Comms Dealer

Six SIP phone models from Yealink's T4 and T2 series are now fully interoperability tested and integrated into the Aarenet VoIP System's Auto-provisioning server.

Carrier customers with Aarenet VoIP Systems can now deploy Yealink's phones with zero-touch provisioning.

Frank Remmers, Sales Director at Aarenet AG, said: "It is an important milestone for both Aarenet AG and Yealink to achieve seamless interoperability between our technology offerings."

Paul McLean has joined Fujitsu as Enterprise Manager for Indirect Channels.

He brings over 20 years of experience and while at Hewlett Packard he managed a £1bn Enterprise Group channel business with over 500 resellers, developing a team of over 30 field and inside sales partner business managers.

He was responsible for strategy, coverage model creation and adoption, and driving growth across the Enterprise Group business.

For the past two years Mclean has been the owner of Channel Optimiser, an IT consultancy organisation focused on channel transformation, optimisation and maximising the efficiencies, relationships and business growth between channel partners and its vendors.

Kevin Matthews, Head of Channel and Direct Services at Fujitsu UK & Ireland, said: "Paul brings years of industry expertise and insight that will prove invaluable as we embark onto the next phase of our strategy."

McLean added: "I didn't anticipate joining another vendor, but after meeting with Kevin, understanding Fujitsu's vision for the channel and plans moving forward, it became a no brainer. I understand the challenge, I've been there before, and I am up to the task."

Nimans has staged its second annual X Factor-style talent contest for staff who performed a variety of acts including singers, poets, actors, a Greek-style dancer, rap duo, guitarist and a rock band.

Investors In People Manager, Sue Goldfine (pictured), and Dealer Sales Account Manager, Carl Foster, were voted the overall winners for their rendition of The Lion And Albert poem.

Event organiser Mat Weall said: "It's fair to say that some of the acts are better suited to their day jobs, but the contest proved that Nimans is awash with talent in areas other than communications supply."

Konftel has developed a trio of new audio conferencing devices that boast HD voice quality for enhanced 'life-like' meeting room experiences.

The new Konftel 300Mx features HD Voice quality audio for mobile conference calls anywhere.

Users insert a SIM card and start meetings immediately. The mobile conference phone also complements PC and web-based meetings due to its USB connection.

Konftel's new 55Wx speaker phone is another development delivering Unified Communications. The device works with all the leading collaboration suites, complemented by touch screen functionality.

Konftel has also developed an IP DECT base station that gives users wireless connectivity combined with OmniSound audio quality in any SIP environment.

Ombudsman Services is to provide a complaints handling scheme for members of the Internet Services Providers' Association and the Internet Telephony Services Providers' Association (and their customers), replacing the Communications and Internet Services Adjudication Scheme (CISAS) which becomes obsolete once currently logged complaints are resolved.

Chief Ombudsman Lewis Shand Smith said: "Ombudsman Services' roots began with resolving telecommunication complaints.

"We will help ITSPA and ISPA to improve their customer service models, as well as offer customers our free and impartial resolution service should they encounter a problem with Internet telephony products or services."

ITSPA Chair, Eli Katz, added: "All communications providers must, under law, provide their customers with access to an independent dispute resolution scheme. By working with Ombudsman Services we ensure that our members are compliant."

A new reseller portal introduced by Jola Cloud Solutions has simplified the ordering process, enabling resellers to build multi-product offerings without the need to re-enter data or dip into other parts of the system to complete the order.

Adrian Sunderland, CTO, said: "When a single order involves many products the journey may not be easy for resellers to create multi-product offerings.

"We want to encourage our resellers to order all their customers' requirements from us so once they have entered the delivery details Jola partners can build the entire solution.

"Resellers can save and return to part-built orders, add orders to existing sites and view orders in progress."

Jola provides connectivity and Broadsoft packages, and with 100-plus partners a self-service portal has not come a moment too soon, according to Sales Director Lee Broxson.

"Our partners are ordering hundreds of Broadsoft seats, leased lines and mobile SIMs every month and making this process easy and low-touch, save administration costs and cut-out translation errors," he stated.

Node4's just-opened London office at New Broad Street enables the company to cosy up to customers and channel partners in the south east.

As well as strengthening Node4's regional presence and vertical sector capability, the new office will consolidate assets following its acquisition of Premier IT Networks.

Paul Bryce, Business Development Director, commented: "The opening of a London office delivers on our strategy to build a truly national presence.

"We are positioned to offer localised customer support and technical expertise across the region."

Voyager Networks is targeting the mid-market contact centre space having joined forces with Enghouse Interactive as a Silver Partner in its EMEA channel programme.

Voyager Networks will offer the Enghouse Interactive Communications Centre (EICC) and the Quality Management Suite (QMS).

Peter Howells, Director, Voyager Networks, said: "We have a strong horizontal capability in networks, network security and the overlying collaborative application layer coupled with a vertical footprint in the housing, academies and construction sectors.

"Partnering with Enghouse strengthens our presence and capability in these markets."

Nimans is holding a series of two-day engineering courses offering Samsung WLAN training programmes that include site surveys, protocols, system troubleshooting and software.

Nimans says the WLAN market grew by up to 30% last year, with the £250m UK sector accelerating much faster than the PBX arena.

Samsung's WLAN solution has been developed from the ground up based on making adoption simple, and features just two main components - Access Points and their Controllers.

Paul Burn, Nimans' Head of Category Sales, said reseller support resources have now been tripled by the distributor to cater for the continued high demand.

"We are still at the very early stages of the WLAN journey and it's really captured the imagination of our customers," he said.

"Ever-increasing reliance on smartphones, tablets and watches is driving growth. Some 45 million devices were manufactured for the UK market last year with WiFi a key connectivity component."

He added: "We've already created a massive response and more exciting times are ahead. There's unlimited potential for resellers and we're here to help them every step of the way as part of our comprehensive WLAN portfolio."

Six Degrees Group (6DG) has been selected by Cintra HR and Payroll Services to host its integrated HR and Payroll product Cintra iQ, saving it thousands in security costs.

In line with the launch of Cintra iQ, Cintra required a new hosting provider with full disaster recovery that would be more effective than their existing on-premise solution.

By hosting the new product in the cloud, Cintra decided they could provide customers with improved 'mix and match' capabilities, as such a solution would allow simultaneous log-in to one centralised platform.

Carsten Staehr, CEO of Cintra, commented: With our launch of Cintra iQ SaaS we conducted research into the optimum hosting solution. It needed to be cost effective and flexible but more importantly tick all the boxes in relation to compliance, data protection, disaster recovery and business continuity.

"HR and Payroll data is highly sensitive, so these issues are of paramount importance to us and our clients. Another key factor in our decision was the guarantee that the solution was, and always would be, hosted in the UK."