Unified Communications

Unified Communications

Avaya CEO lays out forceful agenda for reborn company

January 29, 2018 Mark Cox Comments Off on 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.

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Unified Communications

Avaya announces new integrated voice and communications platform with Spoken acquisition

January 29, 2018 Mark Cox Comments Off on 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.

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Managed Services

HP vet Ken Archer lays out vision and plans as new Nectar Chief Revenue Officer

January 12, 2018 Mark Cox Comments Off on 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.

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Cloud

Avaya preaching cloud to Canadian customers and partners at road shows this week

October 16, 2017 Mark Cox Comments Off on Avaya preaching cloud to Canadian customers and partners at road shows this week
Educating customers – and partners – about pure play and hybrid cloud options is a critical part of the Avaya strategy.

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Digital Signage

ViewSonic simplifies ViewBoard collaboration with Intel Unite

October 11, 2017 Mark Cox Comments Off on ViewSonic simplifies ViewBoard collaboration with Intel Unite
The integration of Intel’s Unite collaboration software into ViewSonic ViewBoard units both expands their functionality and simplifies their installation.

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Cloud

IR makes updated UC assessment and testing solution available in the cloud

September 25, 2017 Mark Cox Comments Off on IR makes updated UC assessment and testing solution available in the cloud
Last year, IR introduced a network assessment and testing tool. It is being well received by Microsoft partners, and the new version is switching from software to a cloud-based tool.

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Unified Communications

Avaya unveils channel-only video conferencing and collaboration service

September 25, 2017 Mark Cox Comments Off on Avaya unveils channel-only video conferencing and collaboration service
Avaya Equinox Meetings Online is a rebranded and significantly upgraded updating of Avaya Live Video. It is a service which integrates well with on-prem video, and is aimed at the premium part of the market where video quality matters.

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Cloud

UPDATED: Mitel accelerates move to cloud with ShoreTel acquisition

July 28, 2017 Mark Cox Comments Off on UPDATED: Mitel accelerates move to cloud with ShoreTel acquisition
The plan is to rationalize and simplify the portfolio, although there is no rush to settle on a common platform. There is also relatively little channel overlap, so no need to rationalize the number of partners.

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Channel Programs

Mitel will protect own channel in Toshiba UC acquisition

July 10, 2017 Mark Cox Comments Off on Mitel will protect own channel in Toshiba UC acquisition
Mitel’s acquisition of the Toshiba business is all about acquiring customers, and their channel. In order to protect their own Mitel channel partners, the two channels will, however, remain separate.

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Carl Watene, director of sales for Jive Canada
Cloud

New Year’s Podcast Series: Carl Watene of Jive Canada

February 21, 2017 Robert Dutt Comments Off on New Year’s Podcast Series: Carl Watene of Jive Canada
Carl Watene of Jive Canada on the company’s partnering strategy, and why MSPs should be giving UCaaS a second look.

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Cloud

Avaya’s Zang introduces new cloud phone service, and new collaboration tool

February 13, 2017 Mark Cox Comments Off on Avaya’s Zang introduces new cloud phone service, and new collaboration tool
Zang moves into the cloud PBX market with Zang Office, although at this stage, the channel opportunities, other than referral fees, are limited. Partner opportunities for Zang Space, the collaboration tool, appear stronger.

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Cloud

Jive, inContact, and Polycom announce UCaaS technology predictions

February 13, 2017 Guest Poster Comments Off on Jive, inContact, and Polycom announce UCaaS technology predictions
Jive Communications, inContact, and Polycom share their top predictions for 2017 in the unified communications-as-a-service space.

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Unified Communications

Avaya looks to reduce debt burden and re-emerge stronger with Chapter 11 filing

January 19, 2017 Mark Cox Comments Off on Avaya looks to reduce debt burden and re-emerge stronger with Chapter 11 filing
Avaya says that the sale of its Contact Center business is not being considered as a way to restructure its balance sheet, but that it is in discussions to possibly sell off other assets.

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Channel Programs

ShoreTel enables partner cloud installs with new PartnerStart Program

November 29, 2016 Mark Cox Comments Off on ShoreTel enables partner cloud installs with new PartnerStart Program
ShoreTel has done all the cloud installs itself since it acquired its cloud business in 2012, but now their Enabled partners who get certified through the new program will be able to do so.

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Unified Communications

Avaya sees new Equinox integrated UC as game-changer for the channel

October 18, 2016 Mark Cox Comments Off on Avaya sees new Equinox integrated UC as game-changer for the channel
While Avaya plans to extend Equinox to the mid-market in the future, today it’s based on Aura and as such is just an enterprise play.

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Distribution

Westcon brings U.K. voice solution provider Speakerbus to North American channel

September 16, 2016 Mark Cox Comments Off on Westcon brings U.K. voice solution provider Speakerbus to North American channel
Speakerbus makes a high quality product used in financial segments, and by first responders and the military, but it is also exceptionally well suited to managed services.

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Unified Communications

Built-in encryption, user experience changes highlight Avaya IP Office 10

September 6, 2016 Mark Cox Comments Off on Built-in encryption, user experience changes highlight Avaya IP Office 10
The new release of IP Office also makes some architectural and administrative changes designed to make things easier for Avaya channel partners who sell the product.

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Cloud

Actiance sees big benefits in Skype for Business certification

July 18, 2016 Mark Cox Comments Off on Actiance sees big benefits in Skype for Business certification
Apart from the typical benefits from certified status of Microsoft’s validation with customers, Microsoft’s policies of encouraging partnerships is generating new business for Actiance from other Microsoft vendor partners, and developing a higher value-add channel for them.

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Cloud

Nectar unveils QoS automation solution for collaboration environments on Cisco networks

July 18, 2016 Mark Cox Comments Off on Nectar unveils QoS automation solution for collaboration environments on Cisco networks
Nectar also announced a second new offering, around Microsoft Skype, with a suite of cloud enablement solutions that parallels ones they had previously offered for on-prem deployments.

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Dave Mason, vice president of advanced solutions at Ingram Micro Canada
Distribution

Ingram highlights new businesses, capabilities on roadshow

May 5, 2016 Robert Dutt Comments Off on Ingram highlights new businesses, capabilities on roadshow
Ingram Micro Canada execs talk up breadth and depth of capabilities, hint at managed services to come from the distributor.

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