BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Aug. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Resellers in North America who want to differentiate their ability to enable small and medium business (SMB) customers to migrate to IP telephony can earn a special "SMB Expert" designation from Avaya Inc. , a leading global provider of business communications software, systems and services. Already, almost 60 resellers in North America have earned the designation including San Francisco-based reseller Unified TelData and Cross Telecom, a Platinum certified Avaya BusinessPartner.
To achieve the "SMB Expert" rating, Avaya BusinessPartners' account executives and systems engineers must demonstrate proficiency in core areas that include customer support, technical knowledge and expertise, sales revenue and marketing support.
The program is the first such qualification established by Avaya for its North American BusinessPartners who serve the SMB market and includes training that focuses on IP telephony and Avaya solutions, including Avaya IP Office, one of Avaya's leading IP telephony solutions for small and medium businesses. IP Office is a secure, intelligent, and easy-to-use converged voice and data system designed especially for small and medium businesses. Avaya has sold more than 70,000 IP Office solutions to companies around the world.
"SMB Expert" resellers can use joint marketing funds to hire new personnel to support their SMB customers, or to set up IP Office demonstrations so their customers can see the benefits of Avaya IP telephony, first hand. Resellers who qualify as "SMB Expert" whose engineers receive additional training can also have access to Avaya's premier technical support for IP Office, iCARE.
"When smaller companies consider migrating to IP telephony, they need their reseller to clearly show them what's possible for their business with Intelligent Communications from Avaya; demonstrate specifically what's possible for their individual employees; and help them see the path they can use to get there," said Patricia Hume, global group vice president, Small and Medium Business Solutions Group, Avaya. "As a result, the true beneficiary of our 'SMB Expert' designation is the smaller customer, who, when working with an Avaya 'SMB Expert', has a resource that fully understands the benefits of IP telephony as it applies to their individual needs."
"At the smaller company, individuals may or may not have the depth of experience needed to evaluate communications solutions. We can clarify the value of voice and data convergence," said Lyhn Haller, president, Unified TelData, which is Platinum certified by Avaya. "This specialization helps ensure that we can effectively communicate the value that Avaya IP telephony brings to small and medium firms."
"Smaller companies can use IP telephony to truly change the way they do business," said Vicki Parker, vice president of sales and business development, Cross. "IP telephony enables them to look and feel like their bigger counterparts, yet provide the same personalized service that often distinguishes them from large firms. As smaller companies learn about the benefits of IP telephony, we know the market opportunity will continue to grow. Being qualified as an Avaya 'SMB Expert' is definitely valuable to Cross as an additional level of credibility."
Cross is based in Bloomington, Minnesota.
For more information about the Avaya "SMB Expert" certification, visit http://www.avaya.com/smb.
About Avaya Inc.
Avaya Inc. designs, builds and manages communications networks for more than one million businesses worldwide, including over 90 percent of the FORTUNE 500(R). Focused on businesses large to small, Avaya is a world leader in secure and reliable Internet Protocol telephony systems and communications software applications and services.
Driving the convergence of voice and data communications with business applications -- and distinguished by comprehensive worldwide services -- Avaya helps customers leverage existing and new networks to achieve superior business results. For more information visit the Avaya Web site: http://www.avaya.com/
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