Dicker Data adds Optus to its telco division in key mobility play

Dicker Data has teamed up with Optus to bring mobility solutions to managed service providers (MSPs), serving mid-market and enterprise customers.

Under the partnership, Dicker Data will offer MSPs Optus mobile device management, cost optimisation, secure networking, and streamlined fleet administration.

In an interview with ARN, Optus vice president enterprise and mid-market Ben Vella said there has been a notable shift in mid-market business customers wanting dedicated mobility services.

“Around 80 per cent of organisations were still using BYOD [bring your own device]-style services and buying through consumer channels,” he said. “When we talk to these customers, they often say it’s simply easier that way.

“Ideally, they’d prefer to purchase through MSPs, who are already providing other technologies.” 

Previously, access to these types of telecommunication services was mostly limited to large enterprises, explained Vella. However, mid-market customers were adopting more tools and technologies, like artificial intelligence (AI).

“With the rise of as-a-service models, we’ve seen mid-sized and even enterprise customers adopting more technology, and mobility is now a key part of that transformation,” he said.  

Dicker Data general manager Jason Hall said MSPs were great at handling complex areas like cloud, AI, and broader technology services. But when it came to connectivity, there was “often a gap” in the conversation with customers. 

“Until now, mobility hasn’t been easily accessible to the MSP community,” he said to ARN. “They don’t always have the background or experience, and it can be a real challenge.

“Mobility presents a strong opportunity [and] there’s clear synergy between what MSPs already do, like managing end-user compute, and extending those services into mobile environments.”

Key partners

The partnership with Optus fits with Dicker Data’s newly launched telco division. In June, ARN reported the distributor had expanded its telco focus by launching a dedicated business unit on five key product pillars: mobile, fixed connectivity (fibre), unified communications, data centre, and satellite.

“We see mobility as a core service we want to bring to the market, and Optus is a key partner in that plan,” said Hall. “[The telco] understands the value of MSPs and the channel as part of a broader mid-market strategy, something we’re very much aligned with.

“By embracing mobility and voice as part of the conversation, MSPs can shift to having a true whole-of-business discussion with their customers. If [MSPs aren’t] talking voice and data, you’re not addressing the full business need.”

Additionally, the distributor was also providing access to a dedicated set of channel-friendly telco services and advisory expertise.

What makes this division unique, Hall said, is that it offers multiple telco services under one unit.  

“We’re taking this type of message to market in a way that hasn’t really been done by a major tech distributor, especially not with multiple telco offerings under one roof,” he said. “I think partners are looking for revenue and margin opportunities, but also for ways to work more closely with their customers.”

The Dicker Data dedicated telco unit also includes a team that has “deep telco experience”, who know how to support MSPs through training, enablement, and help build confidence to have these conversations, Hall explained. 

“Our team consists of experienced telco professionals who are very comfortable working within the IT environment,” he said. “We’re hitting the ground running with a range of support personnel, including specialist BDMs [business development managers] and internal account managers.  

The initial response to Dicker Data’s telco division has been “incredibly positive”, acknowledged Hall. Its existing partners, Telstra and Equinix were also brought under the telco division, while recently signed Vocus brought business-grade data services to the table.

“We’ve found it to be quite a smooth process,” he said. “I think people are very much aware that [having] choice is how the industry works best.

“Being able to offer partners a variety of different solutions to meet end-user use cases, partners want deeper relationships, ones where they can have a full 360-degree conversation about the customer’s entire business connectivity, including technology, data…the whole lot.

“We also guide them on practical steps, like developing device management practices. Beyond connectivity and voice, there are valuable wraparound services,” Hall said.

For example, there were some services they could deliver themselves, and others they could access through Optus, which offers a strong portfolio of support services that partners can bundle into their solutions. 

“We work with Ben [Vella] and his team, see success, and bring on more partners,” he said. “Success leads to more success, which drives growth [and] moving forward, as we take this to market, we’ll be looking to invest further.” 

That’s why, Vella said, it was important for Optus and Dicker Data to take time to work through how best to bring the offering to MSPs. 

“We’ve been talking for quite a while,” he said. “But when you’re introducing something new to the market, it naturally takes time to figure out how to build the kind of partnership and launch that will have a real impact. 

“It took a fair bit of time and effort on both sides, but I’d emphasise the journey’s been enjoyable. There’s been a strong alignment in values and vision between Dicker Data and Optus, which made the whole process not just productive, but genuinely rewarding.” 

The partnership also forms part of Optus’ broader channel strategy, which also includes creating a go-to-market approach for mobile solutions.