Virtualization
Software enhancements from both R&D and vendor partnerships to dominate IGEL 2019 roadmap
IGEL unveiled its 2019 roadmap at its Disrupt event, and has high hopes that the new tech will live up to the name of their event.
Avaya
Unified Communications
Avaya announces innovative location reporting capabilities for emergency report management
Avaya is a relatively new player in the public safety space, but is intent on disrupting it, and to this end has unveiled a next-gen 911 solution.
Marketing
Avaya to do more joint marketing programs with partners in expanded and more aggressive marketing strategy
Avaya has announced a new branding initiative in which their solution offerings will be renamed more logically and by function. That’s only one part of where Avaya is going this year on the marketing front, however, with a more aggressive campaign than they have implemented before.
Cloud
Avaya builds out cloud strategy with new private cloud delivery model
Avaya’s cloud strategy in the past could never be described as crisp, but major changes were announced at Engage to change that, with new OneCloud branding and ReadyNow enterprise bundles to bring solutions to market quickly.
Unified Communications
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
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
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.
Channel Programs
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.
Unified Communications
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.
Managed Services
Avaya sees its new Master Agent channel as the primary route to market for new Online Store
Avaya believes its solution provider channel will also have some interest in the store, which offers Avaya’s UC and CC as-a-service options. They also confirmed that this online store is not a direct play.
Partnerships
Avaya adds Identity-as-a-Service capability through partnership with Post Quantum
The new technology will roll out later this year in a new service, Avaya Mobile Experience, although Canadians will have to wait a little longer, since it will initially be limited to the U.S.
Internet of Things
Arrow Connect IoT integration among new Workflow updates from Avaya’s Zang
Zang believes that the seven new updates to Zang Workflow will significantly help the channel, by making it easier for them to build customized applications for their customers.
Virtualization
Expanded partnerships, vendor certification program key parts of IGEL 2018 roadmap
Among the changes coming to IGEL’s own hardware and software roadmaps, one of their thin clients about to be refreshed will see a switch from an Intel to an AMD processor.
Unified Communications
Phones a major highlight in new Avaya product releases at ENGAGE event
Avaya also rebooted their chatbot strategy with a significant deepening of their AI focus, and they have some things coming in the near future that will be of interest to partners.
Channel Programs
Avaya seeing rebound in business for Canadian channel
Avaya’s restructuring issues in 2017 had an impact in the midmarket in Canada which is served by the channel. Those problems have disappeared, and Avaya is bullish about its Canadian channel business moving forward.
Cloud
New Avaya cloud boss outlines strategy to make Avaya a cloud powerhouse
Mercer Rowe, newly recruited from IBM’s cloud business to put Avaya on a cutting-edge path in the cloud, laid out his plans at the Avaya ENGAGE event this week
Unified Communications
Avaya CEO lays out forceful agenda for reborn company
New Avaya CEO Jim Chirico acknowledged the old Avaya was the equivalent of a team that loses football games by playing a prevent defense, and told the company’s customers and partners that now they have a fundamentally different gameplan.
Unified Communications
Avaya announces new integrated voice and communications platform with Spoken acquisition
Avaya was already partnered with Spoken, but the acquisition will allow broaden application of their technology throughout Avaya’s portfolio, to enable customers to transform their business models.
Managed Services
HP vet Ken Archer lays out vision and plans as new Nectar Chief Revenue Officer
Nectar creates a new Chief Revenue Officer position to coordinate the company’s different channel routes to market.
Cloud
Avaya, Salesforce expand relationship with enhanced Service Cloud-Oceana integration
This extension of the Avaya-Salesforce relationship provides a complete omni-channel integration between the customer engagement and CRM platforms. The companies plan to develop the relationship further, into areas like the Internet of Things.