Real-life examples of the evolving relationships between Exponential-e and our Channel Partners
Since 1999, Modern Networks has been a leading provider of Network, Communications, and IT support services to the commercial property sector. A certified partner for Cisco, HP and Microsoft, Modern Networks provides a range of first-class managed services to more than 1,800 properties across the UK.
In 2011, in anticipation of a large-scale project that would involve the deployment of more than 2,000 lines of broadband, Modern Networks began the process of consolidating their partner ecosystem, with a view to move beyond transactional supplier relationships, and developing a trusted group of technology partners who could support their long-term development and broaden their overall service wrap.
While they already had an existing network provider in place, there had been longstanding communication issues with them, and so identifying a partner who could support their evolution into a full ISP was a critical priority, while allowing Modern Networks to retain the flexibility, control and autonomy across every area of their operations.
Modern Networks were first introduced to Exponential-e at an industry event, where they were introduced to their future account manager. Following a detailed evaluation of potential suppliers and their network capabilities, Exponential-e became a critical part of the revamped ecosystem, initially as a fibre partner. However, following a number of early successes, where a deep rapport was forged between Modern Networks’ own IT teams and their dedicated account management team, further services were consolidated under the Exponential-e umbrella, with 100 switches now hosted on Exponential-e’s network.
The account management team, providing a single point of contact, has proven critical to the success of this partnership, allowing for quick communication and close collaboration on everything from routine deployments to the most complex, challenging projects.
Although Modern Networks is a company that values autonomy and flexibility of its daily operations, the support of their account manager ensures that any potential problems can be swiftly identified and resolved, and that Modern Networks’ teams can access same-day support whenever it is needed, including for on-site staff at the NOC end.
At the time of writing, Modern Networks continues to expand its partnership with Exponential-e, with Ethernet Private Lines (EPLs) in place, and SIP network-to-network interfaces planned for deployment in the near future, to further future-proof their telecoms capabilities. This process of ongoing improvement is just one element of Modern Network’s long-term digital transformation plans, building on the strong foundation that has already been established.
This is building to a full-scale Cloud migration as legacy infrastructure is phased out, with Exponential-e intended as the single Cloud partner. In particular, the current Teams Calling as-a-Service solution will eventually be expanded into a fully-integrated Unified Communications platform, allowing for omnichannel communications between colleagues, customers and end users across all sites, with optimal scalability and cost control.
The successes achieved by Modern Networks and Exponential-e offers a clear demonstration of the value of long-term partnerships, built on trust, communication and a mutual drive for innovation.
Since 1988, Quiss Technology has been delivering world-class managed IT services, with a particular focus on the legal, manufacturing, and pharmaceutical sectors, with key products being level 1, 2, and 3 helpdesks, network, cyber security, telephony, and online training. Quiss’ full catalogue of solutions focuses on helping organisations leverage technology to gain competitive advantage, utilising a hands-on, consultative approach to deliver sophisticated bespoke solutions for the most demanding sectors.
As a provider of managed IT services, Quiss Technology depends on the resilience, security, and performance of its underlying infrastructure. However, the ongoing maintenance and development must not come at the expense of their teams’ freedom to focus on customer goals and requirements. To achieve this, Quiss required a long-term technology partner to manage and monitor their underlying infrastructure, while providing hands-on support with customers’ complex project requirements. Beyond the simple provision of services, the ideal partner would possess deep experience in Quiss’ target sectors and be able to quickly develop a rapport with their internal teams, placing the customer at the centre of every project.
Following a comprehensive evaluation of their service capabilities, network quality and – critically – cultural fit, Quiss elected to partner with Exponential-e – initially to support the delivery of communications solutions, including VPLS, DC and Cloud connectivity, and Microsoft Teams, along with UC and traditional hosted telephony. Since then, the partnership has evolved to encompass Exponential-e’s full portfolio of solutions, particular Cloud and Unified Communications, in order to support their clients’ as they transition to a distributed workforce and explore new ways to futureproof their IT infrastructure.
Critical to the success of this partnership has been the strong, sustained communication between Quiss, a dedicated account team at Exponential-e, and Quiss’ customers and end users. Given the demanding sectors Quiss delivers its services to, which typically have highly strict compliance and data protection requirements, off-the-shelf solutions will rarely prove appropriate, which means close consultation at the outset of every project is essential. By delving deep into the goals for each project’s requirements before any solutions are proposed, Quiss and Exponential-e are able to design and deliver solutions that optimise customers’ overall efficiency, scalability and profitability, while streamlining the process of meeting complex compliance requirements.
In this way, Quiss is able to offer customers the best of both worlds: the cutting-edge technology, sector-specific expertise, and world-class service quality of IT leaders, combined with the flexibility, agility, and personal approach of smaller, up-and-coming organisations.
The partnership continues to evolve, as teams from Quiss and Exponential-e work closely with customers and end users to help them navigate the evolving digital landscape, launching new innovations in direct response to their short- and long-term requirements. In this way, the true value of a partnership based on trust, communication and innovation demonstrates itself.
Successful delivery of bespoke solutions, built to fulfil customers’ unique requirements
