Comms Dealer

A flexible pay-as-you-go option offered by Nimans and Unify has been welcomed by resellers keen to provide full OpenScape Business functionality based on a per-user-per-month licensing model.

The proposition scales up to 1,500 users and can be delivered as an on-premise server-based solution, using a designated data centre or via a hosted service provider of choice.

"The new solution provides the best of both worlds and offers resellers an entry into cloud-based technologies," said Marcus Yates, Unify Solutions Business Manager at Nimans.

"There's been lots of interest around this flexible product set. The first webinar attracted over 120 registrations which demonstrates the reseller appetite."

Channel-only comms provider 3CX has lifted the lid on PBX Express, a web-based wizard that enables users and resellers to set-up a PBX system in a cloud of their choice for free.
 
The solution is targeted at small businesses that need a low cost but fully fledged cloud PBX.

Customers can choose their SIP trunks, devices and system features such as softphone and smartphone clients for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android; presence, chat, and integrated video conferencing; along with unlimited extensions, eight simultaneous calls and five web conferencing participants for free.
 
Nick Galea, 3CX CEO, said: "The PBX Express makes deploying 3CX in the cloud easy. Most importantly, it allows users to leverage one of the many high quality yet low cost cloud providers."
 
An eight step process helps customers to create a new PBX installation hosted on Google Cloud, Amazon, OVH or any Openstack-based VPS provider.

Users have same features, settings and management available as offered with 3CX's existing on-premise and cloud versions.
 
"With the PBX Express tool resellers can set-up a dedicated instance of 3CX under their own account at one of the main cloud providers and fully manage it for the customer," added Galea.

"3CX partners no longer need to invest in hardware and dedicated servers to setup a complex multi-tenant 3CX installation."

ICT solutions developed by hotel sector provider FCS Computer Systems have been rated as fully compliant with NEC's hospitality proposition.

A new agreement between the vendors sees them target the EMEA market with solutions such as a billing interface, voicemail, job dispatch, engineering, housekeeping, glitch management and more, all tested and integrated to work with NEC's range of IT and communications servers and available to order through NEC's business partners in EMEA.

In the lead up to full launch FCS VP for EMEA Eric Rogers worked closely with NEC's EMEA Director of Hospitality Kees Van Donk to help accelerate the Japanese vendor's push into the 'smart hotel' space.

"The partnership is now in full effect and I am looking forward to working closely with NEC's Hospitality team and the wider NEC partner family to support this new agreement," said Rogers.

Van Donk added: "This partnership with FCS is a valuable addition to the solutions we offer in our NEC Smart Hospitality Framework."

Nimans has urged hospitality resellers to check out a new hotel management application brought out by NEC and targeted at 2-3 star establishments.

The InHotel inbuilt solution offers a one-off licensed based cost, check-in/out and wake-up call, message waiting and toll restriction, billing and invoicing, multiple/concurrent users at no extra cost, and a dashboard view of all rooms.

"InHotel is one of NEC's InApps, a range of applications which are built-in to the system," said Nimans NEC Solutions Business Manager, Yvonne Tierney-Neave.

"This makes them easier to sell and manage as they are cost effective since no extra PC or server is required."

The hotel application forms part of a NEC reseller training programme running throughout the year.

A comparison website rolled out by DMSL enables partners to more quickly compare and contrast the supplier and service provider options offered by the distributor.

Resellers can also present the service under their own name on a white label basis.

DMSL is operating a virtual sales team whereby each partner has their own 0330 number with all calls routed to DMSL's sales staff who answer in the reseller's name before explaining the options to prospects.

Straightforward orders will be placed on the reseller's account while more complex solutions will be passed on to the reseller.

"There is a multitude of options now and one of the challenges resellers have is trying to keep up-to-date with what's available," said MD John Carter.

"The website will always have the latest information, making the sales process easier and helping resellers to sell more broadband, voice and mobile. DMSL's account team will be available to help resellers close the sale."
 
Carter also noted that DMSL will conduct a SEO campaign to drive traffic to the main site, and he urged resellers to run their own campaigns within their target markets.

IPCortex is set to build on its partner numbers with the appointment of David Farrell (pictured) to a New Business Development role. He brings over 10 years experience working with hosted service providers and resellers.

"The IPCortex Service Provider Platform is growing 100% year-on-year, driving our existing partners' recurring voice revenue and related services such as connectivity," stated Farrell.

"Hosted comms is no longer just the remit of small businesses. Feature rich platforms and embedded comms are moving the conversation away from the dial tone."

IPCortex CEO Rob Pickering added: "There's never been a better time for ISPs and existing ITSPs to re-evaluate the solutions they're presenting to the market and get more from hosted comms, whether it's increasing the size and spend of their average deployment or enabling new opportunities. David joins us at an exciting stage in this pivotal moment of our business and the market."

Gamma leaders and partners took centre stage at the comms provider's theatre themed 2017 roadshow branded 'Much Ado About Gamma'.

Over 600 partners descended on iconic theatre venues across the UK to catch up with Gamma's latest developments including a new partner marketing portal called Accelerate, and Academy, an online training portal. Gamma also revealed this year's product releases including new cloud and converged services.

Gamma MD Daryl Pile said: "We've hit the ground running in 2017 with a quicker pace on development across the product portfolio."

RHM Telecommunications MD Nick Thomas welcomed Gamma's product development roadmap. "Horizon enhancements fill the gaps in areas such as hot desking and UC, enabling RHM to kick on with this product," he stated.

"The planned launch of shrink-wrapped AWS through the Gamma portal is interesting for us as a traditional voice partner. It may enable us to have an easy entry into providing cloud computing.

"And the new marketing portal will be an asset in our marketing plans moving forward."

Previous themed roadshows have been hosted in stately homes, museums, universities and castles. This year's events were staged at the Theatre Royal in Glasgow (28th February), The Lowry in Manchester (1st March), The Hippodrome in Birmingham (7th March) and London's The Barbican (8th March).

Pictured: Gamma CEO Bob Falconer on stage

On the one hand, doom-mongers ply their gloom in the wake of the B-word. On the other, the economic outlook is bright, we have plunging unemployment and growth in consumer spending, writes Clive Jefferys, Managing Director of recruiter JMA Network.

Despite these positive vibes, some people are never happy, saying that it's no more than the calm before the B-word storm, .

Against this backdrop - according to most recruitment pundits there aren't enough applicants, there's a shortage of skills and costs are going up. Well, this may be true if you try to recruit in old-fashioned ways, but you'll be pleased to know that the fleet-footed still thrive.

Sitting around waiting for a candidate to apply to your advert never solved anything.
 
Some people say what we do is 'headhunting' but that's just a cover for when someone leaves, or you want to impress your mates down the pub.
 
I've been in recruitment for over 25 years and I've never headhunted one single person. Instead, I network the people I know today to set a foundation for the future. It's not rocket science: I simply get to know my clients, my candidates and how to bring them together.
 
Sometimes recruitment strategies feel like a huge game of chess.
 
You must study all the pieces on the board and where they are likely to move to. Then think about the implications of each move, who will go where and it will all fall into place, check-mate. So if you're stressing about your next job move or how to fill your most essential vacancies; take a deep breath, take another and then pick up the telephone.
 
Just don't mention the B-word.

Leeds-based Firstnet Solutions has added colocation, cloud platforms and disaster recovery to its services portfolio following the opening of its first purpose built data centre facility in the city.

A key feature of the launch is Firstnet's own cloud solution, powered by Nutanix and targeted at SMEs.

Firstnet Solutions MD David Cusworth said: "The opportunity to expand and invest in this building to create a certified Tier III facility was too good to miss.  

"Our customers now have access to the latest technology in managed services and a host of additional support, including office space with over 100 desks designed specifically for workplace recovery and relocation needs.

"We envisage that this data centre will create more than 100 new jobs, providing an important source of local employment." 

Lyceum Capital-backed Sabio has acquired SaaS analysis specialist Rapport, extending its reach deeper into customer experience management.

Rapport's SaaS software and analysis services provide insights into potential performance and process bottlenecks that might lead to poor customer experiences and lower conversion rates.

A dashboard delivers daily, weekly or monthly insights into KPIs, Customer Effort and First Call Resolution performance, while proactive Success Management analysis also helps organisations to optimise potential inbound call traffic issues.

"Adding Rapport to our portfolio will help Sabio to unlock more value for our customers while contributing directly to improvements in operational performance as well as lower Customer Effort scores," said Sabio's CEO Andy Roberts (pictured).

"This is also an important first step in Sabio's acquisition strategy as we look to strengthen our customer engagement proposition with adjacent technologies and solutions."

Sabio's Vice President for Go-To-Market, Michael Andrews, added: "We have the ability to help our clients understand and quantify their customer experience by highlighting and ultimately eliminating repeat calls, failure demand, incorrect messages and out-of-hours contacts that can do so much to damage brand experience.

"Having access to this level of granular data will prove valuable in terms of eliminating customer journey bottlenecks, while also giving our customers new insights into the performance of ongoing campaigns.

"Being able to monitor and report on all of the calls coming into a business will also prove invaluable for highly regulated organisations such as utilities that increasingly require an objective external view of their service performance."

The acquisition follows Lyceum Capital's recent investment in Sabio and is part of an ongoing acquisition plan to drive double digit growth.