Avaya Sees
Strong Growth in SMB Markets over Next 3 years
Mark Mitchell, Vice President, EMEA Channels, Avaya says
the PBX and SMB communications market segment has
continued to grow year on year for quite some time now.
“Given the current trend we are expecting an average
growth at a CAGR of around 10% for the next 2-3 years.
We've already seen that in 2007 the IP PBX line
shipments have overtaken the Time division Multiplexing
(TDM) PBX systems sold in the SMB market.
SMB customers generally want to have one affordable
network in place that handles voice and data
communications and helps their businesses to drive
productivity while keeping their IT costs down. The
combination of both is driving the adoption of Unified
Communications applications that are further improving
the user experience and providing access to integrated
applications through the utilization of IP telephony.
The customers expect the ‘All-in-One’ network to not
only to provide mobility, security and messaging but
also remote management as the businesses continue to
outsource everything that is not part of their core
business.”
Mitchell believes that customers have come to expect
99.999% availability of their phone system so Avaya is
keeping a close eye on the adoption of services which
offer integration between the desktop and mobile clients
giving them access to voice and e-mail.
“There is great technology out there but to ensure
customers recap long term rewards open standards and
plug and play are the key. For example, with the IP
Office PhoneManager Pro, Avaya provides its customers
with an out-the-box application that allows complete
control of telephone functions as well as integration
into contact management applications such as Outlook or
Lotus Notes.
Avaya's SMB resellers and channel partners especially
value the 'Mobile Twinning" and ‘IP Office SoftPhone’
application that helps them to cost effectively address
mobility demands of their customers.
Mobile Twinning allows a user to combine their office
desktop phone with an external device such as their
mobile phone. The Avaya IP Office SoftPhone allows
customers to use a PC as a telephone by using VoIP
services regardless of where they are. The users simply
have to install the SoftPhone on their PC or LapTop to
gain access to the full set of communication features
they are accustomed to using in the office.
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