit, what kind of an agenda should solution providers expect?

Galvanek: This [show] is really a great opportunity to lay out the vison of where AT&T is going, where the channel is headed, and help [partners] understand the tools needed to really succeed. There are many different types of solution provider out there with very different business models, so we are doing our best to really ensure we meet those needs and have personal conversations with partners.

The [show's] learning content is really focused on going deeper into the tools we provide through the Partner Exchange program through some of the breakout sessions so [partners] can better understand how to use them and up their game by tapping into those tools. You'll see there is more time in the breakout sessions and more time for networking because not only did they say they wanted access to us, but they also wanted time to be able to network because they learn a lot from each other.

We launched this program almost three years ago and it was really a transformational program in the industry in that it allowed the solution providers to own the end user customer relationship, do the contracting with their customers, bill the end user, and bring complete solutions to the customers. It was a unique model in the marketplace and that required some transformation both on our part and on their part. We've spent a lot of time listening to them and building tools and an educational training program to help them transform their business and help them get to a recurring revenue model should they choose to do so.

CRN: What big trends are emerging ahead of the show that you think will be on everyone's minds this week?

Galvanek: The main trends or concepts that will be out there I think is definitely the trend around the ability to connect securely at any time, on any device - that's really the future of business, so I think the way we bring the complete network and mobility solutions to the table for our solution providers will be talked about. As I think about the way businesses are transforming and that ability and need to connect anywhere, I think there will be buzz and interest around how they can tap into the full spectrum of our network capabilities. I think mobility for a lot of our solution providers in the channel is a bit of a new concept, especially if they have been focused on wireline in the past and by being able to tap into mobility though a variety of our programs, they don’t have to jump in with both feet when it comes to AT&T Partner Exchange. They can start slowly, get their legs underneath them, get comfortable with it and then expand from there.

I think there will be some interest around speed, agility, and responsiveness. Business is moving at incredibly fast pace right now so I think there is some interest around what AT&T is doing to transform [our] own network and business.

CRN: Upon registering, partners had a chance to ask AT&T a question that could be addressed at the show this week. What have partners been asking about?

Galvanek: In general, people are wondering how they can better take advantage and tap into the tools we have available to truly own that end user relationship and transform their business to support a recurring model. There is definitely a lot of interest in doing so - we see it here every day, and so I think they are very interested in how we are providing ways to accelerate the speed with which they can take advantage of that.

We've worked a lot of [those questions] into the leadership panel and sessions. That feedback has been strong from our solution providers. They know we listen to them and we really adapt what we are doing to really focus on what they need.

CRN: What do you think will be hot topics of conversation partners will be having with their peers at the show?

Galvanek: I think they're interested in learning what each other is doing with this program because it is a new model for the channel. I think they are really interested in how [their peers] are taking advantage of it, what tools they are tapping into, where they are seeing success, and what those use cases look like. I think for the [partners] who aren't yet fully taking advantage of our mobility program, I think they will be asking those that are how they are doing it, and asking each other which investment development funds they are tapping into and how they are using our marketing programs.

I think they'll also be asking about our certification program too. We have a number of solution providers who have gotten all the way through to the CAPstone level and there is a lot of buzz about that - the ones that have come through have said it’s a very important part of their program and is driving success for them, or anticipate it will. I think they will be asking each other about whether it's a worthwhile investment to send people to CAPstone and what kind of success are they seeing from it.

CRN: Speaking of success, tell us about the awards that AT&T will be giving out this week.

Galvanek: We have an exciting way we celebrate their accomplishments and honoring the top producers. We have a special guest this year that will help us hand out our cowbell awards - the awards we give out are actually cowbells!

We have a series of awards we give out - it's not only for the top producers. Awards could also be [for] partners that have been here from the very beginning or gotten off to a fast start, for example. We are really excited about being able to celebrate their successes while they are at the summit.