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Organizations across all industries are transforming as the needs and behavior of their customers, employees and business partners are changing. The ongoing digitization and convergence of technologies lead to new opportunities and challenges alike.
The impact on the business of our EcoXpert™ partners, regardless of their field of expertise, is significant. How do they differentiate themselves in this changing environment? How is their core business evolving? And how do they respond to customers who ask for more integrated solutions which allow them to optimize their business and gain insights into their operations, processes, and even business as a whole?
EcoXperts are transforming their own business to make this possible says Nicolas Windpassinger in an interview on the partner program.
Already over 15% of our channel partners have grown their multi-expertise capabilities by having multiple certifications which allow them to offer better, integrated solutions and help their customers overcome the restrictions they face due to multiple silos.
By acquiring multiple skills, our EcoXperts are crucial in helping to break the silos between different technologies.
Most of our partners transform from the edge according to Nicolas. They maintain and even enhance their core business while at the same time grow expertise and add services in fields that are related to their core business – and at the edge of it. An example: a Building Management Systems (BMS) EcoXpert partner who adds capabilities in security and access control.
Transforming from the edge: customers want integrated solutions and integrated partners
The transformation of our channel from the edge is an evolution rather than a revolution Nicolas adds. A journey indeed.
We’re on a journey as well: to help our partners grow, differentiate themselves, be more profitable and, in the end, become future-proof as technology evolves fast. Wherever our EcoXperts are on their own journey and whatever the path they choose to take, we are there to support them. Nicolas points out the three-legged approach we offer to empower our partners in doing so and of which the EcoXpert partner program is one.
Each of these parts evolve as they are key to our journey that reflects the evolutions of our partners and their customers. Everything is connected, not just on the level of technologies.
The key driver? When end customers look at the solutions they need, they see silos and islands of technologies and solutions says Nicolas. And they want to connect them: it is pushing the whole ecosystem, such as the specifiers, the contractors and our partners to break those silos and bring in a more integrated solution.
Below is an overview of how the three key elements of our approach are evolving to empower our partners and serve end clients who look for more expertise under one network of integrated partners offering integrated solutions.
The EcoXpert journey
The desire of end clients to have more expertise under one network of partners and the fact that end clients and, consequently, partners look for integrated solutions is directly related with the expansion of the EcoXpert program.
In a previous blog, I mentioned the launch of a new Retail Specialization training program. Earlier this year we also launched a new Substation Automation EcoXpert certification that’s especially interesting for critical power partners.
Electricians who don’t want to miss the inevitable evolution towards smart homes with easy and integrated smart home solutions can opt for a Home & Small Business certification.
These are just some of the new programs we’ve launched to expand the areas of expertise and competencies of our partners based upon the journey of our product offers and the needs and interests raised by both partners and end users.
The EcoStruxure journey
The evolution in the EcoXpert journey are a logical consequence of the trends that are happening on the offer side and on the channel side Nicolas reminds us in his interview.
On the offer side, our open and interoperable EcoStruxure™ architecture and platform evolves for the exact same reasons: more integrated solutions offering more value to specific markets and the partners serving them.
Openness is critical in bridging silos and enabling partners to offer the types of solutions they need. It’s here that the EcoStruxure journey is ongoing to allow partners, clients and the whole ecosystem to benefit from more connected parts that bring more value as EcoStruxure accelerates with more APIs, more SDKs, a better integration, and more openness overall.
The Schneider Electric Exchange journey
With the ecosystem and openness we’re at the third part of our journey: the Schneider Electric Exchange community, marketplace, and application and technology resource that was officially launched at this year’s Hannover Messe.
Just as EcoXpert and EcoStruxure allow partners to tap into new revenue sources, collaboratively build integrated solutions, and bring the power of connected devices to their customers, Schneider Electric Exchange is a business facilitator for our EcoXpert Partner Program.
It allows our partners to showcase themselves, access a broad range of SDKs, APIs and other technology sources. In addition, they can monetize capabilities, plugins and applications which are built around our offering (e.g. connecting EcoStruxure with a specific application from a third party).
Schneider Electric Exchange brings everything together with several opportunities for our partners to move forward on their journeys towards more profitability, differentiation, and integrated solutions that help them move up the value chain of end users.
Connecting everything to make digitization and innovation a success isn’t just about technology. It’s about skills, collaboration and ecosystems of connected partners empowering our channel to transform from the edge and help their clients do the same. EcoStruxure, EcoXpert, and Exchange are three essential parts to make it happen.
Not signed up for Schneider Electric Exchange yet? Check it out. Stay tuned for more interviews and posts on the new certifications by visiting our updated EcoXpert page.
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EcoXpert™ Partners – the Implementation Arms of EcoStruxure™
The EcoXpert Partner Program is unique in its industry and made up of a best-in-class global ecosystem of expertise. Trained and certified by Schneider Electric, EcoXperts are the implementation arms of EcoStruxure™ in homes and buildings all over the world.
Schneider Electric’s EcoXpert Partner Program unites the world’s leading technology providers, who exhibit best-in-class system integration competencies in facility optimization, reliable infrastructures and energy management, with its customers around the globe. Stronger together, this partnership cultivates collaboration, connects expertise, and delivers best-in-class services and solutions.
