BUSINESS INTERVIEW
www.comms-dealer.com
Panasonic beefs
NEWS EXTRA
GreenMinutes
up TDE switches
ticks sales box
P
anasonic has adapting well to selling GAMMA Telecom’s Carbon-
enhanced its unified solutions, and Neutral GreenMinutes initiative,
offering in the small were taking advantage of launched early this year, continues
business market by training courses provided to help partners close deals, reiter-
rolling out its Communication through distribution ated Justin Coombes, Marketing
Assistant (CA) unified partners at Nimans/Rocom, Manager at Gamma.
communications client to Scansource and Trust. He stated that to help part-
the hybrid IP/TDM range While Gerrard says he is ners demonstrate CO2 output to
of PBXs. The application, happy with Panasonic’s potential and existing customers,
recently relaunched performance for the year Gamma’s Green-o-meter (a web-
as version 1.5, was first so far, he acknowledges based tool that can be embedded in
introduced as part of that the SME sector has partners’ own websites or accessed
the company’s pure IP- been hit hard by the on Gamma’s) shows how many
PBX solution, the Network
Stephen Gerrard
recession. It’s too early, he
Justin Coombes
kilograms of CO2 customers are
Communications Platform becoming more IP focused says, to make predictions offsetting, or will offset, by running across the Gamma network they
(NCP) in September last at the transmission protocol about the immediate their calls over Gamma’s network. would be offsetting almost two
year. It is now being made level and applications future. “It’s hard to say Jon Loftin, Sales Director at tonnes of CO2 every year. “This
available for both the focused in terms of what if we’re seeing green Modern Communications, com- proved to be compelling for them
TDE100 and TDE200 series we do with voice solutions. shoots,” he says. “We’re mented: “When it comes to selling as they had specific carbon reduc-
switches, which support both We need applications and seeing incredible sell out voice minutes it can be hard to set tion objectives they had to meet,”
legacy hardware as well IT experienced dealers and days at distribution, or a yourself apart from similar com- commented Coombes.
as VoIP phones. In keeping resellers to complement our good month one month. petitors. Using the new tool allows “Partners were finding Gamma’s
with the IP-in-a-box ethos traditional comms dealers. But then the next month us to offer something extra.” GreenMinutes so helpful with cus-
for small businesses, CA will We’re quite advanced it’ll be down again. There’s Coombes cited a Gamma part- tomers that we decided to give
run in a serverless mode in terms of bringing those no level performance ner that was able to show a univer- the Green-o-meter tool to them to
for up to 128 users, and partners on board. In the yet. I wouldn’t be making sity that by putting their telephony embed on their own websites.”
will accommodate more last three or four months any long term projections,
extensions when hosted on we’ve brought eight or ten and probably won’t
an industry standard server. IT dealers on already.” for the remainder of
Trust brings clarity to
It supports the majority of this calendar year.”
standard UC applications Gerrard said that resellers
including presence, mobility, with an IT and data New installations have
channel-only vision
instant messaging, point background approach been hit hardest, he TRUST Distribution is bucking
and click call control the market differently to continued, but upgrades the recession by providing tradi-
and desktop integration traditional voice resellers. and replacement have tional channel-only support to tele-
with Microsoft Outlook. “The data and IT guys are remained relatively strong, coms systems resellers.
more interested in selling which bodes well for the “We are still offering on-site
Panasonic may not be as applications and less new applications of CA. technical support as and when
closely associated with concerned in the physical Performance in these required, which is getting more
unified communications qualities or capabilities of areas has been helped, and more popular with our deal-
as other manufacturers, the switch,” he added. he says, thanks to a series ers and it’s paying dividends,” said
but the company remains “The traditional voice type of promotions Panasonic joint MD Terry Ambrose.
the current market leader functionality in most PBXs has been offering partners “Since the beginning of the year
in the sub-100 user space, has over 300 functions over the course of the year. we have been recruiting in all areas
where the introduction of and features, the data “We’re offering zero per of the business to support our cur-
CA for its hybrid hardware and IT guy isn’t concerned cent financing to help end rent growth. We have recruited
Terry Ambrose
provides a clear upgrade about those. They’re users to get financing to more dealer account managers to “In the last eight months our
path for users looking to looking at the applications put a new system in place,” maintain our high levels of pre- and product portfolio has increased
benefit from UC. Panasonic downwards perspective, said Gerrard. “To entice post-sales support, and have also significantly. Watch this space for
UK’s Marketing Manager, how applications are existing users to upgrade recruited field-based brand manag- details on our new dealer catalogue.
Stephen Gerrard, explained going to provide RoI we have trade in discounts ers for both Panasonic and NEC.” There are exciting times ahead for
that the company will use and demonstrable of up to 20 per cent off the The Manchester based dis- Trust and we are pleased to say
the announcement as part productivity gains.” dealer net price. On top of tributor has also set up an online our mission to be the ‘Dealers’
of a strategy to recruit new that, we’re doing bundled technical support service at www. Distributor’ enables us to focus
IT and data partners. “From He added that many of offers with IP handsets or TrustHelp.co.uk to help both the on a single channel and provide
a product perspective,” Panasonic’s traditional third party applications channel and their technical sup- the best possible support to the
he says. “Panasonic is voice channels were such as Commsoft.” port team. reseller,” added Ambrose.
n
SAVE 80% off recruitment agency fees!
“It’s Brilliant” “Great result” “It worked really well”
Call us on 01582 691414 and visit www.ttruk.com
18 COMMS DEALER SEPTEMBER 2009 www.comms-dealer.com
18 New_pana.indd 1 28/8/09 14:12:26
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56