Avaya has launched a
fresh global channel programme - Connect - designed to streamline its
existing channel structure and, it claims, drive profitability and
growth for comms VARs and system integrators.
After a year in the post, Avaya worldwide channel vice president Jeremy Butt believes he has filled in the holes in the vendor's channel strategy, and speaking today in Prague, put consistency firmly at the front of partners' minds.
"Our current situation is completely different around the world, it's overdue a refresh, it's hard to manage," said Butt.
Together with Avaya senior vice president of sales and president of field operations, Todd Abbott, Butt admitted that to-date, the vendor's channel structure had been a complete mess.
The new framework will eliminate some of this complexity across all Avaya's geographies, including EMEA.
"We will have the same contracts for VARs, SIs and SPs," said Butt. "This creates an equal playing field. The intent is not to sound communist, but to create equal opportunities. If we can do that then the cream will rise to the top each time."
Avaya has been particularly keen to re-jig its pricing rules, with Abbott saying that it had relied too heavily on the special bid process and cheapened it as a result.
"The restructure allows us to do the bulk of our business without special bid," he said. "We want to be doing 20 to 25% of our business through special bid, not 80%; it's a waste of OPEX, and we need to free that money up for [resellers] to add value."
Avaya will be re-pricing its entire product line, with the pricing structure to be announced before Christmas, and Abbott warned that the cost of kit could go up in some cases and down in others.
Other refinements include the elimination of post-sales rebates and the introduction of point of sale credits, and a vastly simplified training programme, down from 136 learning and certification tracks to 13 solution-based tracks.
Avaya is also introducing a geographic designation for partners designed to help multinational businesses whilst protecting local partners.
Connect goes live at the start of next February, with the transition due to be completed in a staged roll-out during 2010. Butt added that Nortel partners will join the programme from 1 March, to give Avaya's channel time to get used to the new set-up.
After a year in the post, Avaya worldwide channel vice president Jeremy Butt believes he has filled in the holes in the vendor's channel strategy, and speaking today in Prague, put consistency firmly at the front of partners' minds.
"Our current situation is completely different around the world, it's overdue a refresh, it's hard to manage," said Butt.
Together with Avaya senior vice president of sales and president of field operations, Todd Abbott, Butt admitted that to-date, the vendor's channel structure had been a complete mess.
The new framework will eliminate some of this complexity across all Avaya's geographies, including EMEA.
"We will have the same contracts for VARs, SIs and SPs," said Butt. "This creates an equal playing field. The intent is not to sound communist, but to create equal opportunities. If we can do that then the cream will rise to the top each time."
Avaya has been particularly keen to re-jig its pricing rules, with Abbott saying that it had relied too heavily on the special bid process and cheapened it as a result.
"The restructure allows us to do the bulk of our business without special bid," he said. "We want to be doing 20 to 25% of our business through special bid, not 80%; it's a waste of OPEX, and we need to free that money up for [resellers] to add value."
Avaya will be re-pricing its entire product line, with the pricing structure to be announced before Christmas, and Abbott warned that the cost of kit could go up in some cases and down in others.
Other refinements include the elimination of post-sales rebates and the introduction of point of sale credits, and a vastly simplified training programme, down from 136 learning and certification tracks to 13 solution-based tracks.
Avaya is also introducing a geographic designation for partners designed to help multinational businesses whilst protecting local partners.
Connect goes live at the start of next February, with the transition due to be completed in a staged roll-out during 2010. Butt added that Nortel partners will join the programme from 1 March, to give Avaya's channel time to get used to the new set-up.
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