NEWS INTERVIEW
Twickenham Stadium April 1st & 2nd, 2009
www.comms-dealer.com
TalkSwitch targets SMEs
A new distribution deal
between ICON and
TalkSwitch™ promises
to ‘disrupt the status quo
in the small business
market’ as the Canadian
vendor seeks to rapidly
grow its UK installed
base, according to
Demand
Mark Shane, Sales
for VoIP
Manager at ICON.
is beginning
to grow in the
SME market
I
CON has been appointed “TalkSwitch is designed specifically
as UK distributor and for the small business market and
channel support partner with its flexibility to work with both
for the TalkSwitch range of analogue or IP phones, and either
small business analogue/IP-PBX analogue or IP trunks, it provides
telephone systems with the sole a product which can address
aim of achieving rapid growth
Mark Shane
this developing demand.”
in the lower reaches of the UK Taking on a new switch is a big
comms market. Shane stated: consequently TalkSwitch will be a And according to Shane resellers commitment for a reseller. There
TalkSwitch is a significant product good ‘recession proof’ product for can make an offer based on can be hidden costs such as
for ICON and our channel resellers. Notably, in recent years performance rather than price. demo kits, sales training, technical
partners. It has the potential to the number of small businesses This means they will be able training, and spares. The cost
disrupt the status quo in the small in the UK has been expanding in maintain their price in negotiations of entry is often a prohibitive
business market, offering resellers double digit figures. This has been with the customer and thus factor for the reseller when
a cost-competitive and versatile happening across all regions of achieve a healthy margin. considering churning vendors.
solution for their SME customers.” the UK and most business sectors, “In price competitive bids the USP’s
and TalkSwitch claims that its and feature set of the TalkSwitch To help overcome this barrier and
The market opportunity for sole focus on the small business justify the reseller’s price point in drive reseller recruitment ICON
TalkSwitch is firmly in the small market gives it a competitive the customer’s mind,” said Shane. boasts a strong regional-based
business arena, he said. This is the edge over aggressive rivals. “A strong USB of TalkSwitch is that account management team
largest market in the UK in terms it comes out of the box with many which supports a reseller in the
of number of businesses and “TalkSwitch has the freedom features as standard. These include early adoption stages. Shane said
TalkSwitch can potentially meet to include all of the features built-in voicemail; auto attendants; that ICON is supporting TalkSwitch
the needs of up to 97 per cent needed by a small business caller display; music on hold; with subsidised technical training
of all UK businesses, claims the without having to consider the support for IP extensions; multi-site and a certified reseller programme.
company. “The largest niche of conflicting requirements of the capabilities; optional features such
this market is that of businesses feature sets required for medium as attendant console and reporter.” “Our regional account managers
with between one to ten sized and enterprise product provide Channel Partners with
employees. TalkSwitch addresses ranges,” commented Shane. The increasing tough business hands on sales support. All have
this niche explicitly. Each TalkSwitch “The view of the company is that environment is likely to see the been trained in the TalkSwitch
supports up to 16 extensions can small business deserves a superior demand from the larger business and are available to support the
be expanded to up to 64 and telephone system, but without market slow down. Falling demand channel sales teams and technical
networked to provide a multi-site the big business price tag.” in this market is expected to be teams at customer presentations
solution,” commented Shane. offset by an increasing focus on and sales meetings,” said Shane.
The price point means that the SME sector. “Demand for “In addition to the channel support
ICON believes that the small TalKSwitch can be positioned VoIP in now beginning to grow in ICON will be actively marketing the
business market will be less sensitive as price competitive against the SME market and this is where TalkSwitch product to the end user
to the downturn in the economy products from traditional suppliers we believe the next phase of community in the various regions
than the large business market and to the small business market. growth will occur,” added Shane. across the UK.”
„
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26 COMMS DEALER MARCH 2009 www.comms-dealer.com
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