Brian Ensign & Nextivity | Episode 006

In Episode 006 of Inside the Channel, Terra Bastlich sits down with Brian Ensign, Vice President of Sales, Americas at Nextivity, to discuss the growing demand for in-building cellular coverage and the critical role channel partners play in delivering it.

Drawing on more than three decades in the information and communications technology industry, Brian shares his perspective on education, workforce development, and Nextivity’s commitment to building a channel-first business. The conversation also explores how integrators can expand beyond traditional offerings to solve connectivity challenges in schools, healthcare facilities, retail environments, data centers, and more.

You’ll learn:

• Why education and industry involvement are essential to developing the next generation of technology professionals
• How Nextivity supports and enables its channel partners
• Where integrators can find new opportunities in the in-building connectivity market
• Why cellular and public-safety coverage are becoming increasingly important in schools
• How organizations can “do more with DAS” through IoT, asset tracking, smart-building applications, and other connected technologies
• Why strong partnerships are essential to designing, deploying, and maintaining successful solutions

Watch Episode 006 to hear how Nextivity, GetWireless, and their channel partners are working together to solve connectivity challenges and create new opportunities across the industry.

Enjoy the episode. 🎙️

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

You're listening to Inside the Channel, presented by Get Wireless, a platform built to showcase the voices, stories, and insights shaping the future of the channel. Through conversations with partners, vendors, carriers, and industry leaders, we aim to bring you meaningful perspectives on the trends, challenges, and opportunities driving our ecosystem forward. And now to your host, the chief marketing officer of Get Wireless, Tara Bastilich.

SPEAKER_03 0:29

Okay, welcome back to Inside the Channel. I'm really excited to have our guest from Nextivity, Brian Enzyme, is here with me today. And we're excited to be back recording, and we're excited to welcome you into the studio today. So why don't you give us a quick uh introduction and background?

SPEAKER_01 0:47

Sure, great to be here. Thanks for inviting me in and uh great space you have here to have some good conversations and and just be able to spend time here in Minneapolis. Uh Git Wireless is always always great, you know. And we're in the summertime, so that's really nice. And you know, it's not freezing. So I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_03 1:03

We work in good weather for you.

SPEAKER_01 1:04

Yeah, I did a great job. Uh but no, glad to be here. So for me, I've been at uh Nextivity be two years in October, uh fast two years. It's hard to believe. Um I've been around the structure cabling, ICT, information communication technology world for the past 34 years, uh, which has also gone very fast. Uh so I enjoy it. Now coming to Nextivity, I was always started from the structure cabling world, uh, even back in the testing world, uh ETL test labs. So there were testing cabling and all those Cat 6 came out back then and all those great things, right? Um so I've always played in that in that structure cabling world, fiber, copper, outside plant, inside plant cables, and and talked about a lot of applications over the years and what could connect to those wires. So you get more of a of a usage of those wires, so the more things you can do with them, right? Uh from smart buildings to smart cities and all that. And known, you know, Nextivity is a DAS company, so you know, got to play with that from an application perspective over the years and and got the opportunity to come over to Nextivity, which has been awesome. But I've been on industry for a long time and uh been president of boards, uh, Bixie's one of them. Uh actually chairing two boards now with Ashby and CCCA. And then now also uh looking to working more with SBC and WAA in our wireless world, yeah. Uh which has been fantastic. So I like to spend time on that side of the equation to really be involved and help the industry and the community and to to learn and really be involved. Uh so it's been a nice thing to be able to do. So um always been around technology. I have a electrical engineering degree, but I run a sales organization. So coming out of college.

SPEAKER_03 2:39

Unique duck. Yeah, not the true double E in geek, right?

SPEAKER_01 2:44

No, no. So I like it. I like the technology part, but after coming out of college, I'm like, well, this sales and marketing stuff is really cool.

SPEAKER_04 2:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:52

So it's been fun to be able to play in both. But I understand technology, so I can hook up a system.

SPEAKER_03 2:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:57

But I do sales. I mean it's kind of in a nutshell.

SPEAKER_03 3:00

I mean, and that that's what I think is exciting about your background. And you know, when you came on and joined Nextivity, we were excited to see that. And the things I've learned just spending time with you is is that advocacy that you have for the the business and the marketing, kind of understanding that what it takes to really evangelize what we're trying to sell, because it's an educate first, sell second. I mean, I believe in that approach every day, but really for what Nextivity is accomplishing out there takes a tremendous amount of education. And having somebody that has that background that knows how to get in front of um organizations, get in front of customers, get in front of integrators, but also like spend time with the associations that are helping drive that because it we can't do it alone. And as a vendor, it's hard to do all the education on your own.

SPEAKER_01 3:49

Oh, it is, and to change the the world or change the landscape, right? Uh for the good of everybody. Yeah, you really need the associations to do that. And and you know, we're partners in this, we're partners in solving these problems together. We can't do it alone. Uh, so we're really good, strong partners together. We're gonna be more successful. And I could see that right away. You know, quite honestly, when I came into this role, I heard of the Git Wireless, but I didn't spend time with Git Wireless, right? So being able to spend time with you all on the teams has been a huge eye-opener for me uh because you're the experts. And as you combine us together as the experts together, we can do more things together. So for me, the partnership is is just the biggest deal, massive for all of us to do.

SPEAKER_03 4:28

So well, I think that's because we have a similar philosophy in that way of the way that we're approaching it and the value that you guys bring, the value that your partners bring, and the value that Get Wireless can bring together is is really critical. But what I what I think is cool, and we'll dig in a little bit on you personally here, just before we jump in and talk a little bit more about technology and activity. But um I think that's what's exciting is the fact that you've got this background of educating and putting that investment in and spending time building that out, because we know that even the the associations, a lot of times, I mean, it's it's it's basically volunteer work. And then unless you're become, you know, literally become a part of them, which you've had both sides, right? You've been a part of being on staff at an organization, right? But also the amount of time, and I know that you guys are putting in and you've put in in the past of helping uh organizations build, you know, build what they need to build to educate the market for all of us. So um tell us a little bit about what you've learned from that. What's what would you and what would you share with others that are learning to get more involved and and and be an educator of this business?

SPEAKER_01 5:42

Yeah, I mean, that's a good point and good segue. You know, those associations are here for the membership. So whether it's individual membership, um I want to better myself and get education and get credentials so I can go do more things. Um, or if it's a company type association where the the members are companies and then the association represents companies. Uh so those associations there do better for the world. WAA, SBC, SBC is driving school safety, public safety in schools. Huge initiative uh today, and really want to be able to support that. Uh but what I've learned over the years is really the education piece is key. And in in the world today, you know, we need more people to come install and design systems, right? Whether it's complex systems, building automation systems, or DAS systems, right? Um, or simple structure cabling, right? Um, so all that the need for folks to do that and the education behind it and creating that pathway for the the person to be able to get that education, I think is really huge. And and being able to have an association do that, uh, we have training programs, get well as training programs for you know certifying partners, but to really invest in the hours and the time for somebody to create that craft is huge. And if you think of data centers, all the work they build data centers today, there's a good there's a lack of people to do the work.

SPEAKER_04 6:58

Right.

SPEAKER_01 6:58

Uh and so now companies looking at how do we cultivate that today for people who are gonna eat in three years uh or even shorter, but how do we create that pathway to do that? So I think that was one of the biggest things I found is in enabling that and driving that forward to have good training programs, credential programs for people to buy their lives, to invest in people uh that we all work with today that are gonna solve problems for our customers, right? And being able to do that has been the biggest thing. And I like staying involved just to help keep that going and and to be representative in that space.

SPEAKER_03 7:28

Yeah, I mean it's it's it's the work that we have to do, so it continues to grow too, right? It's ex it's and I hopefully we're seeing some of that the new generations coming in to support it. We're seeing some new ways of thinking, we're doing things differently, we're evolving between those organizations, ourselves and everybody that's spreading that message. Um, I think it as you look at it, do you see any specific challenges that that they're facing out there with that education piece or trying to get to the market that's looking at this type of technology?

SPEAKER_01 8:02

Um, I think it's the some challenges I've seen is you know, where to go. You know, how how do I do it? Because it could seem daunting.

SPEAKER_04 8:09

Right.

SPEAKER_01 8:09

Like how how do I even start? You know, so I'm coming out of college, I've got a degree, I'm doing certain things, uh, or maybe I've ended a career, I want to start a new career. So I've been at one career for 10 years now, I want to start something new. Is the how? How am I gonna do this? And because it write it seems daunting. Right. What's the best way to do that? So just removing that barrier and making it as simple as as possible, uh, and to be able to create that path forward. So I know what any dude today, I gotta do these X, Y, Z things to get to my endpoint, and here's how I do it. Um, because I think that's where people lose some some drive, is they just don't know how to do it or don't know where to go to to get it done. So I think that's where the associations can help to do more of that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 8:50

Yeah, and and I think that they're they're doing a good job, but they can always they they always need more voices, right? Like more hands, more voices.

SPEAKER_01 8:58

It's and you mentioned it's not the tiers, it's all there's staff, so 80% of it, the work is done by the volunteers.

SPEAKER_04 9:05

Right.

SPEAKER_01 9:06

And those volunteers have jobs. So that gets, you know, you got to balance that out. Uh so it's really finding unique people that can do that, want to spend the time right that actually helps in both worlds to be able to do that. So there's a lot of volunteer time, people that really care for sure.

SPEAKER_03 9:22

Yeah, it definitely takes an investment. And I know that we all have good intentions every day, but I I do, I do think it's great. And I think the work that we see in the companies that are the most successful are that they're willing to invest in things that maybe again, maybe it's hard to find that exact ROI of what did that mean? Because education is hard to show a return on always, but the market, it's kind of a high tides raise all boat strategy, and you just kind of got to go with it. And we have to believe in the investment. And especially in the technology side that is super complicated, or like you said, people that are kind of stumbling. And one of the interesting things, and one of the things that I see the most in the Nextivity business, I want to segment into talking specifically about the channel, because that's really our focus is making sure we're we're using it and we've seen Nextivity be a huge advocate and there's been a huge shift to channel. And I want to talk about that. But specifically, I think one of the things that's been the most interesting with how you guys have helped integrators evolve. Because as you said, like sometimes this is harder and like maybe they were selling a different type of solution that was going into a building that was solving a problem in a building, but now they're looking at the building going, well, I can solve another problem. So tell me a little bit about that, and then we'll talk a little bit more about your the channel strategy.

SPEAKER_01 10:42

Yeah, yeah. So being able to create that pathway for them from across various partners. And yes, we're very much 100% into the channel, the partners, they're very key for us. Uh, that's why we've invested a lot of time and effort and funding into a training university or program, right? So that that helps to give you know perspective related and activity on training that we have. Uh, but it is also enabling new partners that come on and creating that pathway. They might be installing A V, security, IT networks, structured cabling networks, and they see there's a need for DAS in the building, right? But I don't know what to do with it. It's uh that's not my expertise. I'm just don't it's got it's equipment that's got blinky lights on it per se, more so than just cable, fiber, copper, right?

SPEAKER_03 11:26

You put those red boxes in, so we get some other red boxes to put in there.

SPEAKER_01 11:30

It's got bigger blinky lights, I don't know. Yeah, but it is nice to be able to, okay, yeah, I could do that. You know, where it does seem like it's scary, it's commissioning, it's you know, the smarts and parts per se, and getting those hooked up. Uh so by now we're we're really investing in that segment to help them to do that now, whether it's through training or it's partnering with another partner. So we have a channel or partners that have really been with Nextivity for many years and know Nextivity, they're family, right? Yeah. So how do we take some new family members and help them create, you know, to create their opportunities and be successful? Well, let's work with a seasoned group of partners that know Nextivity doing a lot of work around the country and that's partnering with partners. So really been promoting a lot of that, and that's working out very well. Uh and now the partners are working together to help solve problems. So it's another kind of a parallel approach we took to it.

SPEAKER_03 12:19

Well, and it's it's evolving those partners that are currently in there, right? That are the the success stories of your relationships, right? They're building new relationships, they're evolving. But I think what's also exciting is what we're seeing, and again, maybe this is a little bit of the demographic of the partners that work with Get Wireless, is we're seeing partners that are evolving their business because they see the opportunity to help in these in-building situations, right? Because they're all different. It's not one if you're whether you're looking at public safety, you're looking at a retail solution, you know, there's lots of different use cases. And then as we were discussing earlier, they have to identify a problem before you can solve it, right? We're really about solving it. So we need problems so we can solve them. But it's it's interesting to see the these integrators that are that are evolving and saying, like, I could be a really good partner for this. And, you know, I'm not saying you went from vehicle upfitting to now all of a sudden you're an inbuilding DAS installer, but there is, there is, it's there. I mean, the the it's not that far of a bridge, right? And we're helping new types of partners, I think, get there than ever before we've seen. So it wasn't like you're segmented where you're like, all I do is inbuilding or DAS.

SPEAKER_01 13:34

Just slightly and I gotta stay.

SPEAKER_03 13:36

Yeah, they're evolving and they're understanding, or if they are, they're at least coming with it and they're saying, hey, I can only solve one of the two problems, but can you guys help me? We'll bring in a different partner. And that's one of the interesting things that I would say inside of your channel program is there are partners working with partners, right? And it's it's it's great. I mean, if you look at it, yeah, like all your kids get along. It's great. Um, but tell me a little bit, let's dive in a little bit on the channel program and structure because it's really critical. And one of the things and one of the reasons we like working with Nextivity is that evolution that started when we started with you guys, which should be 10 years?

SPEAKER_01 14:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 14:19

I think it's gotta be about 10 years.

SPEAKER_01 14:21

Um that's half the life of Nextivity now, because we're 20 years old this year. So half of our life we've been together.

SPEAKER_03 14:27

Isn't that where you say you start to act like each other? Isn't that the joke with big spouses or something? Um, but you guys made a big change, right? You made that evolution. You said, we're gonna be a channel company, we're gonna focus. You'd primarily sold a lot to carriers. Um and then the program has continued to evolve. And I think that that same value approach that we saw in that disciplined channel is what's kept us saying, Nextivity is a great partner. We've invested, you've invested in us. Like we want to be good partners. But I think that comes down to that discipline. So talk a little bit about the channel program because I do think it's it started out as new and now it's become best in class. Like it's it's strong, it's strong. You're still evolving. We talk about every day, like always good improvement. Yeah, there's always ways to improve. But talk a little bit about the program because I and kind of how you got there, because it is different than some of the other solutions in the market, too.

SPEAKER_01 15:23

Yeah, no, and and coming into next tip, that's I really appreciated because was that dedication to the channel. Um, I know is our dedication to get wireless, you know, as a partner there. Also our installation partners are at RSIs. Uh, the equation, we're all successful together. So we're all experts in what we do. Um, we're experts in the equipment side and the products that enable it. Um, you're all the experts in the distribution of it and making sure the product's there and ready to go. And then our course are SIs, you know, design and installation. So all that is successful and really seamless to the customer, the end user. And that's what we really wanted to strive for was you know that they they need the product, they need it designed, installed and correct, and maintained correctly after it's installed. So by having this whole network to make that happen is really important to us to make that seamless. So, from what I understand, coming in, really just focused on that years ago to create a program that really supports that. Uh, so we do treat our partners as family. And that's what I like about the feel, the culture coming into Nextivity is it truly is that way. So it's all we're all family together. So we're gonna be loyal, we're gonna be focused on this family or this family that we have to make sure everybody's successful and everybody's supported and in various means, which I love seeing the the focus on the investment into the programs themselves, the tools that we have. Yeah, you know, whether it's a portal, university, all these great things that we can access online uh to make it very simple to get the answers very quickly, uh, to make sure all the information is there. And you know, AI helps a lot nowadays, uh, but it's really important that they're really supported and they are part of the family. You know, it's we're win together, we lose together, we're we celebrate together. So you know, it was very important. So we do not deviate from that. That is the this is the strategy, this is where we're gonna keep focused. And I think we've all been successful in that and it's working out very well. So it's nice to be able to come into a program that's defined and executioned, is you know, to be successful together.

SPEAKER_03 17:13

And I mean, I think it's that discipline that's been very good since the beginning, but it's that what really drives that is that relationship that you guys have built. And I you do treat the channel partners as an extension of your sales team, which is the way I believe it should be always, but I can't say that every vendor looks at it that way. And it's twofold. You want to look at the every channel partner in my mind, though vendors or manufacturers will look at them and call them a partner or a reseller or an integrator. And I say, well, first of all, you're they're a customer. That's first and foremost, they're a customer. And then we identify them as a VAR system integrator or solution provider, but they are an extension of our sales team and we should trust them, we should enable them. And that's really what we see. And you don't sell against them. We, you know, I think that's one of the really strong parts of that, that the discipline that builds that behavior where they do, they become loyal, they trust you because you trust them.

SPEAKER_01 18:13

I know. And what I appreciate about working with with Git Wireless is that we're all in this together. So that I never feel like, you know, it's it's your customer, my customer. So we're together, and that's why I've always appreciated coming in a relationship as it's it's equal in how we focus. And we're all talking and collaborating. So it just works out well for everybody. And we will sometimes we have to say no, you know, and I I'm a person I hate to say no. Sometimes I say no, but or yes, but right. So there's a you know, a little bit of things we need to do. Yeah, but you know, sometimes we just have to say, you know, no, we're not gonna deviate from this and right, you know, win, lose, or draw. This is what we're gonna do. And we've stuck with that.

SPEAKER_03 18:52

Do you see? I guess my next question for you would just be to talk about the areas that you see the most opportunity today. Because I mean, I find that the hardest part with your product is everybody could could use it. I mean, it it's it's so much the the fact of we can solve connectivity issues or signal challenges in buildings or in mobile environments. Like there's lots of different things that need it. So it becomes actually harder in my mind sometimes to figure out how if I if I'm a channel partner listening to this or I'm an integrator listening to this, I'm like, what are the where's a low-hanging fruit? And I I will I will give a couple of things that were in my mind, but I'd love to hear what you have in definitely match. I was gonna say you definitely disagree with me. Um, I look at, you know, again, obviously we know the requirements for occupancy in a building is as you kind of start to see those requirements and we and people follow those around and look at I see that it's always an opportunity. The second piece that I see right now, but that that is again having some experience in public sector, public safety or working in government, like it has some unique challenges. Not everybody can just dive into that. And the second one that I see is is an opportunity with our schools, which I think obviously I'm a mother that comes near and dear to my heart. And unfortunately, in this day and age, it's become really relevant. And it's unfortunate, like we were talking about, you have to see a problem in order for us to solve it. It's an unfortunate situation. It's the same thing as if you're selling insurance. They always show you the car accident and then they tell you to buy the insurance and they show you the test. Yeah. So again, and it's an unfortunate situation. And I would advocate, you know, that our our children, our teachers, our everybody in our school should be connected no matter what. And that's not so they can keep up on their, you know, TikTok or their Snapchats. It's because I believe they should be connected. So I see those as the two, but I'd love to hear your thoughts.

SPEAKER_01 20:55

Yeah, and I'm very a strong proponent for the school, the education, whether it's it could be any level, whether it's K through 12 or higher ed or universities, tech schools. Um, yeah, I'm sure everybody should be connected. Um, and really at the end of the day, you know, it's keeping our kids safe, keeping the teachers safe, everybody that's working there, and also reduce reducing that response time. So if there is an incident, it could be a major incident or it could be two kids are fighting, right? It could be any type of incident. How do we reduce that response time? Uh so I think that's a I think every school should be a requirement to be covered. So there is a cellular signal and a public safety signal at all times. Every everything covered.

SPEAKER_04 21:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:32

Uh and I think there's different ways to manage it. And SBC, the Safer Buildings Coalition, is addressing that of how they how it could be solved, right? And if you check out their site, they have all a lot of stuff there. It's the same thing as you're going airplane mode on a plane. It could be a school mode, and that's something that they're working on. Um that could be give the connectivity for public safety side of it, or there's an issue and not not allow TikTok, for example. Right.

SPEAKER_04 21:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:56

And it's an aid, right? There's various forms of uh Uh views from teaching professionals of do cell phones aid in education or do they hinder it? Right. There's various views on either side. Right. So I get that. But at the end of the day, it's got to be connected. So I think that's one obvious one. And then where people really gather, you know, it's whether it's a movie theater, whether it's stores, um, I think it really branches out to the next part there of okay, we want to make sure there's coverage air from a public safety. And but then it really boils down to the the customer usage, the consumer usage, right? The one thing I hate is going into a store and the sell signal is not enough, and I got to log on to the Wi-Fi.

SPEAKER_04 22:34

Right.

SPEAKER_01 22:35

So if I want to use, you know, I always use that, you know, Costco, right? You can use your phone to go do your shopping, uh, but if that store is no connectivity and I got to log into Wi-Fi, and how dependable is it, it's always an irritation.

SPEAKER_04 22:45

Right.

SPEAKER_01 22:46

Uh so definitely the retail comes schools and education retail are right there together. Uh, but you know, hospitality, you know, uh hotels, healthcare systems, hospitals, clinics, all those have been really an area of of great need and slowly starting to come to fruition of actual real projects. Uh, but the discussion there and the uh opportunities have been really, really big. And of course, office spaces and those type of things. But it can get to be a challenge of the location. If I'm in New York City or Chicago, you know, getting a good sell signal off a 50-story building is not as easy. And it's it's off air, right? So everything we're doing is off-air. So there's different regulations we got to look at. But in these verticals and data centers is coming up really quick to get signals in there, where in the past they wanted no signals in that space. But today, uh, for for efficiencies, uh, for sensing, for just the technicians to be connected, um, it's becoming a big topic there today. So we're seeing a lot of good opportunities in data centers too.

SPEAKER_03 23:45

And I think that's always the hardest part, though, is that you guys could solve so many issues. There's so many. But we see that as kind of that. Um, I guess what excites you the most about where things are headed? There's lots of opportunity. I mean, I know I personally get really excited when we talk about the stuff we're doing to help in public safety in our schools. And I'm I'm a big passionate person. You've heard me talk about it before, but that part excites me. But what excites you the most about what what next activities got coming up and what you're doing and and where you guys are going?

SPEAKER_01 24:17

Yeah, really exciting for me is um our ability to solve these cell phone connectivity problems and make that better experience for whoever's in the space, right? Um that's exciting. And I think the way we do it is is definitely different from anybody else out there. Uh, but just being able to have the thought outside the box of yes, we're gonna take care of the core connectivity requirements, public safety or cellular connectivity, we're gonna make the phones work, right? Um, to be able to take that further and say, okay, now with this from an IT perspective, uh, there's more to the story. There's more that they can do with this infrastructure they just invested in and it solved their immediate problem. But then let's talk about the other problems. Let's talk about the other things. What would you like to do? Uh so I like the the fact that we're thinking outside the box. So the infrastructure's there, right? Uh, but maybe maybe cellular connectivity isn't the issue. Maybe it is more of a smart building IoT sensing. Uh, well, we can do that too. So you know, in this case, we're not gonna the cell phones are working, but we have these other things that are not working. You know, it could be in a store with temperature sensors for the freezers, right? The person today comes in and use uh every hour they're logging in with a a temperature gun that that freezer is still at below at that specification. Right. Well, what if I use the network to sense it automatically? Right now, that person didn't have to do that, and now it's if something does fall below a certain requirement, then the system will indicate to somebody to go check that out. Uh so it's the nice thing is we can think outside the DASBOG. It's still a distributed antenna system, right? But I'm doing more than just providing cellular signal. I'm gonna use that cellular signal to do it, uh, but now I'm gonna create a separate network, and that's what excites IT professionals.

SPEAKER_04 25:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:53

Uh, because of the IT world, I got a network in the building. I got Wi-Fi, I got hard connections, and I'm also protecting that data integrity from intrusion. Now, if I have these devices start to come in and from a business operations perspective, like I want to add these temperature sensing, ox sensors, um, energy efficiency, building automation stuff. Uh, I don't know if I want to put that in my network because now I got to protect that against my core network. And somebody could intrude that way. They might not get access to the network, but they can sure shut it down because they can ping it over and over. It's like, all right, now we provide another network layer that they can use on the cellular side. And they're like, well, I can offload all these and be a backup. Right. I can offload all these things on it. And they're like, uh, once I realize that, like, all right, now I can use this network and I'll solve the cell phone problems too at the same time. Uh so that's been exciting to think that way outside the box and and doing investment to make that happen. And and at the end of the day, it's seeing the how happy the people are. And the example I give is a hospital at the nursery station, the cellular signal was totally dead. Uh so when the nurses at or the doctors take a break, you know, they'd have to go outside to call or or get a phone call or some of those. So they're very limited in what they could do outside of a network. But once it was installed and turned on, just how happy those nurses were to be connected and how it made them feel connected was a huge thing. Like, wow, I never thought this would happen, ever thought this would work. Right. But just seeing that simple thing of my cell phone's connected now. So if somebody needs me or if I want to use it, I have it. Um happy they were was very rewarding.

SPEAKER_03 27:26

Makes their day better. I mean, you're making people's, you know, because not everybody loves to do that job. I would never be able to do that job. So, but just making their day better.

SPEAKER_01 27:36

And if my kids need something from school or something happened, yes. Or something happened at home.

SPEAKER_03 27:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:42

So there's just all these things that could be addressed much quicker than waiting to try to get a hold of them later. No, right. When when I grew up, there was no cell phones, right? So I come from a world even pagers are really cool, but right, right. Yeah, here we are. Our kids expect disconnectivity as they grow up ever everywhere. It doesn't matter where they're at. Even go into a cabin at the lake.

SPEAKER_03 28:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:03

I mean, the whole idea of disconnecting is very foreign to them, right?

SPEAKER_03 28:07

So I and I can understand that. I I struggle to truly disconnect too, because it is it's you know, it is something we become reliant on. Well, I think just to jump off of what you said a little bit, I think that that that solution aspect of the doing more is what's really critical, the using channel partners too. Because like Next C V can't do that as a vendor. They can't solve all these problems and think like everybody. And that's the great thing about using channel partners because that is what they do. They put multiple things together. And again, they may bring in something that is another vendor. Yes, it's complimentary to you guys. And that's truly when you talk about a solution provider, a system integrator, they really are thinking that way. Like, how do I do more with this network? How do I solve more of this, the problems in this building? How do I add efficiency? How do I add, you know, different tools that could help them? Um, and I think that can't be solved with a direct sales strategy. Something we you need, and you need those partners, then they ideally have done it before, right? They'll understand and they'll have to. And they can put it all together.

SPEAKER_01 29:14

We can make the best equipment in the world to make this work, right? But unless it's being, you know, deployed, designed, talked about by our partners, you know, you know, it's it's not going to go anywhere. So that's where we're spending a lot of time. You know, and we talk a lot about do more with DAS, and that's been our platform for the last since I've been here, right? Even before that, right. It's really getting traction now because now the partners are understanding and how to do it and how to do things with it. And it really opens their eyes. And and sometimes uh I had a meeting uh last week with a big hospital in Maryland, and they already have an active DAS system installed. So we're not gonna sell to solve the cell problems because they already have a DAS.

SPEAKER_04 29:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 29:50

But in certain areas of the building, the CEO, when he walks through a tunnel to the parking garage, he's talking to his wife on the phone and he loses it as he walks every time he knows it's gonna happen. He goes, All right, all right, hon, I'll call you when I'm on the other side, right? Yeah, so he goes, first of all, can you help fix that?

SPEAKER_03 30:03

And I'll be super happy.

SPEAKER_01 30:05

But then you say asset tracking of equipment in a hospital. Hospitals in where it's at. So that wheelchair, I want to know it's in this sector, yeah, which we can do with a DAS system now.

SPEAKER_04 30:14

Right.

SPEAKER_01 30:15

So we can those through Bluetooth, that'll talk to our system and we can track assets. So that's a problem. Once we start talking about his eyes lit up, oh if you could solve that for me and this hallway, it it'd be awesome. So we're gonna use a DAS system to do that, and there's already an active DAS system there, but we're we're gonna focus on this other solution. And the integrator partner was with us, and he he and be involved in that meeting. He opened his eyes too. Like, I didn't think of talking to different opportunities that didn't need DAS. But I could do this. So it really once this becomes more of we keep talking, talking and working with the channel, uh it becomes more of a normal thought process.

SPEAKER_03 30:53

Versus walking around and be like, Well, you already got a DAS system, so we can uh move on to the next one.

SPEAKER_01 30:57

He would have walked away. He's like they already have an active DAS. Why would I call it?

SPEAKER_03 31:01

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:01

Yeah, and it's uh we just happened as next activity to get uh that meeting set up through a a consultant friend of theirs because they're all friends, they're personal. Yeah, I still believe really strongly people buy things from people and work with people that they like.

SPEAKER_04 31:14

That right.

SPEAKER_01 31:15

So his personal relationship is is huge. So he used his personal relationship because he believed in us and put us together and just let the conversation happen. And everybody walked out of there like, okay, there's there's some great things that we can do here, and you'd be a big help if you can do this.

SPEAKER_03 31:29

And I think there's an opportunity. I think there is, you know, there's partners that are gonna evolve into this. And I think it's a good way if you're looking at your business model and maybe you are changing or you're looking at expanding. Like there is opportunity here, and we're seeing new kinds of integrators that are really helping us. But as you think about maybe their experience has been it all the all the time has been in medical in a different way, maybe in an IT environment, this could you could be very successful adding this to your solution portfolio and being an expert in that vertical. And it I think that helps us as we go into these strategies.

SPEAKER_01 32:07

And and their customers are gonna have more of appreciation now, you know, just building more of of of just you know, the loyalty and and respect and just the comfort of working with this entity, working now, you're solving all these problems for them. Right. And Brett, because we have a lot of great partners been working a long time that are experts in the space and and we love that. Uh, but we also want to cultivate, you know, new partners coming in and being able to work with these folks, I think is really important.

SPEAKER_03 32:32

I think that that's part of the success we're seeing. We're seeing the growth in the program overall, right? There's lots of different levels of of these partners that are successful.

SPEAKER_04 32:40

Yeah and working together.

SPEAKER_03 32:42

And yeah, and all working with Get Wireless because we're we're trying to enable them. And it's interesting since you know, we we've started, it was started from nothing. So you can only go up, but it's really been a huge growth mechanism. But it's also been for us, it's that evolution that we've seen of the different kinds of partners that are coming in. We're still bringing those in and evolving. And uh, we're excited about the future, though. We think there's continue growth. I mean, I don't I think we've seen growth almost every single year. We've had the product every year. We do win the award every year. So if anybody's wondering, they need to be working with Cat Wireless always.

SPEAKER_05 33:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 33:17

So this is favorite distributor, but I continue to vote that. One of, but then yes, but we do get an award every year, which is great. But we've again, I think that comes back to that mutual commitment that we've seen. And we've we've been through a lot of a lot of great yeah, like great things. We've done some really great things and we've done some things where we're like, gosh, that was kind of an experiment. We're really, but it's how we've learned together and grown together.

SPEAKER_01 33:43

Well, I appreciate that because it is a true partnership. Yeah. Because we interf in in interface with each other at all levels, you know, all the time. So our all the functions are are working together, and whether it's in the corporate offices or whether it's in the field, you know, working with our partners at events. We do a lot of events together. Yeah. So I do appreciate there's a lot of trust in there, and we do a lot of good deep discussions together on various fronts. So I have not seen that a lot in the industry over the years. So I definitely appreciate that coming in.

SPEAKER_03 34:12

Well, we really enjoy it. Like I said, we love the entire team at Next Tiv. It's just been such a great work. So excited to have you and have such a channel advocate, such a good advocate in the industry. So if if um if anybody has questions, they know they'll they'll reach out to you. And we're always, you know, having that same open, open door policy to ask questions. Well, thanks for joining me today. Really appreciate it. It was great to have you here.

SPEAKER_01 34:38

Thank you.