Avaya channel revamp pays dividends

Networking company Avaya has admitted that it took its eye off the ball and neglected its SME channel over the past two years, but claimed that a restructure in October is already reaping benefits.

The company is revamping its channel certification programme, following concerns that the previous scheme was too generic for customers to differentiate between the capabilities of competing channel partners.

Andrew Downing, senior sales specialist at Avaya's Small and Medium Business Solutions (SMBS) group, explained that the restructure which resulted in the formation of his division is starting to pay off.

"We had received criticism in the past for losing focus because the company was targeting large companies. Today we have a big new focus on the SMB market. It's a huge opportunity," he said.

"SMBS gave us a focus we'd not had for two years. And it's already made a big difference to resellers, offering much better sales support including direct support. Avaya is getting closer to resellers."

The company has 40 resellers focusing on the small and medium sized enterprise market.

Shaun Garrity, business development manager at Caltell, a Diamond-level SMBS reseller, told vnunet.com: "There's more support and the product has been better marketed. [Avaya's] service has improved and there's more focus."

Meanwhile, the company's accreditation programme for channel partners is being revamped following concerns that it was too generic for customers to understand.

Avaya University, the company's training and education arm, is putting together training courses to link to the new accreditation scheme.

"Two years ago, when we were Lucent, we lost focus and got tied up with the global accreditation scheme across all products," said Downing.

The new programme will make it easier for potential customers to identify the different skill sets being offered by partners.

"The problem with accreditation is that it can be overcomplicated. Accreditation shows that you've made the commitment and that you are of a certain standard," explained Downing.

"But I don't think customers care if you have tin, copper or lead certification. What counts is your professionalism and reference sites."

He added that the government's new family-friendly legislation, due to come into force on 6 April, will have a positive impact on sales of technology that allows employees to work from home.