CRN Exclusive: Redbooth Names Former Polycom Channel Exec As New Channel Chief; Launches Inaugural Partner Program

Redbooth is launching its first-ever channel program after nabbing former Polycom channel manager and one of CRN's 2015 Women of the Channel Marcy Kawadler, who spearheaded the efforts to create the company's new Unified Communications Channel Partner Program.

Kawadler, senior director of Channels and Alliances at Redbooth, will lead the vendor's first channel program as the privately held Redwood City, Calif.-based company begins to actively seek out new partners, anticipating a fast-growing number of partners to be added to the program.

"We're in conversations every day with various partners of all sizes," said Kawadler, in an interview with CRN. "With this new program, partners are definitely going to have that deeper connection with their customers, and they're going to be able to bring additional margin to their businesses."

[Related: Here's Who Made Gartner's 2015 Unified Communications Magic Quadrant]

The new three-tier partner program gives solution providers deal registration, sales leads, product promotions, proposal-based marketing development funds and web-based trainings. Channel partners also will gain access to sales and channel management support, pre-and post-sales support, discounts on demos, and Redbooth's partner portal and content syndication, according to Kawadler.

"It's a multitier program with benefits both financially and supportwise depending on [the partners'] revenue commitment to us," she said.

Scott Strochak, CEO and president of Xtelesis, a Burlingame, Calif.-based solution provider who partners with ShoreTel and Redbooth, said Redbooth is showing a new level of channel commitment that will help generate new leads and increase margins.

"We sort of just worked on a referral model to this point and brought some customers to Redbooth, and we get a referral," said Strochak. "So we're moving from just the refer fee into a fully authorized channel program and Marcy, who've I've known for years in her various roles with the big UC players before this, we're superexcited to have a real program where there will be more margin."

Redbooth is a collaboration and unified communications vendor providing an "all-in-one workstream" self-titled platform aimed at making organizations more productive and accountable.

According to a recent report by Gartner, the Redbooth platform gives teams a way to manage and track their work in a customizable manner that drives accountability. Customers can communicate with colleagues using context-specific conversations, enterprise chat, one-click voice calling or built-in HD videoconferencing with integration to applications such as Dropbox, Box Enterprise, Microsoft Project, Outlook and SharePoint, allowing companies to leverage their current technology and accelerate onboarding to Redbooth.

Prior to Polycom, Kawadler held channel and sales management roles with Avaya, solution provider Carousel Industries and Nortel Networks. She joined Redbooth because of its vision around workforce collaboration.

"I see the future of workforce collaboration, and that’s the direction that UC needs to go in," she said. "I saw this as a fantastic opportunity to use the skills that I've had working at Nortel, Avaya and Polycom -- both on the manufacturing side and on the partner side -- to create this program that we can go out and talk to resellers about."

Strochak said Redbooth is bridging the gap between partners, gaining deeper integration with their clients in terms of customer workflow and communication efficiency that all ties into unified communications.

"Our job is to work with customers to find ways to make them more efficient, make their tools more effective, and we see Redbooth as an up-and-comer to help to do that and provide more value to our customers," Strochak said.

PUBLISHED SEPT. 18, 2015