For Cambium Networks, partners will always be a part of its growth story

Ron Ryan
Vice President Global Channels, Cambium Networks

India an important market

Cambium views the Indian market as fast growing with a large market opportunity, particularly with its broad partner community. In a short time, India has emerged as an increasingly important market for Cambium.

Cambium has over 200 people in its research and development centre in Bangalore and expects to open a local repair center in Bangalore. Cambium expects to continue to expand its focus on the India market and increase its resources in India. 

Cambium introduced its cnPilot™ Wi-Fi product portfolio to cater to the home and the ISP segments of the market. Cambium is able to reach a new customer base with its new products, and is now adding new channel partners focused on its enterprise and Wi- Fi products. Cambium has also added cnReach™ IIoT connectivity to its product portfolio, and also sells into government projects, each of which may involve new channel partners. Cambium sells its solutions globally through its channel partners to wireless Internet service providers, enterprises and government agencies in multiple sectors, which requires a broad channel partner network to cover the market. 

An effective channel program

Having a single channel program while selling products across multiple verticals is a big challenge. Historically, although the Motorola channel may have been focused more on industrial channels, Cambium focuses on wireless internet service providers, enterprises and government agencies. In order to manage the complex partner channel required to address these markets, Cambium, has created a 2-step channel program in which it has a 2 tier channel; Cambium sells primarily to distributors who further sell to value added resellers and other resellers around the world. Cambium operates this 2-tier channel partner model across each of its target markets, industries and verticals globally.

Many of the resellers in this 2-tier channel model may be small companies; they may not have a large marketing budget. It is therefore important to these smaller resellers that the principal vendor such as Cambium provide them sales opportunities or work with them to find those opportunities.

Cambium addresses these concerns by trying to build a simple channel program, carefully listening to its channel partners and responding with channel programs that meet their needs. As Cambium tells its channel partners at annual channel partner conferences, Cambium wants its partners to make money, as long as they are focused on expanding the business lawfully.