Avaya is marching forward with a go-to-market channel support model designed to help partners focus on key market segments. Central to its strategy is a just-launched mid-market bootcamp style training scheme which is pushing ahead under the iConnect banner, explains Michelle Jones, EMEA Channel Development and Marketing Director.
Signing up to the iConnect programme will cost partners approximately £6k. It's a new approach, but it's one Avaya claims is changing the game. "Avaya has devoted significant resource to developing the iConnect programme and by asking partners to make a small investment we can ensure everyone involved gains overall," said Jones. "We're not trying to force partners to do anything, rather this programme is about rapidly increasing support for partners who want to target this dynamic and potentially lucrative market opportunity. While markets have been flattening more generally, the mid-market continues to defy the downturn. With mid-sized businesses offering a high growth opportunity with faster time to cash, iConnect provides partners with quick and easy access to this one-stop-shop, so they can really take advantage of this lucrative market prospect."
The initial sales and design training, plus the implementation training for IP Office, is classroom-based. Avaya believes that the bootcamp-style approach works well in getting everyone together to learn and share experiences as a group. Within the iConnect bundle the vendor has included three 12-month licenses for Avaya's newly launched Virtual Campus which enables engineers to continue self-paced learning when it's convenient for them, with access to virtual instructors over the next year.
There are two key reasons Avaya integrated a full training curriculum into the programme. "Firstly, we want to ensure all partners are eligible to sell the full stack of mid-market solutions, including IP Office, networking and video," explained Jones. "Secondly, we want to encourage our partners to become self-sufficient and ensure they're all on a level playing field in terms of their knowledge and demo capabilities, and the support they receive from Avaya. iConnect brings partners into an exclusive group that, over the next year, will hook them into future product releases and provide access to specific mid-market campaigns plus a whole host of other benefits such as lead allocation and MDF support."
The a la carte approach is still an option and it's not now a case of 'all or nothing'. "What we've done with iConnect is essentially package what is already available through the Avaya University into a fast-track bootcamp training course," added Jones. "We have also added new sessions such as 'How to sell to mid-market companies'. This is a brand new session which brings in an external sales trainer and provides the sales individuals with knowledge on key elements of SPIN selling, vertical positioning and value selling to name a few."
The partners that traditionally operate in the sub-100 space know IP Office as a product, so for them a big bonus is that IP Office 9.0 is essentially the same product but with scalability and rich Unified Comms functions included. "We are helping partners now realise they can play into the larger space with the knowledge they already have," said Jones. "The engineering training also included in iConnect allows the partners to skill up on the install and support requirements, but with the solutions they already know by heritage."
Avaya is working closely with distribution to drive iConnect. Distributors such as Westcon Convergence will offer their own mid-market value propositions to the iConnect partners they work with. "Basically, every element of the programme has been built in collaboration with our distribution partners to ensure we are all aligned," added Jones.
Avaya's ROADS programme, launched last December, is an initiative to support channel partners through their lifecycle with Avaya and its distribution channel, and according to Jones the scheme has increased the number of active partners selling year-on-year, reduced time to revenue and increased average deal size per partner. "It's important to bear in mind that ROADS is about how we manage the entire lifecycle of a partner relationship," added Jones. "That's why we'll continue to invest in it, ensuring that, along with our distribution partners, we constantly develop and grow our reseller base. For FY'14, our focus is on increasing our footprint and developing partners to be able to competently and confidently sell across the stack delivering value to the customer across the complete solution."
More broadly, cloud uptake is filtering down from the top while mid-market strategies around CPE are moving up the ladder meaning the mid-market could become the battleground between hosted and CPE. Not according to Jones. "That's the wrong way to look at it," she said. "We'd rather focus on addressing customers' needs rather than on fitting them into a category. Yes, we have different go-to-market models but it's important to think about what customers need to solve business problems, improve productivity and get more for their money. There's a technology element and there's a business element for that need."