With the demand for hybrid communications accelerating, Mitel is
unifying its partner ecosystems and launching a redesigned global program to help partners capitalize on growing demand for hybrid communications. This is aimed at streamlining operations and enabling partners to drive growth across a rapidly evolving market.
Mitel's Strategy for Hybrid Communications Leadership
Mitel’s newly
integrated partner program combines the Mitel and Unify ecosystems, simplifying the way partners engage with customers while setting the stage for leadership in hybrid communications.
Steve Loebrich, VP of Channel (U.S./Canada) at Mitel, told ChannelE2E:
"By merging these legacy programs into one modern framework, we’re reducing complexity and enabling partners to sell, support, and grow more efficiently across all market segments. This move aligns with the rising demand for hybrid communications, where 92% of IT leaders now prioritize hybrid solutions. Our strategy positions Mitel as a leader in a segment where flexibility, control, and resiliency are increasingly valued over cloud-only approaches."
In a crowded market of cloud-first UC vendors, Mitel’s focus on hybrid offerings sets it apart, making it easier for customers to preserve existing investments while embracing cloud capabilities. Loebrich adds:
"We’ve embraced the 'hybrid advantage' by supporting customers who want to preserve existing investments while layering in modern cloud capabilities. The new partner program is designed to drive this motion forward by making it easier for our partners to attain/maintain certifications, commercial simplification, new tools, and opening new revenue streams with vertical specialization where hybrid or on-premises are much more valued."
Empowering Partners to Drive Revenue Growth
Mitel is equipping its partners with new tools and incentives to drive recurring revenue streams and support customer transitions.
"We’ve harmonized pricing and discount structures across our ecosystem to ease forecasting, quoting, and ordering. We have introduced new incentives for high-margin areas such as Software Assurance (SWA) renewals, hybrid upgrade paths, and managed service offerings. Additionally, partners gain access to a centralized Salesforce-based portal for deal registration, enablement, and training, making it easier to scale value-added services and build recurring revenue," shares Loebrich.
This new structure makes it simpler for partners to cross-sell solutions, expand into managed services, and increase overall profitability.
Supporting Customers in Complex Environments
In an era where data sovereignty, regional compliance, and hybrid deployments are top priorities, Mitel is giving partners the flexibility to meet a diverse range of customer needs. Loebrich explains:
"Our solutions emphasize deployment flexibility, allowing for premise-based, hybrid, and multicloud options that can be tailored to each customer's unique requirements for data residency, security, and compliance requirements. Our approach recognizes the growing complexity of enterprise communications and equips partners to deliver compliant, resilient solutions."
What Customers Can Expect
The impact of these changes will be felt directly by customers, who can expect more consistent service, faster outcomes, and streamlined lifecycle support. Loebrich highlights:
"Customers will benefit from broader partner expertise and improved responsiveness, simplified quoting, and faster deployment cycles. Partners are incentivized to care for and nurture their customer base for the long term. By streamlining partner tools and standardizing processes, we’re ensuring partners can act quickly and effectively."
Mitel’s Shift to Transformation Partner
As hybrid unified communications (UC) becomes central to business infrastructure, Mitel is moving beyond being just a UC vendor to a broader transformation partner. Loebrich notes:
"Yes, we’re clearly evolving from a UC product vendor into a strategic transformation partner for organizations navigating digital and operational complexity. The channel is central to this shift. Mitel’s renewed partner experience is designed to empower partners as trusted advisors, helping customers modernize without disruption. Our channel is instrumental in delivering transformation at scale, and enhanced cross-sell motions, managed services, and hybrid lifecycle tools and resources are a must to make that happen."
With this shift, Mitel is giving its partner ecosystem what it needs to keep up with growing demand for flexible, resilient communications. By working more closely with partners, the company is doubling down on hybrid, helping customers cut through the noise and adapt to the changing ways businesses communicate.
