COMPANY PROFILE Data fi rm fi nds its voice
When data hardware provider DrayTek entered the market with its Vigor IP PBX range it was essential to bring on board a Business Development Manager who could empathise with the needs of resellers. Former comms reseller Stuart Walker fitted the bill perfectly.
Stuart Walker W
alker started out as a reseller for Crane selling telephone
systems from his Essex base until an Olympic dream led to a change in location and direction. “In 2008 my daughter was accepted onto the GB lottery funding for the 2016 Olympic Games and was invited to train full time at the National Badminton Centre in Milton Keynes. In order to be able to take advantage of this opportunity it necessitated a move to Milton Keynes where I intended to start up a reseller business again. However, an offer from Capstan Communications for a BDM role saw me jumping the fence and ‘working on the other side’. I enjoyed my time at Capstan and in particular working with resellers so, when I got the opportunity to join DrayTek and become involved with its IP PBX and channel program development I accepted it without hesitation.”
Walker wasted no time in helping to establish a DrayTek channel model and with his reseller background was destined to be successful. The Advance Voice Partner Programme (AVP) was launched in November 2010 and, impressively, DrayTek already has 70 accredited resellers on board. Walker added: “I have an affinity and understanding with our resellers that can only come from having been one myself. During my time as a reseller there were good times as well as not so good times with cash flow ups and downs, so wherever our partners are within the business cycle I can empathise.
“For me, implementing a channel partner program for the Vigor IP PBX was a straightforward task. I simply stripped out the bits I hated when I was a reseller to produce what I think has to be one of the easiest partner programs
to become involved with, namely free sales training, free technical training and discounted demo equipment all backed by a UK-based support infrastructure.”
Reseller recruitment The DrayTek IP PBX has been a resounding success with the AVP training sessions always fully subscribed. “The speed with which we are able to take on resellers is dictated by the number of delegates that we allow on our training sessions,” said Walker. “We are not prepared to compromise on the quality of our training by increasing group sizes.
“The beauty of the DrayTek IP PBX is that it complements rather than competes with resellers’ existing portfolios. It is an entry level product that is easily and inexpensively added to the armoury. Even enterprise focused resellers that are starting to see value in the SME market are taking it on.”
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Walker believes that a big advantage of IP telephony systems is that they deliver new features and resilience quickly, simply and inexpensively. He said: “These are difficult at best to implement on traditional, expensive TDM equipment with outdated modular designs and over zealous licensing models. Dual WAN, ISDN, analogue lines and even 3G provide connectivity options to build resilient solutions. Another differentiator is a lack of licensing. The Vigor IP PBX 2820 is configured for 30 IP extensions and six SIP accounts; and the Vigor IP PBX 3510 has six SIP accounts and 100 IP extensions. Phones can simply be added without licensing.”
DrayTek’s roots are in data territory and Walker believes that this data heritage will help the company achieve its voice channel ambitions. He commented: “We live in times of change and
The
comms sector has to embrace new
technology
the comms sector has to embrace new technology and new names. DrayTek has a good name in the data sector and the differences between voice and data are becoming blurred. Proving RoI is essential in the current climate and our solutions focus on the features that make this easier. Remote extensions, voicemail to email, VPN, SIP and low total cost of ownership all help businesses that need to operate more flexibly, efficiently and with less staff.”
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