(Photo left to right: Channel Partners' Robert DeMarzo, Comcast's Matt Fasnacht, T-Mobile's Chris Jones, AT&T's Chad Townes, Verizon's Mark Tina, Channel Partners' Dave Raffo).
A panel of telco carrier channel chiefs positioned AI as a vehicle for success but also a possible threat during a Channel Partners Conference power panel last month. The consensus was that AI will change the game but those who use AI best will thrive.
Verizon Business channel chief Mark Tina said now that AI has gone “from laboratory to reality,” the issue becomes turning it into positive business outcomes. He said the most successful people are already using AI in their jobs.
“It's only a threat if you don't engage it and embrace it,” Tina said. “I know that we all use AI every single day in our personal and professional lives, but how do you actually monetize, generate revenue and help a customer with their outcome? I believe that the partners that leverage AI and understand how to use it are going to be the partners that win. You have no choice but to get on board. So when you ask me about the channel in a year from now, I believe the partners and the carriers that embrace AI and leverage it are the ones that are going to win. The ones who don't, I hate to say it, probably won't be around.”
Comcast VP Matt Fassnacht characterized AI as a potentially great sales tool for channel partners but it will change the dynamics of sales.
“The channel was built on relationships,” he said. “Customers buy from who they like. They always have. They always will. I think where AI is going to change that dynamic is that they're really going to buy from the platform they like. I see a huge evolution with my people getting to that place. I think AI is going to pivot it from having this relationship to bringing relevance. And I think that's the biggest difference, and I think that's the biggest opportunity. I think those that embrace it and attach themselves to the right platform are really going to be the winners.”
AT&T Partner Solutions SVP Chad Townes said the real power of AI is to make everyday tasks more efficient.
“We just need to AI everything,” he said. “If you look at what you do, it doesn't have to be a big, elaborate use case. It doesn't have to be an operational enhancement. It doesn't have to be a cost savings. If you do it today and you do it often, you can do it with AI, and you can do it better. The things you do for your customers, how does AI help me do it better?”
T-Mobile for Business’ new VP of partner alliances Chris Jones said it’s up to the channel to educate customers on how best to use AI.
“We don't know what AI is going to do,” Jones said. “AI is going to transform everything. The channel grew up introducing new technologies to customers that customers needed to adapt. So what's going to happen here, whether we use AI, whether you use ChatGPT, this is the room that's going to introduce the application of the future that AI creates to customers.”