IoT connectivity provider Pangea Connected has appointed Andy Smethurst, a former Gamma Communications executive with over two decades of channel experience, as its new Channel Director for the United Kingdom. The move, announced this week, is designed to strengthen the company’s partner strategy and help resellers, managed service providers, and distributors build more systematic, repeatable revenue streams from cellular IoT services.
Smethurst’s primary responsibility will be to assist Pangea’s channel partners in integrating cellular connectivity into their core service offerings. The goal is to create standardized pricing, positioning, and delivery models so that successful deals can be replicated without requiring custom engineering for each new customer. This approach aims to transform cellular from a sporadic add-on sale into a predictable, structured component of a partner’s portfolio.
Background and Industry Context
Andy Smethurst spent more than twenty years at Gamma Communications, where he held several senior channel leadership positions. During his tenure, he managed national partner teams and helped build indirect sales routes that contributed to the company’s growth from an early-stage provider to a FTSE-listed telecommunications operator. His experience encompasses reseller, MSP, and wholesale channel models, which Pangea believes will be invaluable for its partner-focused strategy.
The appointment is one of Pangea’s most senior channel hires to date. It signals the company’s intent to capitalize on increasing enterprise demand for reliable cellular connectivity, which is driven by the expansion of Internet of Things devices and distributed business infrastructure. Pangea operates exclusively through a partner-only business model.
Strategic Shift for Channel Partners
In a statement, Smethurst identified a common challenge in the current market. He noted that many businesses still sell cellular connectivity as if it were merely a SIM card transaction, while their customers are increasingly looking to deploy comprehensive connected estates. “The demand is already there. The challenge is industrialising how it’s sold so partners can scale it properly,” Smethurst said.
He explained that cellular technology is already widely used across the UK channel for applications like backup connectivity, rapid deployment, IoT devices, and supporting distributed operations. However, it is frequently treated as a reactive, opportunistic product rather than a strategic, core service. “When a product stays reactive, it fails to become strategic. It becomes opportunistic revenue rather than planned growth, and that limits scalability,” Smethurst added.
Focus on Repeatable Use Cases
In his new role, Smethurst will work directly with partner sales teams to identify and develop repeatable commercial use cases for cellular IoT. Examples highlighted by the company include pre-ethernet connectivity that evolves into a long-term backup solution, temporary deployments that become permanent installations, and IoT pilot schemes that scale into full operational networks.
The overarching objective for Pangea is to enable its partners to design cellular connectivity into their solutions from the initial planning stages. The company stated that Smethurst’s appointment reflects its continued investment in the UK channel strategy, especially as connectivity becomes a more central element of partner service portfolios. “If cellular in a partner’s portfolio feels more structured than situational, and more predictable than opportunistic, then we’ll have done our job,” Smethurst remarked.
Industry Implications and Next Steps
This recruitment highlights a broader trend of intensifying competition among connectivity providers to secure experienced channel leadership. As demand grows for managed IoT solutions and resilient network services, companies are seeking executives with proven track records in building and scaling indirect sales channels.
Pangea Connected is expected to roll out new partner programs and frameworks under Smethurst’s direction in the coming months, focusing on standardizing the sales process for cellular IoT. The company’s efforts will likely be closely watched by other players in the connectivity sector, as the market continues to shift toward more integrated and service-led offerings for enterprise customers.
Source: Original company announcement and industry reports.
