Jedd Williams outlines the role of local customer insight, consistent product availability, and partner enablement in expanding Logitech for Business’s workplace portfolio across the Middle East and Africa
Workplace technology strategies must accommodate different working cultures, employee preferences, and deployment requirements across markets. Logitech for Business is addressing those needs through a portfolio spanning personal workspace devices and video collaboration, supported by global account coordination and regional partner expertise.
Speaking to TahawulTech.com at Logitech’s RISE event in Cairo, Jedd Williams, Chief Commercial Officer, Logitech for Business, shared insights into the company’s global enterprise strategy and its relevance to the Middle East and Africa. With the event bringing together global leadership, regional partners and technology specialists, Williams highlighted the importance of local customer feedback, partner collaboration and workplace solutions that address the needs of diverse markets.
Interview excerpts
How does Logitech’s global enterprise strategy translate into priorities for the Middle East and Africa?
Our strategy focuses on both personal workspaces and team workspaces. Logitech for Business has evolved from a business centred on video collaboration into a broader portfolio that also includes mice, webcams, keyboards and headsets. Globally, personal workspace solutions account for approximately 60% of our revenue, with video collaboration contributing around 40%. Both areas are important to helping customers address their business challenges. Pricing is another priority. Competitors offer strong products, but some come at a premium. We believe our portfolio offers competitive performance at price points that help customers deploy workplace technology at scale.
Bringing together quality, affordability and a broad portfolio supports our approach across markets, including the Middle East and Africa.
How do global and regional teams align to deliver consistent workplace technology and customer experiences for multinational organisations?
We re-established our global accounts team to help larger customers purchase and deploy technology consistently across their international operations. A multinational organisation may decide to standardise on a particular product, only to discover that it is unavailable in part of the world. Avoiding that frustration is a key priority. Our focus is on making products globally available and providing a consistent experience wherever customers deploy them. The global accounts team helps coordinate that approach across markets, supporting customers that want a common workplace technology standard.
How does regional customer feedback influence Logitech’s global product and business decisions?
Regional input is very important to us. Events such as RISE provide an opportunity to understand local market dynamics through direct conversations with partners and customers. Global integrators and resellers give us a valuable overview, while local partners and customers help us understand specific requirements that need action. Markets differ, so our strategy must evolve to reflect those differences. A visit to India, for example, reinforces how customer needs can vary from one region to another. Our global team can develop an overarching strategy, but regional teams bring it to life.
Customer relationships, local knowledge and execution on the ground are where that strategy delivers results.
How do you apply global best practices while adapting to local workplace needs?
Listening to local partners and customers helps us understand how to support their requirements. A keyboard or video system may be the same product across markets, but the way people use it can differ according to workplace culture and working patterns. Partner enablement therefore needs to include use cases that reflect local conditions. I refer to this approach as “story selling”: focusing on the customer problem we are trying to solve, rather than leading with camera resolution, field of view or individual AI features. Hybrid working illustrates why local context matters. During a recent visit to Brazil, I heard how heavy traffic influences employees’ decisions to attend the office only a few days a week. Understanding factors such as commuting, office attendance and working from home helps us make our approach relevant to each market.
How do diverse customer behaviours influence Logitech’s business strategy and product development?
I am a strong believer in diverse teams. Gender, ethnic and cultural diversity bring different perspectives, helping teams understand a wider range of customer needs. Listening to customers is essential because today’s workforce includes people with different preferences, habits and expectations. Generational differences, for example, can influence the headset styles people feel comfortable wearing. Younger workers who have grown up with gaming may have different preferences from older colleagues. Our consumer heritage gives us useful insight into those behaviours. Consumer approaches do not automatically apply to Logitech for Business, but relevant insights can inform product development.
The objective is to build products that fit the people using them and the environments in which they work.
How does RISE connect regional partners with Logitech’s global leadership and strategic direction?
RISE brings regional partners together with members of our global team, creating an opportunity to listen, gather feedback, and align our priorities. During my session, I asked how many partners were selling personal workspace solutions, including mice, webcams, and keyboards. Only a few hands went up in a room of around 150 partners. Asking that question helps us understand where partners focus today and where there may be opportunities to expand their businesses. We want to help partners develop their thinking and their businesses, while allowing their feedback to influence our own decisions. Global strategy should inform regional strategy, and regional teams must shape its execution around their customers and market conditions. Success means partners leave with greater confidence in Logitech, a clearer understanding of the opportunity, and an easier path to doing business with us.
Source: Tahawul Tech