NTT America Announces First Partner In Global Solutions Channel Partner Program

NTT America and telecommunications broker Advantage Communications Group announced a strategic partnership that enables Advantage to sell NTT America’s suite of domestic and international information and communication technology (ICT) services. As a partner, Advantage can receive pre-sales, engineering, and post-sales support, as well as residual-based compensation.

Rob Westervelt, VP and GM of indirect global solutions of NTT America, the wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of NTT Communications Corporation, the information and communications technology solutions business within NTT Group, says the company is strategically building its channel program — and Advantage, the first partner announced in the new NTT America’s Global Solutions Channel Partner Program, was at the top of the list.

Mike Saxby, VP of business development for Advantage, explains among his company’s clientele are large healthcare and life sciences and financial organizations. “The complexity of those organizations fits better with our business model. They need and desire to have a single point of contact,” he says. In addition to telecommunications services, Advantage provides managed services and has design, procurement, provisioning, and life cycle management capabilities. The company also offers its customers a unique software system that provides project management, inventory management, and trouble ticket management.

Saxby adds that the partnership will support Advantage’s plans for international growth: “NTT America greatly expands our offerings and capabilities, and it means new customers as well.”

Westervelt says Advantage’s role in The Alliance also made the partnership attractive. The Alliance, formerly the Agent Alliance, is a group of similar businesses that provides a platform for collaboration. Saxby says when the NTT America suite is added to their portfolio, members of The Alliance will also be able to sell the solution set that includes cloud, network, and data center services.   

As NTT America continues to build the partner program, Westervelt comments the company recognizes the role — and the relevance — of the channel as more decisions are made outside of the CTO or CIO’s office, creating more entry points to ICT and managed services sales. “It makes the channel important,” he says, “and we would like to be the carrier the channel uses.”