Comms Dealer

Following a series of stints working for big telecoms businesses Stephen Taylor's search for a new role within a more dynamic smaller company where plans can more quickly be turned into action has culminated in his appointment as Product Manager at Manchester-based Invosys.

He moved from Sage Software where he managed a portfolio of compliance products for UK&I based accountants.

Previous roles also include Campaign Implementation Manager and then Business Change Manager at BT, followed by five years at Opal Telecom/TalkTalk Technology.

Taylor said: "Having always worked for large incumbents I had a desire to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond where I can help deliver innovative solutions that make a difference to the user base in realistic timescales.

"Invosys is a fast-paced, ambitious and dynamic organisation with big plans. Who wouldn't want to be part of that?"

Invosys founder Peter Crooks added: "Stephen's expertise will help us achieve our vision to become the global innovators in the communication software industry."

Invosys was established 10 years ago and specialises in developing, hosting and deploying network-based call management technology.

The company manages more than one million minutes per day for a range of customers including high street retailers and public sector corporations.

James Vickerage has been appointed to President of ScanSource Communications in Europe. He takes over from Ian Vickerage who is stepping down from the role.

James Vickerage joined ScanSource through the company's 2014 acquisition of Imago, the distributor of video and voice communications equipment and services.

He joined Imago in 1997 and worked in senior sales and marketing roles for the company.

Prior to his appointment as President Vickerage served as Vice President in the UK and Ireland for ScanSource Communications, where he led the sales, merchandising and marketing teams.

"Since the acquisition, James has held strategic leadership roles within ScanSource Communications in Europe," said Buck Baker, president of Worldwide Communications and Services for ScanSource.

"His experience in the industry, as well as his wealth of knowledge of our suppliers and partners, will serve the company well in this new leadership role."

The marriage of Gamma's Horizon hosted IP telephony service and Akixi's management reporting and wallboard integration is proving popular among 174 Horizon resellers who have introduced the combined solution to over 535 customer sites with an average of 28 seats per end user.

Currently there are 13,400-plus live extensions across Akixi-Horizon reseller sites, with the largest having over 2,000 extensions.

Gamma boasts more than 920 channel partners and its three year relationship with Akixi will continue to pay dividends as a growing number of resellers embrace its call reporting and call management solution, according to Akixi MD Bart Delgado (pictured).

"The outcome of this partnership has been marvellous," he enthused. "Every month we get an influx of Horizon resellers who successfully come on board with us."

Alan Mackie, Product Director at Gamma, added: "Horizon customers are able to optimise their hosted IP telephony service by combining it with Akixi.

"At the same time it gives our channel partners an opportunity to generate additional recurring revenue and build stickier customer relationships."

One such reseller, Focus Group, needed to provide its Horizon customers with a call centre tool. The firm's MD, Ralph Gilbert, said: "Offering Akixi with Horizon enables our customers to manage employees, campaigns and resources as part of one call reporting and call management solution."

Akixi began its commercial life in 2008 and the company now has 1,900 active sites globally, serving customers in Europe, USA, South Africa and Mexico.

"We have over 200 sets of historical and real-time call statistics, dials, alarms, charts and desktop wallboards," added Delgado.

"The service is compatible with BroadSoft, Siemens and Panasonic platforms and scales from two to over 10,000 users."

Tech Data has swung its gaze onto the health sector and published a channel guide that supports a series of promotions aimed at unlocking the potential to generate revenue in healthcare environments.

The initiative reflects an increase in IT investments across the heath service as the NHS seeks to make £22bn of efficiency savings by 2020.

According to research ERP systems and the sharing of patient records and information are the top priorities.

Kirsty Guy (pictured), Public Sector Marketing Manager at Tech Data, said: "The aim of the Focus on Healthcare campaign is to highlight some of the areas of potential.

"We always see a pick-up in activity in the healthcare sector at this time of year, so now is the right time for resellers to follow-up these opportunities and take some positive messages out to market."

Tech Data will update its Virtual Hospital environments with new products, confirmed Guy.

The company leverages three primer health-focused resources - a Virtual Waiting Room, Virtual Ward Room, and Virtual Consulting Room.

"These areas show specific technologies that can be used in these key healthcare settings," said Guy.

New tools introduced by BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions will simplify the sales process for its partner network operating in the IT, telecoms and office equipment market, claims the firm.

"The Lease Offers app enables users to submit, track and edit credit applications in real-time, helping our partners to more speedily close sales opportunities," said Tristan Watkins, UK CEO.

Another tool, called SalesAid, has been designed for the more complex needs of the farm, construction, materials handling and commercial vehicle sectors, explained Watkins.

"It can calculate quotes immediately and sync with the company's core lease management system in real-time," he added. "This in turn allows partners to obtain a credit decision and generate electronic documentation."

The SalesAid app is available to download from the Apple store.

An e-signature service that removes the need to send paper contracts to customers for signing has also been introduced. "Called LeasEsign, the services renders the process paperless, leaving no room for human error, and is accessible from any desktop or touch-screen device, for all markets," said Watkins.

"Each new tool is designed to provide fast, 24-hour access to important sales information whether in the office or between meetings.

"Users can check their sales pipeline at any stage, and build better relationships with new and existing clients."

Newly appointed global co-Presidents Paul Constantine and Tony Sorrentino will bring a holistic and channel-focused dimension to ScanSource's Worldwide Barcode, Networking and Security operations.

The roles build on their current positions as President of the ScanSource POS and Barcode business unit and President of the ScanSource Networking and Security business unit in the US respectively.

The pair will report to Mike Baur, CEO.

Meanwhile, Buck Baker, who formerly served as President of Worldwide Barcode and Security, has been named President of Worldwide Communications and Services, responsible for the worldwide leadership and management of the ScanSource Catalyst and ScanSource Communications business units in the US, Europe and Latin America, in addition to the company's services offerings.

Mike Ferney, formerly President of Worldwide Communications and Services, has been named Innovation Architect for ScanSource, a newly created role.

"We are fortunate to have an established team of leaders at ScanSource," stated Baur. "Their level of experience, knowledge of the business, and depth of relationships are instrumental to the continued growth and success of the company."

Distributor Exertis has sealed a supplier deal with Alcatel to market its full range of mobiles, tablets and wearables to UK retailers and resellers.

Exertis Mobile Director Simon Woodman said: "We have the opportunity to help our customers target segments of the market where other manufacturers have pulled out, by providing products that particularly appeal to millennial and Gen Z consumers."

Alcatel's products include a range of tablets (PLUS10 and PIXI 4), phones (IDOL, POP and PIXI) and wearables (GO WATCH).

"Continuity style features are becoming increasingly important in today's mobile market," added Woodman. "Alcatel's multi-purpose devices fit with our strategy to offer our customers a mobile ecosystem."

Distributor Cloud Telephones has announced that its reseller partners have now deployed more than 3,000 seats of Gamma's Horizon hosted VoIP service in the UK.
 
With each seat producing recurring month income for resellers, the current installed base can be expected to generate well over £1m in revenues in the current calendar year.

"Cloud Telephones recently recorded its first month in which billing for the services totalled more than £100,000 and it confidently expects to add a further 2000 seats before the end of 2016 and to double  the installed base by the end of its financial year in April 2017.
 
The growth is being driven by the increasing popularity of hosted services and the availability of higher-speed broadband, said John Carter, Managing Director of Cloud Telephones.
 
"The wider availability and affordability of highs-speed broadband has encouraged more businesses to look at which elements of their ICT they can move to the cloud," he added.

"VoIP is one of the first services they will adopt as it delivers tangible benefits in the form of greater flexibility and manageability, the opportunity to improve customer and employee experiences, and reduced costs.

"Business customers are getting used to online and hosted services quickly and this is good news for channel partners as it brings in recurring monthly income.

"That recurring revenue will keep growing and provide an increasingly firm foundation on which they can build solid, sustainable businesses."

Nimans hosted its own version of the Great British Bake Off in association with Macmillan's World's Biggest Coffee Morning, cooking up a range of baked goodies that raised over £300 for Macmillan.

A homeless charity was given the left over cakes and tinned food. "At Nimans we have all the ingredients for success and the cake day went down a treat," stated the distributor's Investors In People Manager Sue Goldfine.

Jane Aikman has joined KCOM Group as Chief Financial Officer. Previous roles include a stint as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer for Phoenix IT Group up until its acquisition and merger with Daisy Group.

She was also Chief Financial Officer of Infinis, Wilson Bowden and Pressac.

She spent five years in South East Asia with Asia Pulp and Paper Co Limited and three years as an internal audit manager with GEC Alsthom. Aikman qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Ernst & Young.

Bill Halbert, Chief Executive, said: "Jane will bring fresh perspectives to discussions at both a Board and senior leadership level."

Paul Simpson resigned from the company's Board as planned on 30 September 2016. The Group will announce its interim results on 29 November 2016.