IT spending is expected to hit a whopping $4.6 trillion this year, according to a study from Gartner. They say the trend holds true for all regions worldwide despite the global economic unrest.

You see, companies are shackled by legacy technology, and teams are plagued with low productivity and inflexibility. As a byproduct, nearly all C-suite leaders are aiming to mature their digital business strategies.

This is where you come in.

Each of your clients is on their own digital transformation journey. Some are excelling. Others are not. And these laggards need your help and expertise to find the right solution, especially if they’ve received notice their systems will soon face end-of-life (EOL). This guide will help you navigate these EOL situations and become a trusted advisor for your clients. And then, you’ll also secure recurring commissions and earn an additional Q4-23 SPIFF from yours truly.

What Does End-of-Life Mean for Technology?

EOL technology has reached the end of its product lifecycle, meaning there will no longer be product updates and support. With how quickly technology evolves, EOL is a common occurrence for a variety of reasons, such as:

• A new version is coming to the market.
• New technology is rendering the solution obsolete.
• It can no longer compete with other solutions.
• The manufacturer is losing profit.

The downside of EOL is forced change, but often, this change is long overdue for your clients. Too often, your clients are complacent because, well, change is hard. Which is why they’ll need a well-educated advisor to guide them through their DTX. (Plus, it gives you another opportunity to recommend Broadvoice to your client base.)

Common Questions from Clients

As your clients navigate away from legacy technology, you’ll need to be armed and ready to answer their endless shoot-out of questions. Here are a few of the most common questions to help position you as the tech expert for their EOL change management.

Q: Do I have to stop using my PBX? Can I keep what I have?

A: It depends. While you might not have to stop using your legacy system immediately, the vendor isn’t supporting it anymore. That means if a problem comes up, there’s not a whole lot you can do about it. And there’s a high likelihood it’ll become either non-compliant or non-compatible with your other systems.

It’s also worth noting that a cloud PBX system is easier to use and deploy, gives you more flexibility and security, and often saves you money. While it may sound like a lot, the pain of staying on your legacy system will hurt a lot worse than the pain of change.

Q: Do I need to use the replacement recommended by the manufacturer?

A: It may feel like you’re being forced to use the manufacturer’s recommended replacement, but you don’t have to. Unless you have an existing licensing or maintenance agreement that locks you into a solution with your existing vendor, you should be able to choose other options.

Q: Do I have to stay until my contract is completed?

A: No, but it might be financially beneficial to do so. My team and I can help you evaluate your short-term and long-term costs so you can make an informed decision about timing.

Q: Will the replacement cost me more money?

A: Let’s run the numbers and find out!

Q: Am I allowed to shop around?

A: Absolutely! My team can guide you through the process.

Q: What can I gain from choosing a new solution?

A: It depends on what you have today. A hosted or cloud phone system provides simpler administration, enhanced security, licensing flexibility, integrations, and much more.

Helping Your Clients with EOL Phone Systems

EOL phone systems are the perfect opportunity to recommend Broadvoice solutions. Here are quick tips to help navigate client discussions.

Approaching Your Prospect/Client

For existing clients, previous discovery calls likely revealed their phone system’s vendors/model, so you know if they’re facing EOL. If you don’t know, ask. For example, “Many vendors are notifying customers of end-of-life equipment. If you’ve received a notification, we can help you understand what this means and explore your options.”

Implications of EOL for Clients

As the expert in comms technology, it’s your role to explain some of the consequences and implications associated with EOL. Here are a few to cover with your clients:

• Security vulnerabilities. Without updates or patches, phone systems and network solutions are more susceptible to breaches.
• Higher maintenance costs. Aging solutions are more likely to fail and need ongoing maintenance.
• Incompatibility issues. When manufacturers no longer update solutions, they gradually stop working with other solutions.
• Scalability concerns. Older solutions usually have growth limitations and need substantial spending or complete system overhauls to add seats.
• Limited support. As providers discontinue solutions, they also stop support.

Reasons to Recommend Broadvoice

As a Broadvoice partner, you know what sets us apart and makes us a great vendor.

• Broadvoice offers exceptional customer support over self-service UCaaS providers.
• Broadvoice cloud communications operate on our proprietary platform. We have complete control over features and functionality.
• Broadvoice is known for its industry-leading self-service installs and implementation practices. We offer a customized needs assessment, network readiness assessment, design and configuration, on-site survey, professional installation, training, and issue resolution.
• The Broadvoice Success Program provides three months of dedicated professional support to ease the learning curve, ensure the system is set up correctly, and promote user adoption companywide.

Understanding EOL Opportunities

When your client is preparing to replace EOL technology, you get the chance to upsell, cross-sell, and start a conversation. EOL clients are highly motivated to consider their options, so this is the ideal time to discover Broadvoice solutions.

By partnering with Broadvoice, you can access a dedicated channel team, joint go-to-market plans, marketing support, co-selling programs, concierge quoting, creative revenue opportunities, and industry-leading compensation and incentives. You can also qualify for an extra Q4-23 SPIFF for migrating EOL partners to Broadvoice solutions.

Broadvoice can help you design a future-proof solution for your clients with end-of-life technology. Contact your Channel Manager for more information.