In this Channel Partners TV interview, Omada by TP-Link VP of U.S. Channels Curtiz Gangi explains what his company does – and doesn’t do – to make it stand out among networking vendors for partners.
Omada Network is TP-link’s network management platform sold by MSP. Its gateways, switches, and access points are part of a centralized ecosystem managed via cloud, hardware, or software controllers. All pieces are managed through one interface.
“Omada by TP-Link is a new venture for our company, but an intentional venture as this company begins to build new products and innovate solutions around networking, Wi-Fi, and surveillance, and intelligent surveillance,” Gangi said. “Our first step was to launch over 300 products specifically for channel partners in networking. And the business model is very simple. We don't mandate licensing fees to the MSP partners.”
As anyone in IT knows, there is shortage of networking gear on the market. What makes Omada different for MSPs and other partners?
“We've got a single pane of glass that can manage both the networking and the surveillance products, and all-in-one gateway that allows them access into both solutions and to be able to control and manage,” Gangi said. “I think that puts their mind at ease. The business model is the most important thing. No mandatory upfront licensing fees. Now, don't get me wrong, they can leverage the technology we have and some of the innovative ways to manage the products through our tools, and we do offer licensing. But the reality is to get most of the value out of the product off the bat, there's no mandatory fees. I think that helps the business model around how you go to market with networking.”
Gangi also pointed to Omada’s free training and demo units for partners as differentiators. He said Omada employees prioritize answering MSP questions as soon as possible.
“Getting the products in front of the partners so they can become familiar with them, and then also offering them free certification both around networking, Wi-Fi, and surveillance is also incredibly important,” he said of the free demos. “And these are self-paced certifications that the partners can do on their own. So offering people as a connection, offering the product to validate the technology, and offering certifications, no charge, I think is a good piece of it.”
And then, there is what Omada does not do.
“We are not holding back on price protection,” Gangi said. “Meaning our deal registrations are honored. We offer upfront discounts to the partner to add a little bit more value and profitability around these solutions. And we usually run a quarter-long deal registration, and we'll extend it out for longer projects. We're seeing a lot of the market not offer price protection any longer just because of the volatility of some of the components. Storage being one of them, and memory. And so I just want to make sure that the market understands tremendously we've got great products.”
Learn a lot more by watching the video at the top of the page.