A year-long partner recruitment campaign launched by Unify UK & Ireland will greatly advance the vendor's plan to become a channel-centric business, according to Tony Smith, UK&I Channel Sales Director.
In October last year Thomas Veit, Senior VP of Channels for Unify EMEAR, stated that Unify intends to drive 45% of revenues through the channel within two years, up from 25%.
The step-up in UK channel activity aims to catalyse 35% year-on-year sales growth, noted Smith, who said Unify's expanded UK sales and marketing team will drive fresh demand for the vendor's new software-led communication and collaboration solutions via the recently launched Unify Partner Program.
Citing a sharp rise in UC attach rates from 4% to 21% during the last year, Smith said: "Over the next 12 months Unify will run a recruitment drive to join the Unify Partner Program, from both the traditional voice space and IT and software partners that can drive our virtualised solutions and our new SaaS solution, Circuit."
"The Program also offers structured incentives such as a rebate on growth with Unify providing up to a 15% increase to the partner's bottom line, and provides opportunities for amplified profitability."
Since November 2014 Unify has hired seven new members into the channel team, including Michelle Jones who was appointed in January as VP of Marketing for Channels in EMEAR. She joined from Avaya where she was the Director of Channel Strategy & Development for APAC and EMEA.
Unify also hired Owain Dobson, Head of Global Pre Sales and Technical Operations, and Ritesh Patel, Channel Finance - both join from Avaya. Meanwhile, Paul Riordan has been named as VP Worldwide Channel Sales Operations.
Richard Carter, Group Sales and Business Development Director at Nimans (Unify's UK & Ireland distributor), said: "We are playing a front line role in embracing the opportunities Unify's programme creates to help our customers accelerate and expand their business capabilities."