This conversation will cover:
- Why the Horizon platform remains a key component of Gamma’s portfolio.
- Gamma’s commitment to long-term investment and partner collaboration.
- The introduction of AI Concierge and the Gamma Plus framework.
- The importance of resilience, compliance, and customer confidence.
- How partners can co-create solutions and access actionable business insights.
In last year’s edition of Gammaverse, MD of the Fidelity Group Alan Shraga grilled a host of Gamma experts on important question within Gamma’s partner community. Among these inquiries was the future of the Horizon platform, and what Gamma was doing to make sure it’s ‘here to stay.’ The answers given showcased Horizon’s future within the portfolio, but Alan was keen to continue the conversation.
That’s why he turned to Will Morey, MD of Gamma Business, for a follow up on Horizon. Their in-depth discussion reveals how Horizon is evolving to meet customer needs in an increasingly competitive UC market.
The channel – ‘we’re all investors’
For Alan, that’s the starting point for the channel. Partners are investing in both their customers and their tech stack, while those same businesses crave the features needed to secure their own long-term success. Having been a Gamma partner for 13 years, Alan is in a great position to understand partner needs and wants.
Right now, it’s integral for partners to show their customer base that the Horizon platform is ‘here to stay.’ By being ‘one of the most secure platforms out there’, while also being sizeable and scalable, Horizon is as relevant as ever.
When organisations look at potential partners, the thought always turns to the long-term. Will mentions how, when partners pay their subscription, it’s an investment in growth, development, support and compliance. The decision to integrate Cisco’s Webex solution with Horizon perfectly encapsulates that point.
Security – ‘one of the biggest areas of concern’
In terms of size and scale, security is Gamma’s ‘number one selling point.’ The likes of security, compliance and resilience are the ‘table stakes’ within products like Horizon.
At a time when cyber attacks are in the press every day, partners want to provide solutions that adhere to stringent security standards. Challenges around compliance, such as the Telecoms Security Act, only underlines the importance of adopting a compliant, reliable communications platform.
Horizon has always had the infrastructure to support handset functionality and software updates. For Will, ‘the investment is compounding every single day’, especially with a 24/7 NOC for continuous, round-the-clock support. The power and strength of the Gamma network is ‘inherently part of that security proposition.’
Migration – ‘the safe harbour strategy’
Migrating thousands of extensions from another network always sounds like a laborious process. During tight economic conditions, ‘bring your own device’ sits at the top of most people’s agendas when looking to make such a change. However, in Gamma’s case, it’s a key investment area for Horizon.
Will cites it as a ‘rock solid example’ of investment and the future Horizon roadmap. The proposition is driven by resilience and reliability, especially after hearing conversations from partners about negative migration experiences. Entrusting customer bases to other suppliers can invite issues around outages and complications with adding new devices.
Through Gamma, adding a new device type only takes a matter of days. It’s a core component of the ‘safe harbour strategy’ which can solve partner issues around legacy UCaaS platforms. Again, all partners want is ‘absolute reliability and resilience’ when it comes to a more updated communications platform.
Alan rightly points out that a handset roadmap is integral within unified communications. ‘Laura’s Law’ is now embedded within handsets, and in vertical markets like healthcare where real-time communication matters, such a feature makes Horizon more competitive. It all links back to the ‘safe harbour’ offered through Horizon.
AI – ‘it’s the buzzword while it lasts’
The arrival of AI Concierge, and the launch of the Gamma Plus framework, intertwines with the Horizon platform. While customers book appointments and ask basic business questions, these organisations can successfully manage the historically painful task of incoming calls. All this will be available within Horizon.
Integrated AI makes the customer journey easier, and with the scalability of AI, workload is never an issue. Alan makes the point that, in some cases, businesses may not understand the costs behind the AI journey. Adopting a per-minute charge model might not be sustainable in an economic climate that demands effective budgeting.
Will highlights the decision of wanting to limit the barrier to entry. Businesses shouldn’t be priced out of the opportunity to experiment with AI Concierge and understand its role. Despite being in its infant stage, there’s already discussions on how to make it ‘more budgeted [and] more inclusive.’
BroadSoft – ‘the underlying engine that underpins Horizon’
Cisco’s commitment to BroadSoft, as announced at WebexOne, only strengthens Horizon’s future. By doubling down and introducing further CX and AI capabilities, Cisco’s own roadmap will take Horizon further. As Gamma invests more in security and the portal experience, Cisco continues to fund ‘the underlying engine.’
Gamma’s contract with Cisco runs through to 2031, showing Gamma’s commitment to the Webex platform. At the same time, Cisco are continuing to invest in a platform with over 50 million global users. Gamma’s own capabilities to provide two distinct Webex paths, one through Horizon and one through Webex for Gamma, demonstrates how deep this partnership goes.
Improvements in AI and capturing key meeting insights will only drive the usefulness of the Webex platform. Those enhancements, for Will, means partners should be ‘getting really fired up about the product.’
Resellers – ‘let’s develop stuff together’
For Alan, the invitation for resellers to collaborate alongside Gamma was an impressive moment at Gammaverse. It’s a natural occurrence within the channel, especially when trying to create the best experience possible. Only through open conversations can the real insights be revealed.
Launching the Partner Experience programme exemplifies this open-door policy. These conversations are transcribed and fed into the internal Snowflake platform. Suddenly, senior leaders within Gamma have a better understanding of what partners really want.
This, as Alan notes, is a great opportunity for Horizon users to suggest urgent enhancements to the platform. The Partner Experience programme not only helps users have their voices heard but also contribute towards a better Horizon experience. Collaboration is the only way to ‘create the technology that enables [partners] to win in the market.’
The future – ‘clients have made an investment’
Partners who’ve adopted Horizon have a duty to ‘tantalise customers’ and communicate effectively what’s coming. The Gamma Plus framework, handset management and Webex features that support hybrid working are just a selection of what’s to come. Those ‘sprinkles over the top’ are what Horizon users want to see.
The market is tighter, and ‘more people have come to the party with bigger stories.’ Partners who rely on Horizon for revenue have a right to feel nervous as the market continues to fluctuate and evolve. They look towards Gamma on how they can resolve the situation and keep Horizon relevant.
Again, it’s the value add-ons that make a difference. Within the Edge initiative, for example, BDMs now possess data around a partner’s customer base to identify potential customer churn and performance in particular verticals. It encourages conversation and enhances insights on how partners can continue to grow.
For partners who’ve already adopted Horizon, the platform remains part of those growth plans.
Horizon – ‘it’s still one of the strongest products out there’
As Will says, Horizon has ‘the resilience, the reliability, the compliance, a solid platform that sits underneath this.’ The additional sizzle from the Webex and increasing CX capability means Horizon is a proposition that means ‘we can win in the market together.’
What Alan wants to understand is the size of the scale and support Gamma gives to partners who rely on Horizon. Will points to the analogy of the iceberg, where customers only see the ‘buzzwords.’ CX and AI sit above the waterline, while the real value and depth of support remain hidden.
Regardless, the Horizon platform continues to receive heavy investment and attention. It remains part of Gamma’s UC strategy and will be for quite some time. Alan and Will’s conversation should leave sales consultants confident that the Horizon platform is still worth their time and investment.