Jeremy Butt, VP Worldwide Channels at Avaya, said the launch of the Avaya Connect partner programme is a major milestone in the company’s history as it embarks on a new journey following the acquisition of Nortel.
Butt said the new programme’s prime objective is to align channel strategy the broader Avaya corporate goals, raise channel competency, increase market coverage with benefits like tiered discounts, services incentives and aggressive new business initiatives.
The partner programme which went live on 1 February 2010 was unveiled at this year’s Avaya Emerging Markets Partner Conference in Dubai which brought more than 300 channel partners from the Middle East and Arica (MEA) region. The programme encompasses a right mix of distributors, VARs, system integrators, solution providers and services partners.
Under the new programme, channel partners are tiered as Platinum, Gold, Silver and Authorised and they can further emerge as an expert in Avaya’s key domains of data, SME and services.
Butt says the new partner programme represents a massive overhaul of Avaya’s previous channel partner programmes as the company now has a single global framework that boasts streamlined processes, pricing structures, training and certification.“For the first time, we have a uniform partner programme globally that aims at enabling partners to serve the end-user customers better,” he said.
Butt explained that Avaya Connect will let channel partners regardless of the region they operate in to have the same marketing tools and access to resources from Avaya. He added that the Avaya Connect partner programme will let channel partners to grow their businesses by expanding financial benefits, enhancing technical marketing and sales support, and a simplified training and certification programme.
“We are aware of the fact that while the programme is uniform in structure, Avaya also recognises the needs of different types of partners,” he said. “The Avaya Connect has been structure in such a way that it creates equal opportunities for all partners on the programme.”
The Avaya Connect programme will accommodate the needs of partners from VARs, system integrators, solution providers, service providers and small and mid-sized business resellers.
In addition to the streamline Avaya Connect, Butt outlined that the new programme has integrated the Nortel Partner Programme, providing a clear path for channel partners that are Nortel specialists. “What we are doing is to create cross-selling and up-selling chances for both Avaya partners to train on Nortel technologies and vice-versa,” he said.
Butt said the feedback from both distributors and resellers has been positive about the Avaya Connect especially that it comes at a time when 2010 has been dubbed as the recovery year for IT spending.
He said the Avaya Connect will support channel partners by offering them more opportunities that lie ahead and most importantly the demand generation activities, solutions and sales training which partners have indicated is crucial for their success.
Unified communications solutions vendor, Avaya has launched its much anticipated Avaya Connect global partner programme, an initiative the vendor is touting will create greater profitability and growth for its channel partners.
