ZINFI Technologies, Inc.

ZINFI Technologies, Inc.

ZINFI helps technology providers and their channel partners achieve profitable growth rapidly and affordably by automating Partner Relationship Management (PRM) processes globally.

  1. HACE 2 DÍAS

    Tech Mahindra's Ecosystem: Driving Outcome-Driven AI Transformations

    Tech Mahindra's Ecosystem: Driving Outcome-Driven AI Transformations In this episode, Sugata Sanyal Founder & CEO of ZINFI, sits down with Mayank Shekhar Choudhary, Senior Vice President of the Partner Ecosystem at Tech Mahindra in Europe. They discuss how Tech Mahindra is revolutionizing industries with its unique approach to digital and AI transformations. The conversation highlights the company's focus on building a strong ecosystem of partners and delivering outcome-driven solutions rather than just focusing on traditional IT metrics. Mayank shares compelling examples from the manufacturing, telecom, and banking sectors, detailing how this strategy helps customers modernize legacy systems, reduce capital expenditure, and free up resources for further innovation. This discussion provides valuable insights into the power of collaborative ecosystems and the strategic use of technology to drive real business value. Related Guidebook Hybrid Cloud and Edge AI Computing Impacting the Future of PRM How AI, Hybrid Cloud, and Edge Computing Are Transforming Partner Relationship Management Download your COMPLIMENTARY COPY of Hybrid Cloud and Edge AI Computing Impacting the Future of PRM Best Practices Guidebook. How AI, Hybrid Cloud, and Edge Computing Are Transforming Partner Relationship Management. Download for FREE Video Podcast: Tech Mahindra's Ecosystem: Driving Outcome-Driven AI Transformations ✔ Chapter 1: The Converged IT, OT, and Network Environment Mayank explains that Tech Mahindra’s services go beyond traditional IT and Operations Technology (OT) to create a converged environment that includes the network. He emphasizes that this three-pronged approach is crucial for achieving seamless digital transformation. Tech Mahindra works across various verticals as a system integrator, with a strong focus on telecom, banking and financial services, and manufacturing. The company aims to be a trusted, consultative partner in the manufacturing sector, providing an end-to-end journey from creating a future roadmap to real-world execution. The ultimate goal is to evolve the customer’s landscape while keeping the end customer at the center of every decision. This comprehensive strategy is exemplified by Tech Mahindra’s work with a global chemical manufacturer, BASF, where they are transforming the company's enterprise network across 600 sites in 72 countries. They implemented a "network as a service" model to achieve this massive project without disrupting business. This model allows the customer to pay for the service they consume rather than making a substantial upfront capital investment, a significant industry trend. By utilizing an ecosystem of partners, Tech Mahindra successfully re-engineered processes, managed people, and brought new technologies to transform the client's infrastructure. This focus on outcome-driven solutions ensures that the customer realizes tangible business benefits. The concept of a converged environment extends to the telecom space, where Tech Mahindra is helping a premier Dutch telco, KPN, to achieve autonomous operations. By bringing in process changes and innovative technology, the objective is to take the telco from a level three to a level five of autonomy. This doesn’t lead to job losses; instead, it frees employees to be utilized more effectively. This is a clear example of how Tech Mahindra's digital transformation efforts are designed to create a single pane of glass for visibility, helping telcos manage their IT, OT, and network systems in a unified way and reduce their mean time to repair (MTTR). ✔ Chapter 2: The Power of Innovative Financial Models and Ecosystems A significant trend in the technology and services industry is the s...

    54 min
  2. 26 SEP

    Building a Partner Ecosystem-First Sales Strategy

    Building a Partner Ecosystem-First Sales Strategy In this episode, Sugata Sanyal, Founder & CEO of ZINFI, sits down with Matt Green, the co-founder and CRO of Sales Assembly. Matt shares his journey from finance to leading go-to-market teams in the B2B tech sector. The conversation dives deep into the power of a community-first approach and how a strong partner ecosystem can drive growth through word-of-mouth and referrals. They discuss the critical skills modern sales professionals need, contrasting product-led and sales-led growth motions. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to build a resilient and effective sales strategy in today's fast-changing market. Related Guidebook Hybrid Cloud and Edge AI Computing Impacting the Future of PRM How AI, Hybrid Cloud, and Edge Computing Are Transforming Partner Relationship Management Download your COMPLIMENTARY COPY of Hybrid Cloud and Edge AI Computing Impacting the Future of PRM Best Practices Guidebook. How AI, Hybrid Cloud, and Edge Computing Are Transforming Partner Relationship Management. Download for FREE Video Podcast: Building a Partner Ecosystem-First Sales Strategy ✔ Chapter 1: The Journey from Finance to an Ecosystem-First Approach Matt Green's career path is far from typical. He describes his transition from finance to tech sales as a "Forrest Gump" theme, where he simply bumped into opportunities that shaped his professional life. A key thread throughout his entire career has been his role in a client-facing or sales capacity. His decision to leave finance and enter the tech world was a conscious choice he made despite facing unemployment at the time. The inspiration for Sales Assembly came from hosting monthly coffee meetings with other sales leaders in the Chicago tech scene. They discovered that the leaders faced the same common problems regardless of their companies' products. This insight was the genesis for Sales Assembly, which was initially built as a community-first model that offered little training. The network became the core product, allowing revenue leaders to exchange ideas, best practices, and troubleshoot problems. This community-driven approach is deeply embedded in the company's DNA and has been a key driver of its growth. As a bootstrapped organization, Sales Assembly relies heavily on referrals, introductions, and word-of-mouth from its network. The success of this model proves that a strong community and partner ecosystem can be a powerful engine for growth, even without extensive outbound sales efforts. This strategy resonates with the modern B2B landscape, where building a valuable network is often more effective than traditional selling methods. Matt argues that a community is valuable for any SaaS company, regardless of its product or target audience. He recommends that companies find existing communities of their buyers and get heavily involved. Adding value to these sub-ecosystems allows a startup to break through the noise and differentiate itself from larger competitors. This approach of being a part of the ecosystem, rather than just selling to it, allows for a more authentic and impactful presence in the market. It's not about a well-thought-out plan but about recognizing and acting on the opportunities that arise from actively participating in your industry's community. ✔ Chapter 2: Selling in the AI Era: Skills vs. Process The rise of AI has raised questions about what parts of sales it can automate or replace. Matt believes that specific human skills, such as curiosity, trust, and empathy, cannot be adequately replaced by AI. These soft skills are becoming even more critical, especially in mid-market and enterprise sales,

    52 min
  3. 19 SEP

    Storytelling: The Heart of Partner Ecosystem Marketing

    Storytelling: The Heart of Partner Ecosystem Marketing In this episode, Sugata Sanyal, Founder & CEO of ZINFI, is joined by Ffjorren Zolfaghar, VP of Alliances at IDMWORKS. Ffjorren shares her unique career journey from journalism to the forefront of technology alliances, highlighting how the art of storytelling remains a critical skill in B2B marketing. The discussion explores the rapidly evolving identity management landscape, the role of partners in navigating complex cybersecurity challenges, and the criteria for building successful, trust-based technology alliances. Listeners will better understand why focusing on business outcomes over technical specifications is key to engaging customers and partners. Tune in to learn how to cut through the noise and create a partner marketing strategy that resonates, drives value, and builds lasting relationships in a dynamic tech ecosystem. Related Guidebook Hybrid Cloud and Edge AI Computing Impacting the Future of PRM How AI, Hybrid Cloud, and Edge Computing Are Transforming Partner Relationship Management Download your COMPLIMENTARY COPY of Hybrid Cloud and Edge AI Computing Impacting the Future of PRM Best Practices Guidebook. How AI, Hybrid Cloud, and Edge Computing Are Transforming Partner Relationship Management. Download for FREE Video Podcast: Storytelling: The Heart of Partner Ecosystem Marketing ✔ Chapter 1: The Journey from Journalism to Tech Alliances Ffjorren Zolfaghar begins the conversation by introducing herself as the VP of Alliances for IDMWORKS, a services-led organization that handles reselling and managed services. She reveals that her tech career spans over a decade and is actually a second career. Her first was in journalism, a field she entered after studying at the University of Minnesota. She started in radio, TV, and newspaper, covering general news with an initial aspiration to become a reporter for the nightly news. Her journey then took a different turn, leading her to become a content editor and director for a publishing house, where she focused on alternative healthcare and lifestyle topics. The transition into technology was initially driven by a practical need for a more lucrative career, a decision influenced by her younger brother, who made key introductions for her. Ffjorren acknowledges the irony of her current role. As a self-proclaimed lover of pen and paper who enjoys unplugging from all devices, she admits that many people would find her unlikely to work in the technology sector. Despite this, she quickly rose, leveraging her foundational skills. She believes that the communication and writing skills honed in journalism are a "lost art" that has been tremendously helpful in her career, first in marketing and then in partner sales and management. This unique background gives her a distinctive perspective on the power of clear and compelling communication in a technical and often jargon-filled industry. She discusses the core principle that connects her two careers: storytelling. She explains that the objective remained the same whether she was writing a news story for an audience or creating marketing content for a consumer. The goal is to gain attention, provide information, and make the content relatable and digestible so the audience understands the message. From her perspective, everyone is telling a story and "selling something" every day, whether it's themselves in a job interview or a company's vision to a customer. She sees marketing and sales as interconnected, working hand-in-hand. This foundational understanding of narrative and audience engagement allowed her to pivot into marketing seamlessly and, eventually, into her current role in alliances, where she focuses on communicating value and building trusted relationships.

    42 min
  4. 16 SEP

    Leading Microsoft Ecosystems at Scale in the AI Era

    Leading Microsoft Ecosystems at Scale in the AI Era In this episode, Sugata Sanyal the main boss (Founder & CEO) of ZINFI, has a great chat with Nina Harding. Nina is a Corporate Vice President at Microsoft, overseeing how Microsoft works with partners across the Americas region. Nina shares her incredible journey in leadership, showing how partnerships have changed a lot over the years. They talk about how new AI technology has a massive effect on how businesses work and how companies help their customers. Nina explains how Microsoft is helping its many partners get ready for this significant change and thrive through it. You'll learn how flexibility, working together, and focusing on good results make new things happen faster in the Microsoft world. Listen in to find out more about what's next for AI and working with partners. Related Guidebook Navigating the AI Revolution: A Guide for Partners in the Microsoft Ecosystem Your Essential Roadmap for Growth and Innovation in the Age of AI Download your COMPLIMENTARY COPY of Navigating the AI Revolution: A Guide for Partners in the Microsoft Ecosystem Best Practices Guidebook. Your Essential Roadmap for Growth and Innovation in the Age of AI. Download for FREE Video Podcast: Leading Microsoft Ecosystems at Scale in the AI Era ✔ Chapter 1: Nina’s Career Path and Partner Growth Nina Harding talks about her long career, which includes working at big companies like Oracle, SAP, Google, and twice at Microsoft. Throughout these years, she has always focused on how different companies work together, which she calls "partnerships." She has seen how these partnerships have changed significantly over 30 years. When she started in the early 1990s, she saw how new computer programs and databases were just beginning to be used, and this helped her understand how the digital world would grow. Because she worked for both huge companies and smaller new companies, Nina learned special ways to help partners use big market opportunities and create new things together. Nina has noticed a significant shift in how companies work with partners. It used to be that companies focused on just a few special partners. The goal is to get a whole "ecosystem" of many different partners to work together and succeed. This raised a question: should companies tell partners exactly what to do, or should they let partners help lead the way? Nina says that at Microsoft, working with partners has always been a key part of how the company works, right from the start. This means that when Microsoft creates new products or sales plans, it always includes partners to ensure customers get what they need. Microsoft, led by Nina, tries to build strong trust and long-lasting relationships with its partners, not just work with them for quick wins. This commitment shows up in many ways. Microsoft helps partners learn new skills and provides training. They also bring partners into their sales meetings and events. They ensure partners are part of how Microsoft sells its products and services and offer special rewards to help partners do well. This way of working together is based on the idea that "we are better together." It allows the whole Microsoft world to work as one team, ensuring everyone wins. ✔ Chapter 2: How Leaders Make Change Happen Nina Harding discusses how big companies like Microsoft, Oracle, and Google have similar parts. No matter the company, she always has to work with different partners, like those who sell products or create new software. She needs to understand what each type of partner needs and how they can all help each other. Partners always want to know the big company's plan and how they can fit into that pl...

    46 min
  5. 26 AGO

    Industry 4.0 Roadmap: Modernize, Optimize, Transform

    Industry 4.0 Roadmap: Modernize, Optimize, Transform In this episode, Sugata Sanyal Founder & CEO of ZINFI, is joined by Jeff Winter, Vice President of Business Strategy for Critical Manufacturing and a leading Industry 4.0 influencer. They dive deep into the core of the Industry 4.0 transformation, moving beyond the hype to discuss practical realities. Jeff explains that this new industrial revolution is not just about technology but requires a fundamental shift in people, culture, and leadership. Listeners will gain a clear understanding of what makes this era unique, with a focus on bridging the long-standing gap between IT and OT teams. The discussion explores the real-world application of AI and IoT in manufacturing. It provides a clear roadmap for any organization looking to navigate its digital transformation journey through the essential steps of modernizing, optimizing, and ultimately achieving true business transformation. Tune in to learn how to build a resilient and agile operation for the future. Related Guidebook The Smart Manufacturing Playbook: Your Guide to Industry 4.0 Transformation A leader’s roadmap to leveraging people, technology, and strategy for competitive advantage Download your COMPLIMENTARY COPY of The Smart Manufacturing Playbook: Your Guide to Industry 4.0 Transformation Best Practices Guidebook. A leader’s roadmap to leveraging people, technology, and strategy for competitive advantage. Download for FREE Video Podcast: Industry 4.0 Roadmap: Modernize, Optimize, Transform ✔ Chapter 1: The People-First Mandate for Industry 4.0 The journey into Industry 4.0 is frequently mischaracterized as a purely technological endeavor. While advanced tools are a catalyst, the ultimate success of this industrial revolution hinges on a more complex and crucial element: people. The most formidable challenge in any digital transformation is not the deployment of new software or the installation of sophisticated sensors; it is the cultivation of a new mindset across the entire organization. Technology can be purchased, but a culture of innovation and adaptability cannot be. This essential cultural evolution must be championed from the highest levels of leadership. Executives must perceive Industry 4.0 not as a series of siloed IT projects but as a comprehensive business evolution that fundamentally reshapes how value is created, delivered, and measured. This strategic imperative shifts the focus from merely proving a technology works to demonstrating how that technology moves the entire business forward, delivering tangible results and a sustainable competitive advantage. This transformation requires the broader workforce to embrace a new professional paradigm of continuous learning and cross-disciplinary thinking. The very nature of manufacturing work is evolving. An employee's role is no longer confined to the repetitive operation of a single machine. Instead, they are becoming the managers of a connected, data-driven process that is constantly refined and improved. This demands newfound agility and a comfort with ambiguity, as change is the only constant in this new environment. The days of mastering and repeating a single task for years are over; future workers must be adaptable problem-solvers who can leverage data to make informed decisions. Organizations that invest in upskilling and reskilling their employees will be the ones that thrive, as they recognize that their human capital is the actual engine of innovation in the digital age. This people-first mandate is not an abstract concept but a practical necessity for survival and growth. Without buy-in from the leadership team down to the plant floor, even the most promising technological initiatives will fail to achieve their full poten...

    49 min
  6. 18 AGO

    Unlocking Partner Ecosystem-Led Growth

    Unlocking Partner Ecosystem-Led Growth In this episode, Sugata Sanyal Founder & CEO of ZINFI, is joined by Rob Moyer, Head of Partnerships at Gong, to explore the intricacies of building a modern, high-growth partner ecosystem. Rob shares his unique perspective, having built partnership programs at scale with Microsoft and from the ground up at startups like Gong. The discussion provides a detailed strategy guide on creating a successful channel strategy in today’s technology landscape. Key topics include focusing on boutique partners before scaling, establishing a tactical framework for mutual success through collaboration docs and clear goals, and evolving beyond traditional co-sell models to a more integrated "co-close" approach. This conversation is essential for any business leader looking to drive significant revenue and customer value through strategic partnerships. Listen now to unlock Gong's proven strategies. Related Guidebook Hybrid Cloud and Edge AI Computing Impacting the Future of PRM How AI, Hybrid Cloud, and Edge Computing Are Transforming Partner Relationship Management Download your COMPLIMENTARY COPY of Hybrid Cloud and Edge AI Computing Impacting the Future of PRM Best Practices Guidebook. How AI, Hybrid Cloud, and Edge Computing Are Transforming Partner Relationship Management. Download for FREE Video Podcast: Unlocking Partner Ecosystem-Led Growth ✔ Chapter 1: The Modern Partner Flywheel: From Boutiques to Scale The journey to building a scalable partner ecosystem does not begin with casting the widest net possible. Rob Moyer explains that the foundational step is to be highly selective and strategic. Instead of immediately pursuing large distributors or broad marketplaces, the most effective initial strategy is identifying and engaging with boutique partners. These smaller, specialized firms often have deep expertise and trusted relationships within a specific niche that aligns perfectly with your ideal customer profile (ICP) and, just as importantly, your target persona. This focused approach allows a vendor to secure critical early wins, build momentum, and refine its value proposition with deeply invested and aligned partners. It is a process of starting small to build a strong, repeatable model. Once a successful and repeatable motion is established with these boutique partners, the next phase of the flywheel involves scaling the program. This is where broader platforms like major technology marketplaces and traditional distribution channels become valuable. However, simply being present on these platforms is not a strategy. The early work done with boutique partners provides the proof points, case studies, and refined messaging needed to stand out among the thousands of other vendors on a line card. The success in the initial phase creates the credibility and gravitational pull necessary to attract larger partners and effectively leverage their scale. This methodical, phased approach ensures that growth is built on a solid, validated foundation rather than premature, ineffective bets. This strategy requires a significant mindset shift for partner managers, who must act more like sales development representatives (SDRs) than traditional relationship managers. Finding the right boutique partners involves proactive, targeted outreach. It requires building an ideal partner profile (IPP) and using modern tools, like LinkedIn, to conduct cold outreach and sell them on the vision of a partnership. It is about creating opportunities, not waiting for them. This disciplined, outbound effort to recruit the right-fit partners is the engine that powers the initial turn of the partner ecosystem flywheel, setting the stage for long-term, scalable success.

    48 min
  7. 8 AGO

    Partner Performance: Measure What Matters

    Partner Performance: Measure What Matters In this episode, Sugata Sanyal Founder & CEO of ZINFI, welcomes Chris Messina from QuarqAI in this talk. They discuss how hard it is to measure what partners do. Chris talks about starting QuarqAI to fix this problem of "invisible" partnerships. This episode shows how to look past just leads and money to see the full value partners bring. Listen to learn how a straightforward way to measure things can change how company leaders see and pay for partner programs. Related Guidebook Getting More From Partner Performance: A Guide to Measuring What Matters Best Practices See the Hidden Value of Your Partners and Grow Your Business Download your COMPLIMENTARY COPY of Getting More From Partner Performance: A Guide to Measuring What Matters Best Practices Best Practices Guidebook. See the Hidden Value of Your Partners and Grow Your Business. Download for FREE Video Podcast: Partner Performance: Measure What Matters ✔ Chapter 1: The Problem: You Can't See What Partners Do Chris Messina starts by talking about the main problem QuarqAI wants to fix: you can't see what partners do. He says that for 15 years, he built partner programs. They often looked like they failed on paper, even when doing well. It was hard to show his work and prove the value partners added that didn't involve direct sales. He explains that partner teams do many things that don't easily appear in sales numbers. It is hard to get company leaders to trust them and invest more. The challenge is to show all the good things partners do that don't fit into regular reports. Chris felt this problem strongly. In early 2024, he realized the most significant issue was "nobody believes us". He left his job to solve this problem. At first, he thought about a top-down plan. But then, he saw that AI could help fix the issue from the ground up. The name "QuarqAI" comes from this idea. It means proving value at the smallest level. If they can show value there, they can show all the value that other tools miss. This will help company leaders trust and invest in partner programs. Chris says partnerships live "inside everybody else's metrics, KPIs, tools". This means partner teams must try to show their value after the fact. Also, since these tools belong to other teams, there's a problem where other teams say, "That's my credit". These tools also set the rules for what success means for those teams. Partner teams don't have their own clear goal. QuarqAI wants to make partnerships visible and create one clear way to measure success that everyone understands. This will give partner leaders the tools to prove their worth and become important company leaders. ✔ Chapter 2: Measuring Partners: Big Companies vs. Small Companies Chris explains that measuring partners is hard for massive and tiny companies, but in different ways. For big companies that spend billions on partner programs, the problem is knowing what most of their partners are doing. He gives examples: a company with 5,000 partners only knows what 50 are doing. Google has 100,000 partners, but only truly understands 5,000 to 10,000. So, big companies can't easily show the value of most of their partners. Partners also want to be valued for more than just sending leads. They do other essential things that don't get noticed. QuarqAI wants to help by showing how partners affect important company goals (KPIs). This allows companies to group partners by what they do, instead of just seeing them as one big group. For smaller companies, the problem is getting noticed by bigger companies and proving their value when they don't have many resources. Here,

    43 min

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ZINFI helps technology providers and their channel partners achieve profitable growth rapidly and affordably by automating Partner Relationship Management (PRM) processes globally.