INDUSTRY NEWS EDITOR’S COMMENT


ONE of the big themes in Comms Dealer magazine this year is Business Transformation. There are many aspects of change and transition to consider, and they are almost always attended by challenges and opportunities.


The good news is that we have become accustomed to change in the comms industry: The channel readily evolves in line with the economy, end user demographics and technological improvements, which are all drivers for Business Transformation. We have in the past been carried along with a little help from our friends and channel partners.


But most significantly, Business Transformation now places a critical demand on resellers to evolve their own business from deep within. The time for being carried along is over. It’s time to strategise, pick your partners and forge staunch bonds that deliver mutual growth.


Vendors are picking their partners and shedding the dead wood. Avaya is a case in point. It has established


Siemens app offers collaboration & UC


Stuart Gilroy


“For those who tread water there will be no life raft in this sea of change.”


a business transformation strategy based on a forensic examination of what it means to be an Avaya partner. The rewards are high for those partners who embrace Avaya’s transformation and evolution, but for those who tread water there will be no life raft in this sea of change.


So take note and make a plan, be proactive and communicate your strategy to key vendor partners, let them know you are serious about riding the next technological wave, and secure your place in a shared future. sgilroy@bpl-business.com


SIEMENS Enterprise Com- munications has launched what it claims is the most advanced off-the-shelf UC app’ and col- laboration tool for the mid- market and is offering resellers fast-track solutions to help them market and sell it. Version 3 of OpenScape


Office, which will be available to the channel in April, is an all- in-one IP-based unified com- munications and collaboration (UCC) solution which includes voice and conferencing ser- vices, presence, mobility, social networking and multi-channel contact centre capabilities. It also includes OpenScape


Office LX, a new software- based solution that combines UC, IP telephony software and


Leon Mangan, Director of Indirect Channel at Siemens, commented: “We are doing our utmost to convince and educate partners on selling OpenScape to the customer via a combina- tion of workshops, webinars, the Siemens Virtual University on demand offering, roadshows, promotions, on-boarding offers and handholding.”


Leon Mangan


virtualisation capabilities, all within one package. Siemens is offering resellers support processes to help them meet the growing demand for fully collaborative UC solutions and upsell into larger enterprise and specific vertical markets.


He noted that the Siemens Go Forward Faster on-boarding programme enables resellers to get delayed payment on demon- stration equipment and rebates on early purchases. “It’s proving to be very suc-


cessful. We think if resellers give us their time to be trained we should give them something back,” added Mangan.


Channel Army gains more force


THE Channel Army has recruit- ed a new wave of comms players to the Federation of Communications Services add- ing weight to its lobbying of the UK Government, the European Commission and BT over pro- posed changes to customer con- tracts and IP network services. The group was celebrating its first victory this week after


new law which could restrict telecoms contract lengths to two years and vastly effect the way resellers do business


James Palmer


Ofcom agreed to meet up with FCS channel representatives to discuss concerns over the defi- nition of ‘consumer’ within a


“Going to a meeting like this with an increase in FCS mem- bership of 15% following the launch of the Channel Army campaign adds more credibility to our discussions,” said Nine Telecom’s James Palmer.


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COMMS DEALER MARCH 2011 3


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