Aerohive: We’re Solving MSPs’ Pain Points

Aerohive Networks is making it loud and clear that its Wi-Fi offerings can help MSPs with the pain points they face.

John Vincent, a sales manager for the Milpitas, Calif.-based company, discussed the benefits to partners that the major software-defined local area network player delivers in a session at XChange 2018, hosted by CRN parent The Channel Company.

Vincent said it’s small and midsize businesses that are now driving the majority of sales, which signals a major opportunity for MSPs.

"If SMBs are the growth arc, and SMBs prefer to buy from MSPs, and MSPs have specialized needs, in order for us to be relevant to you we need to be looking at those needs and address them," he said.

[Related: Juniper Networks Will Sell Aerohive Wi-Fi Products In New Sales Pact]

Randall Cottrell, president of BlueJireh, a Birmingham, Ala.-based solution provider, said what's most important for any networking vendor is to provide a good product and service that works because if that isn't there, nothing else will matter.

"All I care about is that customers are happy," he said.

Cottrell said he likes what he has seen from Aerohive's product offerings, most notably its data-gathering capabilities.

"Data gathering for us is a little bit different because we look at smart cities, and Aerohive can do something that nobody else can," he said.

Winston Graham, president of Five Years Forward, a Savannah, Ga.-based solution provider, agreed with Cottrell.

"The best product to deliver my client is what I’m concerned about so the end result is the biggest thing," he said. "It's like when people talk to me about [sales performance incentive funds]. I don't care about any of that. It's overall proof-of-concept, hard-core great product, delivery, reliability."

Aerohive’s Vincent pointed to the company’s multi-tenant capabilities, a simple evaluation program, complimentary configuration services, and a free service for creating networking heat maps as key drivers of partner success.

Aerohive also provides hardware and license separation, so that the license begins when the hardware is installed and activated instead of when it is first purchased.

When it comes to the relationship between the vendor and the partner, one shouldn't gain far more than the other, Vincent said. Instead, they should be on equal footing.

"We think this is the kind of relationship we prefer: where the vendor and MSP benefit equally," he said.