Riccardo Rolfo - 8 mayo, 2019 - 6 ’ read

Imagicle U.K. tour: getting closer to the customers overseas.

Cisco, Onboarding, Sales, UK

Warning! This is not an ordinary blog post. This is the story of a bunch of UC experts who traveled the U.K. through Cisco events, but also through musical notes and flavors, with a true passion for a product able to captivate customers and partners all over the world. It is the story of Imagicle UCs rockstars! Check it out!

Imagicle countertrend: settling down in the U.K.

No matter how fast this country evolves and which winds shake its institutional fate: Imagicle decided to swim against the tide and get even closer to its old British customers and partners, dedicating a team of sales and pre-sales people to invest in the U.K. market.

The first step in this direction, then, was to sponsor the Cisco Partner Forums around the UK, to understand the specific dynamics of this market and establish direct contact with our peers and customers.

Of course, it was not a random choice. We walked the most solid bridge we have, the one with Cisco. For many years now, Imagicle has been developing a suite of solutions for the Cisco Unified Communication platforms, and it’s the only independent software vendor with almost all its solutions on Cisco GPL (Global Price List).

Which means that Imagicle solutions have been officially selected by Cisco all over the world.

Only in February and March, we attended four Cisco Partner Forums events: two in England, one in Ireland and one in Scotland (yes, sometimes I wonder if rock stars have such a busy schedule too, or, even better, if the calendar has the power to turn me into one of them

Anyway, all the four events were great opportunities to share the new sales focus with old and new customers. The goal, indeed, is building a stronger and stronger network of partners and reseller to bring Imagicle high-quality user experience to new U.K. customers.

And now, what if I take you for a walk around the UK with me?

We hadn’t just a rockstar calendar: we also had rockstars’ locations!

Come on, I’ll show you.

Starting in a blaze of glory: Wembley.

The lights go on and spark all around, the breath stops; if you listen carefully, you can hear a thunder of clapping hands. Yes, sir, I’m talking about Wembley!

While participating in the Cisco event, we could feel all the charm of the famous stadium nearby, scene of legendary matches and of some of the greatest moments of the music of all time. From the 1966 World Cup Final (England won 4–2 after extra time against West Germany) to the epic Live Aid, the venue benefit concert held on Saturday 13 July 1985 which featured such champions as David Bowie, Paul McCartney, Elton John, The Who, Dire Straits, U2 and Queen (now we can even relive some incredible moments of the British band at Wembley Stadium in the Bohemian Rapsody movie!).

Let it Liverpool!

Our next stop was the Cisco event in Liverpool, another mythic place for music fans. Speaking about this city, the mind immediately flies to the Beatles, the English rock band formed here in 1960, ready to lead the «British Invasion» which changed the music and the world in the 60s and 70s.

Today, Liverpool’s heart still beats with the sound of music. It’s not all about the big venues, here. Many smaller streets throughout Liverpool host live music nights and open mic nights (we recommend checking out Arts Club, Buyers Club, and The Magnet). Wherever you go in this city, you’re never too far from music. Working in this atmosphere has been great.

Passage to the green land. Ireland.

After England, we reached Ireland. The Irish Cisco Partner Forum was held in Carlingford, a medieval, little and lovely village. In Ireland, we’ve been amazed by inspiring landscapes and dazzling scenery, and we could enjoy a show of traditional Irish music and dance (always with a pint of Guinness in our hands, needless to say!). We had the pleasure to meet the Irish people, always smiling and able to make you feel at home with their teas and cheerful spirit.

Imagicle U.K. tour: getting closer to the customers overseas.

A Scottish conclusion.

Last but not least, Scotland. The final stage of the tour was the Cisco Scottish Partner Forum in Dunblane, a town in central Scotland, an area of enchanting natural beauty with a fascinating history.

Meeting Scots people was a real pleasure: they are polite but very reserved until they get to know you; then they can become real friends.

We enjoyed a wee dram of the Scotch Whisky, world-famous for good reasons. We also discovered the Irn Bru, the all-time favorite soft drink of Scotland, often described as «Scotland’s other national drink”.

We tasted the haggis, Scotland’s national dish, a pudding consisting of sheep’s offal, oatmeal, onion, spices and fat, cooked in a casing. It was a great experience!

What came out of the hat.

And now, if you agree, I’d like to draw some conclusions from this lovely journey.

After a first year of investigation on the UK market, and thanks to the participation in Cisco events around the country, I was finally able to understand some salient features of the U.K market:

the UK UCs is a very mature market, deeply branched from large to medium and small business, with a particular focus on the healthcare and finance vertical;
competitors are not only numerous and well-rooted: they are also qualitatively valuable;
customers are used to choosing the best solutions from a range of competitors presented by vendors, so the competition is very high, and even the smallest details can make the difference.

In such a context, Imagicle solutions have been able to make their way by levering on some key points.

In particular, what has positively impressed the partners and end customers is the breadth and uniqueness of a solution that perfectly integrates, on a single platform, with simple and satisfying user experience, all the unified communication services a company may need.

And it’s not just about technologically advanced tools – Customer Service, Digital Fax, Call Recording, etc. – the result of a study focused on user needs and progressively increased: the added value comes from everything around them.

The unified experience of Imagicle solutions, in fact, is guaranteed on all aspects, from the sales and pre-sales services, ready to intercept the specific needs of each client, to advanced services for installations in every kind of environment, up to support service in 8 languages able to solve problems promptly. All seasoned with an extensive training section on the website with webinars and useful materials.

All this can be summed up in two basic concepts: rest and simplicity on the installation and usage side.

That is, all that rockstar UCs know is needed most.

Where to meet us next (and get an autograph!)

The tour was long and full of adventures, so far. And the best has yet to come!

Imagicle will be back on the roads of the U.K. in May to meet partners and bring the unique Imagicle customer experience to new amazing people.

We’ll be attending the Cisco Partner Roadshow event on May 9th at the Cisco Office in Bedfont Lakes (London).
We will be a sponsor of UC Expo, Europe’s largest unified communication and collaboration event, on May 15-16 at the ExCeL London.

Imagicle U.K. tour: getting closer to the customers overseas.
Would you like to set up a meeting?
Contact me at +44.(0)7944.544635 or send an email to riccardo.rolfo@imagicle.com.
…and if you want to live an incredible work experience too, check out our openings and apply here.