www.comms-dealer.com
GN NETCOM & COMMS DEALER ROUND TABLE
UC SOLUTION
COMMENT
sales person focused and get up and running Collins. “Obviously, with businesses looking to
The time
quickly. By attaching a headset to just a reduce the total cost of ownership of their
percentage of seats resellers can earn good communications platforms, and wanting to
is right
revenue and be successful with little effort.” demonstrate their green credentials, there
to make
has never been a better time to demonstrate
UC continues to drive demand for headsets as the benefits of unified communications, and
sure your
users look to consolidate devices and invest what really makes unified communications
suppliers
in a single end-point to manage their UC come alive is the end user device.”
experience, but cultural barriers to headset
know your
adoption still persist. However, Tina Shepherd, Rising headset usage in the home environment
needs
Voice Technical Specialist at Microsoft, found and the consumerisation of IT is another driver
a way to break down those barriers. “When for the growing acceptance of headsets in COLIN ANNETTE, DIRECTOR, BT WHOLESALE
we were rolling out UC the workplace,
internally at Microsoft,
U
noted Chris You can see how much the whole telecoms
some people were
C continues to
Barrow, Solutions equipment market has transformed when big
adamant not to Marketing at deals like Avaya winning Nortel Enterprise’s
drive demand
use a headset,” she Avaya. “One assets emerge. In channel terms, there is a
said. “So we gave for headsets example is people nice overlap of channel partners so I expect
them a choice of bringing iPhones IP Telephony and unified communications
both handsets and headsets. Many users into the office, a device that wasn’t potentially will accelerate as the new group goes
soon realised that they didn’t need to use a aimed at users in the corporate environment,” head-to-head with Cisco, Siemens and
handset. They realised that they could use the he said. “Our customers say the same about Alcatel-Lucent... all are strong players.
headset anywhere, at home or in the office.” headsets. Most people have a Bluetooth headset Although the deal is not expected to close
and come into the office. We’re finding that until the end of the year, the economies
BT has been realising the benefits of headsets it is the business consumer that’s choosing the of scale brought about are real.
for some time. Clare Collins, Product headset and not the corporate IT guys. This makes
Manager at BT Global Services, pointed out the end user feel more involved in the UC decision With all the uncertainty in the market,
that the ability to escalate from a simple IM rather than having technology imposed on them.” companies need to re-examine their supply
and presence-based conversation to an chains. In-depth reviews are currently
audio conference has helped to open up David Griffiths, Head of Cisco Business Unit at taking place on a large scale across all
communication between remote workers on Intrinsic Technology, observed: “Interestingly, industries. Businesses are looking to capitalise
a global scale. “A significant proportion of our with social networking and gaming people on the learnings from recent economic
workforce is field or home based. Headsets have a headset at home now. They are events and future-proof themselves
have been a key enabler in our workforce the people of tomorrow. Who are going to against the competition. Only suppliers
becoming as effective, if not more so, on the be the UC strategists of the future? It will be with a wide portfolio and strong product
road or at home compared to sitting at a desk people using headsets in their social lives.” roadmap will stand up to the test.
in an office with a traditional PBX phone,” said
Headset use is also set to grow due to a sharper One certainty is that investment in employee
Around the table
focus on new regulations such as Noise at Work career development still remains important.
in the EU. Kerri Smith, Key Account Manager Investment in the reseller channel is currently
Andrew Doyle
at GN Netcom, explained the influences of higher than the global average with soft
Sales Director, GN Netcom
Government and health & safety issues and skills becoming increasingly essential. This
Chris Barrow
how they are spurring sales of headset solutions: makes it more crucial than ever to select
Solutions Marketing, Avaya
“For employees on the phone for long periods suppliers that have developed products
Clare Collins
of time it is vital that organisations provide a requiring minimal capital expenditure and
Product Manager, BT Global Services
solution that addresses both hearing protection that have enough margin for sell-through.
David Griffiths and hygiene. Government regulations are
Head of Cisco, Intrinsic Technology
demanding that companies protect their The focus among many businesses in recent
James Rodd, greatest investment, their people. Furthermore, months has been all about survival. But as the
Director, Modality Systems
as we move into the winter, we cannot ignore doom and gloom settles we are witnessing
Kerri Smith the impact of seasonal illnesses. Flexible working a shift as companies prepare for the path
Key Account Manager, GN Netcom practices, new technology such as UC and out of recession. Suppliers will be exposed
Robert Stanley
new hygiene procedures in the workplace are during this time and only those with the right
Solutions Director, Dimension Data set to grow headset usage even further.” levels of inventory to walk the path with their
Sarah Gray
customers will survive. The time is right to make
Channel Marketing Manager, GN Netcom
Gray concluded the discussion: “By simple sure your suppliers know your requirements as
Steven McDonagh
calculations it is clear that resellers can well as your business. It’s about going beyond
CEO, Trinity Systems
substantially grow revenue by adding headsets to the normal telephone calls and logistics and
their existing business opportunities. With margins making sure that, not only do they know your
Tina Shepherd
being squeezed from all areas, headsets can business, but you also know theirs.
Voice Partner Manager, Microsoft
n
contribute a healthy profit line into a business.”
n
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www.comms-dealer.com COMMS DEALER OCTOBER 2009 47
46-47round_table new.indd 2 6/10/09 12:00:17
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