Unified Communications

Unified Communications

Avaya to phase out old product brand names as company rebrands portfolio around customer functionality

January 22, 2019 Mark Cox Comments Off on Avaya to phase out old product brand names as company rebrands portfolio around customer functionality
Avaya unveiled a key rebranding message at Engage, and while it is essentially a marketing exercise, it will see huge changes that the company believes will position it much better heading forward.

Unified Communications

Canada continues to be strong market for Avaya as company transforms itself

January 22, 2019 Mark Cox Comments Off on Canada continues to be strong market for Avaya as company transforms itself
Avaya’s Canadian country manager Dave Robertson provides an update on Avaya’s business and channel in Canada, including why they are confident that legacy Nortel customers will modernize with them and not with competitors.

Unified Communications

Avaya’s CEO emphasizes company has fundamentally transformed around embracing change and customer centrality

January 21, 2019 Mark Cox Comments Off on Avaya’s CEO emphasizes company has fundamentally transformed around embracing change and customer centrality
Jim Chirico kicked off Avaya’s Engage event in Austin by updating the company’s progress, and stressing that the company has reoriented its approach to the market and their customers.

Unified Communications

Calgary collaboration vendor Nureva hires two sales directors as company expands IT channel

January 11, 2019 Mark Cox Comments Off on Calgary collaboration vendor Nureva hires two sales directors as company expands IT channel
Nureva adds net-new international and North American sales director positions, as the company expands the number and type of partners, and explores new kinds of go-to-market relationships.

Channel Programs

Simplification top priority in Avaya channel program changes

January 9, 2019 Mark Cox Comments Off on Simplification top priority in Avaya channel program changes
Avaya has announced alterations to the Edge partner program it first rolled out two years ago, to remove some pain points, and which provides partners with more compensation than before, but which is distributed differently.

Channel Programs

Vancouver-based engagement platform provider Comm100 continues to build out channel

December 21, 2018 Mark Cox Comments Off on Vancouver-based engagement platform provider Comm100 continues to build out channel
Comm100, which has been in business since 2009, just formalized its first partner program in September, and has onboarded four new partners, with many more in the pipeline. They are looking to build the channel business to 20 per cent within the next 1-2 years.

Unified Communications

Plantronics, HP launch new collaboration on native Microsoft Teams video conference solution

December 20, 2018 Mark Cox Comments Off on Plantronics, HP launch new collaboration on native Microsoft Teams video conference solution
Plantronics sees the HP Elite Slice G2 Audio-Ready as providing formidable conference room advantages, including the elimination of cable clutter from tables, and is transitioning from the Polycom MSR series to these Polycom + HP SRS Bundles for Microsoft room systems.

Cloud

Mitel looks to expand Master Agent channel as part of global UCaaS drive

December 17, 2018 Mark Cox Comments Off on Mitel looks to expand Master Agent channel as part of global UCaaS drive
A new Master Agent agreement with TradeWinds Brokerage establishes Mitel’s first Master Agent in ANZ, where their UCaaS business is already strong. It leverages a U.S. relationship which is part of a growing Master Agent channel in that market.

Unified Communications

New Sennheiser sales and marketing VP promises big changes in early 2019 as Sennheiser headset business begins transition to a much larger holding company

December 14, 2018 Mark Cox Comments Off on New Sennheiser sales and marketing VP promises big changes in early 2019 as Sennheiser headset business begins transition to a much larger holding company
The ending of the joint venture between Sennheiser and William Demant, which will see the Sennheiser unified communications business transition to William Demant on January 1 2020, means a much more aggressive growth strategy, and new VP Jim Fairweather said that planning has already begun, which includes a more focused channel strategy.

Unified Communications

Avaya adds Device-as-a-Service to subscription-based portfolio

December 14, 2018 Mark Cox Comments Off on Avaya adds Device-as-a-Service to subscription-based portfolio
The new DaaS service differs from the leasing option in that Avaya retains control of the device, which some customers like because it reduces their risk. It also allows them to upgrade to a higher priced device with no penalty.