Before the covid-19 pandemic, 43% of us worked from home on a regular basis. Post lockdown, that number is set to increase exponentially. As a reseller of one of the world's largest remote working solutions, that means it is time to learn how to tailor your 3CX solution to remote workers. We caught up with Craig Graham, MD of Yellowgrid Technology Solutions and Zack Lee, VP of Telin Communications to find out how as solutions providers, they supporting their partners through the transition to remote working.
Hi Gents, can you introduce yourselves?
Craig: Sure! Yellowgrid are a UK based solutions provider and master fanvil distributor. We partnered with 3CX in 2010 and after climbing through the ranks, we made the leap to Solutions Provider in 2019. Thanks to our distribution links, Yellowgrid is uniquely positioned to nurture 3CX Partners and provide them with a bundled solution including favil handsets. Our focus is on growing the knowledge, capabilities and confidence of our 3CX Partners.
Zack: Telin has amassed an outstanding reputation as a telecom solutions provider and a preferred provider of 3CX SIP trunks, 3CX Hosting and Snom/VTech solutions across North America. We offer VARs, MSPs and 3CX partners the same white glove service that they offer to their enterprise and small business customers, but at the wholesale level. Our expertise is built upon 20 years of medical cloud hosting experience.
Has your customer base moved to remote working due to the covid-19 outbreak? How has this changed your approach?
Zack: Our customers are telling us the shift has been seamless. The 3CX solution that we offer has always allowed them to work from anywhere, at any time. By a large, they’ve been able to continue focusing on their work and not needed to worry about shifting technology. As a result, our approach has remained largely the same- we are continuing to find ways to provide support and education to our clients so they can continue to help people stay connected.
Craig: Like Zack, existing customers have found the transition to be incredibly smooth. Initially there was an unprecedented demand for power supplies, office phones and headsets to support workers utilizing the 3CX Web Client remotely. Demand for 3CX licence upgrades also increased so it’s a great time to think about upselling your customers! On the flip side, we assisted with a number of emergency migrations to 3CX for businesses lacking remote capabilities. We’re now focusing on reaching out to these resellers to discuss their current solution and to offer further advice and guidance.
How are you supporting your partners/ customers with the transition to remote working?
Craig: Education is the key for us. Many of our customers had 3CX solutions already and needed guidance on how to leverage the remote working tools effectively. For those that didn’t and have experienced issues, we’ve been taking the time to dissect their issues and highlight what they could have had with 3CX, emphasising the reliability and performance of the clients during these challenging times.
Zack: Many end-user companies are being forced into an emergency work-from-home situation that they weren’t prepared for. We’re assisting our partners by waiving all of our fees for three months or until the pandemic is de-escalated. The offer reflects our core value, “Think differently, clients are family.” We hope this will allow for an easier transition.
How can MSPs prioritize security for clients working from home?
Zack: MSPs should ensure that all clients purchase low-cost VPN/firewall technology for each of their employees to protect their home offices. They should also run an IPsec tunnel from the local LAN of the virtual server to the local LAN of the employees’ home offices. This will bypass public NAT and SIP ALG while also providing added security by encrypting traffic.
Craig: 3CX remote working tools are secure by their nature, ensuring that the move to remote working is both simple and secure. We encourage the use of raspberry pi's installed with 3CX session border controller software. This method builds a secure encrypted tunnel back to the 3CX server, where physical phones are used to connect remotely. In addition to the improved security, this reduces the potential NAT/SIP ALG issues occasionally found at home offices.”
Finally, can you share your top tip for remote working? What’s the secret to being productive at home?
Craig: Getting dressed for work is essential for me to work productively. I have an office in the garden so I'm fortunate that I don't have to share the kitchen with the kids as it’s important to have a peaceful work environment. I also rely on the 3CX switchboard and presence when managing my team remotely.
Zack: Regular communication between team members is essential during this time. No matter the industry or business size, employees must be able to consistently communicate to continue driving productivity. Whether that be through video conferencing or phone calls, speaking to colleagues helps to maintain high quality work and a supportive work culture.
Need assistance with your customer's transition to remote working? Our solutions providers can help. Contact your 3CX Channel Manager to find your local provider.
