Comms Dealer

With the nature and expected growth of managed services one of the key discussion points at last week's managed services and hosting summit, many think 2014 is the transition year, particularly for IT channels.

Keynote present Gartner and Distinguished Analyst Tiffani Bova spelled out the views of many experienced IT hands when she said: "We have had recurring revenue in the channel for decades, it is not a new model. How the customer is using the technology is how it is changing."

What is new is connectivity and the changes it enables: "We have been looking at how to encapsulate the changes, so we have started to talk about the two speeds of IT. Speed one is renovating the core - technology that refreshes the data centre, virtualisation and moving off-premises - a long term project, becoming more competitive and that is where the channel is most comfortable, particularly the sales people and engineers."

Speed two builds on the Gartner Nexus of forces - mobile, big data, social cloud. This is now running through the marketplace and is about exploiting the new growth initiatives - "see it try it , use it" much more quickly. It needs different skills and sellers, even different buyers, she says.

For Mark Hart, Channel and Strategic Alliance Director of Navisite Europe, these challenges for the partner channel were how a hybrid strategy works; cloud and managed services are increasingly in a game of scale; size is needed for stability.

And the public/private split is where the opportunity lies for him. Cloud services still deliver on costs, but there are concerns over control - private cloud offers this, but may not have the cost model and flexibility. Traditional solutions in non-virtual environments still make up most of the IT spend. "It is rarely one size fits all. Public cloud is still dwarfed by private and on-premise data centres who have over 90% of the total business. But the growth is in the public area, and is expected to hit 25%, while the private model is just 4%," he says.

How does the channel fit into this - when 80% want to sell cloud, but it is still a small part of the their businesses. It is a problem in certain categories - skills, business model, billing models and provider selection, Mark Hart says.

So the strategy is also hybrid, he says. "Blending of the two models is where we see the real opportunity. A survey of customers' spending in the next 12 months shows that 65% expect private cloud to have the priority." Clients still want this on-premise technology. The role of the partner has changed, but is complex; while most deploy on -premise; integrators are supporting legacy applications as well, so they are not about to port to cloud.

Service Providers have to add a layer to address the vertical markets such as healthcare. Dave Sobel of GFI MAX agrees on the history and what has changed. "Everyone talks about cloud, IT services, SaaS - it has been called all sorts - the only difference is that customers 'get' the marketing phrase. That doesn't mean any of the earlier ones were different.

"Connectivity is exploding and mobile is delivering, this is why it is resonating. I'm not fixated on verticals. The great Service Providers are the one with best practices who measure their success on the business outcomes of the customers."

Interoute Communications has acquired Vtesse group in a move that will bring Interoute's cloud service, Interoute VDC, and its Enterprise Unified ICT portfolio of Computing, Connectivity and Unified Communications solutions to businesses across the UK.
 
Gareth Williams, Interoute CEO commented: "When you look at the options for European businesses wanting to take advantage of flexible, scalable cloud infrastructure, they are often limited to the public cloud providers who think Europe can be served by one European data centre location connected by the public Internet.

"With this acquisition Interoute is adding its 12th Data Centre in Europe and over 7000km of UK network to its 60,000km pan-European global Cloud services platform. This provides a highly resilient, secure low latency Cloud platform that businesses everywhere can benefit from."
 
The Vtesse network connects 55 Data Centres and 48 major towns and cities in England, Scotland and Wales. The company provides metropolitan and Wide Area Network (WAN) solutions to some of the largest companies in the world both directly and via leading global system integrators, such as IBM, ARUP, Redstone and Logicalis. Its enterprise customers including Lloyds TSB, Poundland, Friends Provident, Invesco, DEFRA and the AA, will now have access to Interoute's advanced Unified ICT portfolio of services.
 
Aidan Paul Chairman and Founder, Vtesse added: "Over the past years Vtesse has provided enterprises, system integrators, carriers and cloud and data centre operators with a range of solutions from our data centre and extensive UK network. Becoming part of Interoute will give these customers access to the extended portfolio of solutions and international reach of Interoute, opening new opportunities and new markets."

8x8 has simplified customer engagement process with new out-of-the-box enhancements to its cloud contact centre offering.

The release of Virtual Contact Centre (VCC) 8.1, the latest version of its cloud-based contact centre solution, offers three key out-of-the-box components - Proactive Web Engagement, Customer Connection Scripting, and Direct Agent Connect - providing contact centres with an easy to implement framework for building customer satisfaction and generating increased revenue for their companies.

"Designing a consistent experience across multiple channels is key to building profitable relationships with customers, old and new," said Sheila McGee Smith, Principal Analyst at McGee Smith Analytics.

"An important success factor is having the tools and processes in place to painlessly create these experiences. Virtual Contact Centre 8.1 brings sophisticated contact centre functionality - such as a comprehensive multi-channel routing design environment and proactive web chat - to an easy to implement cloud-based solution, significantly increasing the business value and ROI for new and existing 8x8 customers."

8x8 Sr. Vice President of Product & Strategy Darren Hakeman added: "In a world where consumers control how and when they engage with the companies they do business with, having an effective, multichannel customer engagement strategy is an imperative businesses can't ignore.

"Virtual Contact Centre 8.1 brings together all of the capabilities and tools businesses need to ensure successful customer interactions packaged in a fast to deploy solution."

The City Council for Derby has signed a £1.2m deal with Virgin Media Business to provide Internet connectivity for SMEs.

The initiative forms part of Connect Derby, a £14.2m scheme, which sees Derby City Council's primary managed workspaces come together under one banner in a project to create jobs for local people.

Local businesses can access super-fast Internet at a speed of 2Gbps at a fraction of the usual cost, thanks to services provided by Virgin Media Business.

Tenants can also benefit from unified communications, HD video conferencing, multi-device instant messaging and full-time IT support services from on-hand experts, giving them more time to focus on growing their businesses.

The scheme will provide micro businesses, entrepreneurs and SMEs with the high specification working environment, IT infrastructure and business support they need to improve business survival rates and act as a catalyst for expansion and growth. It is also hoped the project will create further jobs by increasing inward investment to the city.

The Council is looking to attract more innovative and hi-tech SMEs from across the Midlands, including Nottingham, Sheffield and Leicester. Derby already has a strong reputation in this area, with over 12% of its workforce employed in hi-tech roles - four times the national average.

Andy Fisk, director of public sector at Virgin Media Business, said: "In the heart of Derby, this is about giving local businesses access to the very best technology at a cost they can afford, helping them achieve their ambitions faster.

"SMEs are the lifeblood of our economy, so it's critical that we give them the digital capabilities they need to grow and succeed. Getting these tools and infrastructure in place will play a critical part in maintaining the UK's digital advantage and supporting our economic recovery."

Virgin Media Business has been working with Derby City Council since 2013, providing wide and local area networking and WiFi to local businesses and residents.

Plantronics has launched a new family of contact centre headset solutions - the EncorePro 500 headset series.

The company also announced its next generation USB audio processors for Plantronics headsets that allows for a more complete audio experience by providing contextual information that contact centre managers can leverage to improve their customer interactions operations.

"With the rise of social media, smartphones and self-service, customer interactions are now in the public domain. Engaged and prepared customer interactions are vital to making every call matter and end in a positive resolution," said Philip Vanhoutte, Senior Vice President and Managing Director E&A, Plantronics.

"With our new portfolio, organisations will immediately see the value of equipment and intelligence that enables operations to be more effective, not to mention creating a positive experience for both the customer interactions associate and the customer."

Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise has been sold to China Huaxin for 202 million euros.

Following the divestment, Alcatel-Lucent will maintain a minority stake in a newly-formed holding company, incorporated in France.

Michel Emelianoff, Chief Executive Officer, Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, said: "With such a dedicated investor, we now have the ability to execute on our ambition to become an essential player in the enterprise communications market."

Yuan Xin, President, China Huaxin, added: "Our long-term investment approach will help Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise deliver on its ambition while enabling us to strengthen our strategic position in the enterprise communications arena."

Doro has expanded its portfolio with the addition of the Doro Liberto 820 smartphone. This handset is designed for seniors who want to enjoy the benefits of a smartphone - but may need some additional support, patience or encouragement on their journey of discovery.

Created with an intuitive coaching feature embedded into all core applications the device allows the user to learn more as they journey into a world of apps.

Chris Millington, UK and Ireland Managing Director at Doro, said: "The introduction of our new coaching function means that for the first time Doro users will be able to take their time, learn at their own pace and have a companion that helps them get the most from their mobile."

Virtual1 is launching a new version of its partner portal - 1Portal - which is set to see partner order times significantly reduced.

The latest version of the web-based portal builds on existing capabilities to include automated ordering, carrier-price comparison and e-sign leaving partners with more time to focus on their customers.

MD Tom O'Hagan said: "Earlier this year we looked at areas where we could improve as a business to in turn enable our partners to be more efficient. The new features, notably the ability to place orders seamlessly through the portal, reduce lead times for partners and their end customers."

Simon Durrant, Sales Director, added: "The 1Portal re-launch has had input from our partners at every step and removing paper-based orders is the right move for our Partners, their end customers and ourselves."

Strategic Imperatives is set to take on the established channel billing solution providers with the launch of its new Elevate product.

Imperatives already works with over 500 communication providers and manages more than six million Wholesale Line Rental, unbundled, fibre and traditional broadband lines. The company says it has invested millions in the development of the Elevate billing solution.

"Our entry into billing is long overdue and we intend to revolutionise the market," said MD Wail Sabbagh.
"Working day-to-day with reseller clients to streamline their business processes has given us an insight into the needs of the industry.

"Billing is a key requirement at the heart of every reseller's activities and we know that inflexible, cumbersome and difficult-to-use billing systems can cause delays and compromise revenue.

"This can be expensive, affect cashflow and even threaten the future of a company."

Sabbagh said Elevate is the culmination of a multi-million pound project to develop and design a billing system from the ground up that overcomes the limitations of the outdated 'patchwork quilt' billing environments built on requirements dating from a time when CPs only billed calls.

"Elevate is built using solid and secure cloud infrastructure, normally the reserve of multinational and financial institutions," added Sabbagh.

"Its elastic scalability means that it scales on demand when needed. This can be strategic such as when a business is expanding or more tactical for example when a bill run need to complete quicker.

"Our cloud approach addresses the fact that billing vendors often create multiple versions of their software, forcing CPs to upgrade when they reach a certain size or require new features.

"This can be expensive and time consuming, involving new hardware and possibly a migration project."

Sabbagh claims Elevate will make all aspects of the billing process easier, so resellers can offer a more efficient, value added service to customers.

"Elevate works in real time, responding to changes in customer and pricing data, re-calculating and re-pricing straight away so managers can see the performance of their business at all times," he said.

Mitel has unveiled a new corporate brand, the latest in a series of strategic moves. During the past 18 months Mitel has doubled in size, broadened its market presence and expanded its scope of offerings. The branding being introduced today reflects this new Mitel, said the firm.

"Mitel has undergone a massive transformation," said Rich McBee, President and CEO of Mitel. "We have the strongest market position we have ever had and the fastest-growing cloud business in our sector.

"We also have a broad portfolio. This combination enables us to address the needs of all kinds of customers, from the smallest to the largest organisations. The new Mitel is a company on the move, and the rebranding is another major milestone on our journey."

The introduction of the new Mitel brand follows an active period of strategic mergers and acquisitions, including the integration of four companies in just over a year. As of today, the company is unified under a single Mitel brand worldwide.

"Capitalising on industry change, innovation, and emerging opportunities have been at the root of success for Mitel throughout our history. The heritage of our past and the opportunities of our future are embodied in the endurance of our name - Mitel," said Terry Matthews, Mitel chairman and company co-founder.

"Our original name is now supported by two interlocking connectors and a new tagline - Powering connections - which together reflect the unprecedented connected nature of the world we live in and the global ecosystem of customers, partners and suppliers who have been central to our success since we founded the company more than four decades ago."

Mitel developed the brand in close consultation with customers, partners, and employees. Beyond the new visual identity, the brand reinforces the company's confident brand promise - to power the success of every customer, every communication, every time.

"In this digital world, the success or failure of any company depends on one thing - the voice of the customer. The development of this brand began with an extensive brand and market research assessment with our customers and partners," said Martyn Etherington, Mitel's chief marketing officer.

"They communicated, loud and clear, that their success depends on making connections. And they demand choice and flexibility to take advantage of constantly evolving technology."

Martyn Etherington has written a blog post that outlines the business objectives and strategy behind Mitel's new brand. Click here to read