The 3 biggest challenges for 2022, and how our channel partners can help | #customersupport #supporticket

Highlights:

• 2022 will bring about The Great Refocus, as organizations from small businesses to global enterprises prioritize their people.
• Common challenges for companies include supply chain crises and more complex tech stacks.
• Phone communications will remain a necessity, but will continue moving to the cloud, opening up opportunities for smarter workflows through AI integration with message and video.
• RingCentral’s channel partners can provide immense value in solving these issues. Here’s how.

When the pandemic struck 20 months ago, businesses were concerned with one thing: keeping the lights on. Terms like business continuity and remote productivity dominated the conversation.

But 2021 placed the emphasis back on people. From greater empathy for colleagues to a stronger organizational culture, connecting with and engaging employees are now top priorities for global organizations. 

As business leaders look toward 2022, they’re reevaluating how their hasty tech choices support this new hybrid environment, with teams that zip in and out of offices at any time or never meet face to face. 

When it comes to communications technology, “good enough for now” has become “we can do better.” And it’s all about keeping people connected.

The Great Refocus

The Great Resignation was a dominant part of discourse in 2021. But 2022 will be about The Great Refocus. 

Collectively, our priorities have shifted. After nearly two years of isolation, what we all seek is the satisfaction that comes from coming together to collaborate and solve issues.

In the channel, we’re seeing overwhelming customer awareness on how unified communications can unlock new possibilities—both stateside and through our partners in Europe and Australia. And I’m not just talking with regards to seamless workflows and team productivity.

An unparalleled partner program, six years in a row

In a culture where work-from-anywhere is now standard, businesses simply can’t attract the best talent if they don’t offer remote work. Flexibility is a must-have recruitment tool in 2022 and beyond—something that’s nearly impossible with on-premise communications.

Only the cloud offers the mobility and flexibility to recruit on a truly global scale, and any business who ignores this factor will get left behind.

3 new challenges

2022 will bring a multitude of new challenges, of which I think three are most relevant:

1. Supply chain issues are expected to last throughout the year.
2. Tech stacks will become more integrated and complex.
3. Voice service will play a key role alongside message and video.

UCaaS and RingCentral’s channel partners play a key role in helping customers navigate this new paradigm. Here’s how:

Supply chain

Our softphone and desktop app allow hardware-free deployments, without any in-person visits, if required. So a client can get up and running quickly without worrying about shipping delays.

Tech stack complexity 

Our partners have a wealth of expertise in designing custom solutions that integrate unified communications and contact centers into one holistic experience, leading to engaged employees and happy customers. 

Voice and AI integrations

RingCentral’s developers constantly innovate new AI features, leveraging our award-winning voice capabilities to enhance the messaging and video tools we use every day. 

Despite the necessity of messaging and video brought on by the pandemic, a phone call is still the most effective and personal way to reach out to someone. And rock-solid telephony is the backbone of how work gets done.

As always, people and relationships

When I think back on 2021, I keep coming back to one focus: people. 

RingCentral and our channel partners have a lot to be proud of together. We celebrated the in-person return of the Channel Partners Conference & Expo, where we were honored with the Circle of Excellence Award. This is a testament to the years of hard work both our team and our partners have put into building a collaborative approach to solving customer needs.

We also received our first channel award in Australia from ARN for the most Innovative Vendor in the Collaboration category. After only three years in the market there, I’m tremendously proud of the work of that team and the success they’re seeing. It’s only just beginning!

And perhaps most importantly, many of our largest channel partners had record years with RingCentral. In Q3, one recorded the single best quarter in program history, and no less than five partners named RingCentral their overall top UCaaS supplier this year.

This proves two facts: 

1. The move to the cloud—and all the possibilities it unlocks—is only just beginning. 
2. When you work together, whether with channel partners or even the colleagues on your team, great things happen.

The focus on people will shape our strategy in 2022 and beyond. We can’t wait to show you what’s coming.

Want to join our team? Learn more about the RingCentral Channel Partner Program here.

Originally published Dec 30, 2021, updated Dec 29, 2021