Zendesk’s Lisa Munnings: From Seats to Outcomes for MSPs

Why It Matters

The pivot to AI‑powered, recurring revenue models expands Zendesk’s addressable market and strengthens its competitive moat against entrenched contact‑centre vendors. It also creates a scalable growth engine for both Zendesk and its ecosystem of MSPs and BPOs.

Key Takeaways

• AI‑centric services replace legacy contact‑centre platforms in ANZ
• Partner program now offers higher margins, AI accelerators, and new‑logo incentives
• Seven new regional/global partners added in last quarter
• Over 90% of APAC business is resale, not referrals
• Zendesk leverages Amazon Connect to accelerate AI adoption

Pulse Analysis

Zendesk’s channel strategy in the Asia‑Pacific region reflects a broader industry trend: AI is no longer an optional add‑on but a core component of customer‑service platforms. By encouraging partners to shift from one‑off implementations to ongoing optimisation of bots, workflows and journey analytics, Zendesk creates a predictable, consumption‑based revenue stream. This model aligns partner incentives with customer outcomes, fostering deeper integration and higher lifetime value. The partnership with Amazon Connect further amplifies this advantage, offering a cloud‑native contact‑centre backbone that can rapidly deploy AI capabilities while undercutting legacy players such as Genesys and Avaya.

The company’s partner ecosystem is being reshaped to support this vision. Eight Premier partners in Australia and New Zealand now deliver specialised services like contact‑centre‑as‑a‑service (CCaS) and industry‑specific solutions, while nine global MSPs contribute unique AI offerings that complement Zendesk’s platform. Recent strategic acquisitions—Forethought, Local Measure and Ultimate—have bolstered Zendesk’s AI portfolio, giving partners a richer toolbox to sell and implement. The revamped GTM Partner Program rewards higher margins, AI‑product accelerators and new‑logo bookings, making the channel more lucrative and encouraging rapid onboarding of new partners.

For the broader market, Zendesk’s aggressive push signals a decisive move away from traditional on‑premise, vendor‑locked contact‑centre architectures toward flexible, AI‑ready SaaS solutions. Companies seeking to modernise their customer‑service operations now have a compelling alternative that promises faster time‑to‑value, lower total‑cost‑of‑ownership and scalable consumption pricing. As more MSPs and BPOs adopt this model, the competitive pressure on legacy vendors will intensify, accelerating the overall digital transformation of the contact‑centre industry.