Last week, we officially launched ZiftONE.  ZiftONE embodies years of channel experience and dedicated development work in a platform that delivers Zift’s vision of Enterprise Channel Management. I firmly believe ZiftONE is the future of channel technology.

For far too long, channel technology has been delivered and purchased as an array of distinctly separate solutions. Every piece of the puzzle comes from a different vendor, and nothing works together as “seamlessly” as promised. Instead, you end up with what we refer to as a Partner Frankenstein or Channel Technology Monster, complete with siloed data, no clear picture of what’s really happening in your channel program (or how much return you’re getting on investments), lost leads, and disengaged partners. This approach wastes time, money, and can undermine your entire channel program. It just doesn’t work.

So, we directed all of Zift’s resources to create ZiftONE, the first and only all-in-ONE platform that covers the entire channel challenge. ZiftONE aligns, automates and simplifies channel marketing, sales, and operations, so it’s easy to measure the growth and return of your programs and partners.  

We’ve had a lot of help and input on ZiftONE from the world’s top channel program leaders, and via our ongoing Customer Strategy Sessions, Executive Summits, and industry analysts, including Forrester Principal Analyst and B2B expert Jay McBain and Maria Chien, Service Director, Channel Marketing Strategies at SiriusDecisions. Jay has been talking about the benefits of taking a horizontal approach to channel management for some time, stating in a recent blog:

The benefits of moving to a modern platform include advanced and integrated functionality, step-function improvements in agility and flexibility, and often a consolidated operating model. There are dozens of sources of channel data that can be consolidated from internal, external, and paid sources, although the availability cycles, sequencing, and data quality levels can provide challenges.”

Moreover, Maria commented on the release of ZiftONE itself, noting:

“To compete effectively in today’s channel, suppliers must integrate data silos and automate workflows to foster data-driven conversations with partners.”

We absolutely agree with these experts. The belief that it is time for something completely new, that eliminates those silos and allows channel organizations to actually use their data as a differentiator was the impetus of ZiftONE. We’re creating a single source of truth for channel leaders, so that all of the data from the channel is encompassed in ONE platform, which delivers a truly exceptional partner experience — and is incredibly easy to use and self-administer.  

I hope you will watch this quick video, where I discuss the creation and value of ZiftONE. You can also learn more about ZiftONE here, or find out what four key elements we deemed essential in ZiftONE here. Let us know what you think — and join the ZiftONE conversation in the comments section below.