SherWeb is a company that aims to simplify the cloud for its resellers and customers. The company’s portfolio of solutions includes Office 365, Hosted Exchange, Hosted SharePoint, cloud servers, cloud databases, and more.

INTERNET TELEPHONY recently interviewed Brian Fallu, account manager at SherWeb, to talk about the company and its channel partner program.

What’s the history of SherWeb, and what are the basics on its current status?

Fallu: We’ve been in business since 1998, and we have more than 4,000 partners in more than 100 countries. We currently have more than 500,000 users.

What role do channel partners play in SherWeb’s go-to-market strategy?

Fallu: Our partners are really at the center of everything we do. That’s why we call our program Partners First. We rely on our channel partners to access markets we simply can’t reach. We’ve learned through experience that the best way for a channel partner to be successful is to own the customer relationship throughout the entire sales cycle. Our partners set the prices they charge their customers, and they set their own margins. They also have the power to bundle SherWeb’s solutions with their own value-added services.

What does SherWeb offer its channel partners in terms of compensation?

Fallu: We offer margins up to 43 percent.

What kind of customers do you and your partners serve?

Fallu: Our team of MSPs, VARs, and IT consultants and agents serve more than 25,000 end customers, mostly small businesses.

What kind of programs and support does SherWeb offer its partners?

We have several kinds of partner programs that will fit almost any business model. Even partners who are new to the business can count on SherWeb to help them every step of the way with full partner training services, free customer onboarding and migration, 24/7 technical support, and a partner toolbox full of sales and marketing tools.

Who do you see as SherWeb’s key competitors, and how do you and your partners differentiate your offerings in the marketplace?

Fallu: Our key competitors are traditional distributors and other cloud providers. We set ourselves apart by the services we offer our partners [which include the items noted above and] a dedicated support team; a flexible partner program with three different models – white label, co-branded, and advisor; multiple cloud solutions; and pre-sales architecture specialists. With an average response time of 40 seconds and an NP Score that is double the industry standard, I’m proud to say that my team is delivering the best support out there.

Moving from upfront commissions to recurring revenue due to the as-a-service model is a big change for many of us in communications and networking, and channel partners are no exception. What is SherWeb doing to help its channel partners make a smoother transition to this business model?

Fallu: We have more than 20 years’ experience in the cloud. We’ve seen many of the challenges VARs face then they try to transform their business to sell the cloud and become managed service providers. We help channel partners with this transition through our extensive training program and webinars. We also have a team of experts on hand that can provide help when it’s needed.

What’s next for SherWeb in terms of the channel?

Fallu: We’ll be adding more best-in-class cloud solutions to our portfolio. We’ll continue to survey our partners and make necessary changes to improve our programs.