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Verizon (News - Alert) Wireless is the latest network provider to form a partnership with Microsoft. As a result of this partnership, small to midsize businesses can reap the benefits of the whole enchilada – including hosted e-mail –in scalable office suites at an affordable cost. In addition, since Verizon’s 4G LTE (News - Alert) network powers the e-mail host’s cloud services, customers are offered the most idealistic means to work on the go – and remote work, according to sources, is the future. So why should businesses employ the Office 365 services of smaller partners?

It seems as though there are a couple of good reasons that smaller Microsoft (News - Alert) partners will maintain their position in the hosted e-mail market. In the wake of the announcement that Verizon is the latest behemoth to form a partnership with Microsoft, Joe Panettieri of Talkin’ Cloud offered smaller Microsoft partners words of encouragement as well as advice on how to compete with the Verizon’s out there. His article subsequently highlights how Verizon and smaller partners measure up to one another.

• How Verizon and Smaller Partners Are Equal:

Microsoft hosts Office 365 for everyone; therefore, according to Panettieri, “All Office 365 is created equally.” Panettieri advises smaller partners to remind customers of this fact if asked how their Office 365 compares to Verizon’s.

• How Verizon Is Superior to Smaller Partners:

Even though all Office 365 is equal, Verizon powers its with 4G LTE. With Verizon’s network speed, businesses can evolve their mobile productivity. Also, SMB’s might prefer Verizon’s rates. Verizon’s Small Business Essentials, for example, is a scaled down suite that currently goes for $6 a month per person. 

• How Smaller Partners are Superior to Verizon:

You can’t beat the service offered by local providers. According to Panettieri, “As a local solutions provider you provide the deep business relationship and support that the giants can’t necessarily match.”

Panetierri also points out that in the past; it was the smaller channel providers that dominated the market for Exchange Explorer over the giants. Whatever reasons that SMB’s chose smaller partners for Exchange will likely be considerations for Office 365 as well.

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO West 2012, taking place Oct. 2-5, in Austin, TX. ITEXPO (News - Alert) offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It's also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. For more information on registering for ITEXPO click here.

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