Upfront
Avaya Partner news
Conferences
Contact centers
Extreme
MACs
NEC
Nortel
Software
Training

Upfront

Blow out quarter for IP phones
According to a recently published report by Synergy Research Group, the worldwide Enterprise IP Telephony market increased 13.7 percent sequentially and 30.4 year-over-year driven strongly by IP phone sales in the quarter. For the first time, the APAC region outperformed the U.S. and EMEA regions in Enterprise Telephony sales. Q2 2006 was dominated by the heavyweights Cisco, Nortel, Avaya and Alcatel. They experienced the most substantial growth worldwide -- each growing their Enterprise IP Telephony shipments by double digits. Cisco had a tremendous quarter enabling them to grab the number one market share ranking in worldwide IP Telephony.
Visit www.srgresearch.com. ^Back To Top

Avaya Partner news

Cross awarded Partner of the Year by Envision Telephony
Envision Telephony, Inc., a leading global provider of software solutions for the contact center and the enterprise, announced that Cross, a national provider of integrated voice and data solutions and one of Avaya's largest resellers, was named Envision's 2006 Partner of the Year. The 2006 Partner of the Year award recognizes Cross for their spirit and successful track record in selling Envision solutions to companies that need to improve performance and deliver legendary customer experiences. Cross was selected for delivering exceptional performance, skills and knowledge to strengthen and extend adoption of Envision solutions in 2006. The national integrated voice and data solutions provider is a full service partner that promotes, sells and supports Envision's solutions. Cross is one of the largest Avaya resellers and is rated as a top Avaya National Platinum BusinessPartner and Cisco Silver Certified Partner.
Visit www.crosstelecom.com or www.envisioninc.com.
^Back To Top

Conferences

Hold the date for AdaptiveXchange
Emerson Network Power/Liebert will host its AdaptiveXchange conference in Columbus on October 18 and 19. The show targets IT and facilities managers focused on critical power and cooling solutions. The private conference is expected to draw more than 1,500 participants with technical sessions, a simulated data center, computer room, telecommunications and remote network environments that highlight the role of power and cooling in ensuring the availability of mission-critical electronics. The event features hundreds of products on display. We can offer you one-on-one meetings with Liebert executives, tours of the show floor and even a trip to visit Liebert's new customer test center.
Visit www.liebert.com.
^Back To Top

Contact centers

Analyzing the Microsoft-Nortel VoIP Deal
Microsoft and Nortel can learn much from each other, users and analyst say, as the companies ally themselves to develop unified communications technology. The companies recently announced a four-year partnership, called the Innovative Communications Alliance, with the goal of turning Nortel VoIP technology into software modules. The companies will share intellectual property and co-develop voice and messaging applications designed to run on top of Microsoft servers. Microsoft and Nortel sales and services organizations will be cross-trained and offer integrated Microsoft-Nortel messaging applications packaged with Nortel network infrastructure gear. The companies' CEOs stressed that the Innovative Communications Alliance goes further than past marketing or interoperability arrangements between the two vendors, or between Microsoft and other VoIP companies. For Microsoft, the tight partnership with Nortel could be seen as one of the most decisive steps it has taken into the corporate voice-technology market. For Nortel, the partnership comes just in time, as it looks to reinvent itself in the enterprise data market, where it sits among a handful of competitors far behind market leader Cisco.
Visit www.nortel.com or www.microsoft.com. ^Back To Top

Extreme

Extreme Networks BlackDiamond 12804 switch successful in Avaya testing
Extreme Networks Inc. and Avaya have successfully completed testing of Extreme Networks' BlackDiamond 12K switch with Avaya IP telephony solutions. The companies evaluated performance, scalability and resiliency of the switch in converged Ethernet networks using multiple switching domains and protocols. The BlackDiamond 12804 was successful in all tested scenarios, interoperating with Avaya Communications Manager IP telephony software, Avaya Media Gateways and Avaya IP phones. As a result, the BlackDiamond 12804 switch was validated as compliant through Avaya's DeveloperConnection program -- an initiative to develop, market and sell innovative third-party products that interoperate with Avaya technology and extend the value of a company's investment in its network. Extreme Networks is a strategic member of the program.
Visit www.extremenetworks.com.
^Back To Top

Moves, adds & changes

TBI TECH-Tools, “Making Smart Agents Even Smarter”
Telecom Brokerage, Inc. proudly announces a cutting-edge learning tool designed exclusively for its agents. As technology continues to evolve at break-neck speed, it has become increasingly critical for agents to stay ahead of these advances. TBI TECH-tools is the perfect, web-based solution. Channel partners are faced with increased competition from other service providers, often lacking the resources to train themselves and their staff on emerging technology. TBI TECH-tools unilaterally solves this problem by allowing anyone involved in the sales process instant, online answers to any technical question they might have. TBI TECH-tools will be publicly unveiled at Channel Partners, Washington D.C., August 23-25, Booth 100. TBI TECH-tools is powered by TECHtionary.com, content recipient of Editors Choice for Technical Help. With easy to understand lessons and the most powerful online resources available, TECHtionary.com is the quintessential online source for information about technology.
Visit www.tbicom.com. ^Back To Top

NEC

NEC announces Red Hat Enterprise Linux Certification
NEC Corporation of America announced Red Hat Enterprise Linux Certification for its Express5800/320Ma Fault Tolerant (FT) servers. NEC's Express5800/ft series servers, renowned for their unparalleled enterprise-class system integrity and up to 99.999% availability at mid-range price points, now provide customers UNIX class hardware reliability based upon the growing stability, performance and support for mission critical applications for the Linux platform. The Express5800/ftc series will be available immediately through tier one channel partners Avnet and Team1, providing an unsurpassed level of global service and support.
Visit www.necam.com.
^Back To Top

Nortel

VoIP migration easy as 1-2-3
Nortel Networks is ramping up a new program that aims to help VoIP partners mine its biggest resource: its legacy telephony customers. Nortel's IPT 1-2-3 initiative was developed to address a problem the company saw in VoIP sales, said Pat Patterson, director of North American IP telephony marketing. "When we looked at the large installed base that Nortel has in hand, we weren't gaining our fair share of the IP telephony market," he said. Standing in Nortel's way was the complexity of its price quote process for migration from its traditional telephony systems to VoIP, according to Patterson. In many cases, Nortel's channel partners were finding it easier to quote a "rip and replace" solution from Cisco Systems rather than work through the intricacies of quoting a Nortel migration that would mix old and new gear. Through the new initiative, Nortel has created upgrade packages to simplify migration and developed a new quote tool for channel partners that slashes the time it takes for partners to price VoIP migrations, Patterson said. In addition, the program includes financial incentives and financing options for customers.
Visit www.nortel.com.
^Back To Top

Software

BandTel announces relationship with Quintum
BandTel, a leading global provider of next-generation VoIP termination to the PSTN for high volume telecom users such as call centers, enterprise users, teleconferencing companies and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) users, announced its VoIP network solutions are fully interoperable with award-winning Tenor VoIP MultiPath switches and gateways from Quintum Technologies Inc., a leading VoIP innovator. Enterprise users will be able to access the combination of BandTel's superior VoIP network to deliver call center and enterprise users a cost-effective, fault-tolerant voice architecture and Quintum's easy to deploy Tenor VoIP MultiPath solutions. The relationship also allows Value Added Resellers (VARs) to offer their customers a highly reliable and robust VoIP solution and enhanced VoIP services.
Visit www.bandtel.com or www.quintum.com.
^Back To Top

Training

New VoIP Dealer Business Development and Sales Training program
TECHtionary.com announces a cutting-edge learning program designed exclusively for the VoIP business. As technology continues to evolve at break-neck speed, it has become increasingly critical for agents to stay ahead of these advances. This program is the perfect, onsite and online opportunity to learn the VoIP from the ground up. This onsite instructor-led course supplemented with online training is designed for VARs, Agents, Dealers, Resellers, brokers, PBX-Key system manufacturers, channel partners, distributors, Interconnect Companies, System Integrators, Wholesalers/Retailers, Consultants, investors/bankers, and other interested parties.  
For a demonstration of the courseware, go to www.techtionary.com.

^Back To Top