‘Partners are dealing with overly complex solutions from other vendors. We’ve simplified our product to meet the basic needs of small businesses, without overloading them with features they don’t use,’ says Cloudli CEO Jamie Minner.

With a partner-focused mindset and a forward-thinking strategy to outpace competition, Cloudli Communications is ripe for growth as the unified communications-as-a-service specialist continues to service the SMB market.

Cloudli CEO Jamie Minner said in 2025 the Montreal, Quebec-based firm will be focusing on packaging its products into solutions for the micro-SMB market.

“We’re expanding our U.S. channel, building out managed services and developing a small business security division,” he told CRN.

Cloudli, which has about 70 employees and about 6,000 partners, is hyper focused on the SMB market by bringing a suite of solutions to better serve them at their level.

“We launched a new partner program with a single-pane-of-glass partner portal,” Minner said. “It includes commission tracking, order tracking and other tools to support our partners. We’re focusing on hands-on assistance to help our partners succeed in selling to the small business market, which many of our competitors are moving away from.”

Check out more of CRN’s conversation with Minner, who discussed everything from mergers and acquisitions and competition to his overall strategy to further harness the UCaaS market.

You’ve been CEO for six months now. What are some of the most significant changes you’ve made?

Cloudli was initially a company of acquisitions, bringing together four companies with no unified direction. My first task was to streamline the product and platform strategy through Project Northstar, consolidating the business systems into one and rebuilding the sales organization to focus on top-line growth. We’ve moved away from an R&D mindset to a sales-first approach, cut costs by consolidating networks and shifted resources towards building a stronger sales engine.

How do the new products you’ve introduced fit into Cloudli’s overall strategy?

Cloudli used to be strictly a UCaaS company for small businesses, but through acquisitions we’ve added a fax product, for which we hold the patent on T38 faxing, and an alerts and notifications platform used by municipalities in Canada. We’re focusing on the micro-SMB market providing simple, essential products like managed Wi-Fi and security solutions that small businesses actually need, instead of overcomplicating with technologies like AI that they aren’t yet ready for.

What changes have you made to expand partner support and how do you expect it to impact partners?

We launched a new partner program with a single-pane-of-glass partner portal. It includes commission tracking, order tracking, and other tools to support our partners. We’re focusing on hands-on assistance to help our partners succeed in selling to the small business market, which many of our competitors are moving away from. We’re here to support the underserved market.

As CEO, what has been your biggest challenge?

Aligning the company to be customer-first. The R&D-driven mindset wasn’t thinking about what was best for the customer. The challenge has been shifting that culture and helping the team realize that everything we do has to start with the customer in mind.

What are the biggest challenges partners are facing, and how is Cloudli helping to address them?

Partners are dealing with overly complex solutions from other vendors. We’ve simplified our product to meet the basic needs of small businesses, without overloading them with features they don’t use. For example, many businesses only use a small fraction of the features offered, so we focus on providing essential services like voice in both office and mobile formats.

How do you view all the mergers and acquisitions happening in the UCaaS space?

Many companies are struggling with growth, so they acquire other businesses to either gain geographic reach or boost revenue. The UCaaS space is still growing but not at the rapid pace it once did, and the valuations for companies have come down significantly. Many are being forced to either sell or acquire to keep growing, but we’re focused on building long-term sustainable growth.

How do you see the UCaaS market evolving and what is Cloudli’s strategy for staying ahead?

After COVID, the market was uncertain, but we see opportunities in serving the small businesses that have been overlooked. Larger players are moving up-market, but many small businesses still need simple, reliable communication tools. We’re staying focused on their needs and making sure we’re providing the right solutions.

If we execute this strategy correctly, our partners can expect more opportunities with smaller businesses. Our simplified approach will help them win deals more efficiently, especially in the underserved micro-SMB market, where we offer hands-on support and training to improve customer retention.

What can partners expect from Cloudli in 2025?

Partners can expect a more robust product portfolio, easier processes for doing business and the introduction of our alerts and notifications product to the U.S. market. We’ll continue to focus on serving micro-SMBs, especially in sectors like healthcare and legal where our fax product remains in demand.