Few industry figures deserve the label 'seasoned comms veteran' as much as Robin Hayman, SpliceCom's Director of Marketing and Product Management, whose watchwords 'no direct sales, no trade distribution' continue to pay off for the innovative vendor and its channel partners.
SpliceCom was formed in 2001 by comms veterans Sean Harding, Frank Bretherton and Jeremy Cook. Their story began in the late 90s when SDX acquired a company established by Harding and John Birbeck, called Network Alchemy. Soon afterwards SDX itself was acquired by Lucent Technologies. Lucent's telephone system arm was then spun off as Avaya in early 2000 with the third Generation Network Alchemy Argent product family rebranded and launched by the new owners as IP Office. A previous venture, Scorpion Logic, was asked by Bretherton and Cooke at SDX to build the Data Router Cassette (DRC) for the INDeX telephone system. "That was my first real exposure to business telephony," stated Hayman.
These early experiences proved pivotal in shaping the formation of SpliceCom and its direction. "We aimed to build on what we had learnt in our previous venture and create a super-scalable, pure IP-based telephone system ready to take advantage of the convergence of voice with web-based and native IT apps which we viewed, even back then, as inevitable," said Hayman.
Foresight is a wonderful thing but Hayman's past experience in the IT and comms sector ensured that his future vision was based more on science than educated guesswork. After graduating, he studied Electrical & Electronic Engineering at what is now Coventry University and started his working career at DPCE, a large third party computer maintenance company in the early 80s. "At this time PCs were just starting to be used in business," recalled Hayman. "Mainframes and Minis were the order of the day for 99 per cent of serious computing. Then I moved into data communications and got into LAN interworking during the late 80s, and then into voice in the late 90s when Sean Harding and John Birbeck started Network Alchemy.
From the outset SpliceCom's go-to-market strategy was to concentrate on the UK and sell exclusively via direct relationships through the channel. No direct sales, no trade distribution. "As a new entrant we saw reseller profitability as key to us gaining initial traction," explained Hayman. "The slide into over distribution of competitive products was already underway. A close channel relationship was also important to us because we could see that the fast evolution of voice products and services was unlikely to slow down, with ongoing education being key to identifying and closing new business opportunities as well as ensuring happy customers post-install. It's a testament to Jeremy Cooke's vision that the channel strategy he put in place on day one still underpins everything we do to this day."
Barry Edwards took over from Harding as CEO in mid-2011 and has taken SpliceCom from the entrepreneurial, technical tour-de-force it was when he joined and steered it towards the market focused operation it is today. "He's worked hard to put in place the systems and procedures needed to take the business forward to the next stage of development, as clearly demonstrated by the 30 per cent year-on-year growth we're currently enjoying across the board," said Hayman.
Over the past 12 months SpliceCom has also concentrated on developing new products to expand its portfolio, allowing it to deliver a wide choice to channel partners and customers. "We now offer a range of soft, hard and virtual IP PBXs, all running the same operating system - Maximiser OS - which can be deployed to fulfill on-premise, cloud, hosted and hybrid requirements," commented Hayman. "In particular, we have witnessed an impressive take-up of our soft/virtual IP PBX family since its introduction. With the ability of these systems to grow seamlessly in both size and capability simply through additional licences, we expect to see sales accelerate for the foreseeable future."
According to Hayman, this extended product portfolio positions SpliceCom as an independent advisor when it comes to meeting the differing needs and requirements for PBX deployment. "As with all new technology cycles, the new entrants, in this particular case cloud service providers, will decry any need for premise-based capabilities and continuity of service," he added. "The truth is that there is no one-size-fits all. Each customer's unique requirement, both technical and commercial, will inevitably dictate the best solution."
Hayman believes that a general consensus of opinion on the benefits of hybrid deployment - probably the best solution for a high percentage of SMBs, he says, is growing. "Encompassing elements of both cloud and on-premise equipment, a hybrid solution offers convenience alongside total resilience," noted Hayman.
SpliceCom's smartphone and tablet integration has also been giving customers what they want from BYOD mobility, according to Hayman. Phase one has seen smartphones and tablets running the firm's iPCS IP Softphone app, replacing traditional DECT devices and even recently installed SIP/Wi-Fi phones. "The main driver is convenience coupled with the fact that this combination delivers more system features than legacy systems, so much so that we're witnessing the emergence of a second phase where the need for any form of deskphone is totally redundant," commented Hayman.
"This requirement alone is causing companies to migrate from their existing PBX and hosted solutions. With BYOD still proving to be a major driver we will continue to build on the benefits our technology design gives us to service this demand."
The company's Flexible Licence Programme (FLP) is also driving growth. From new departmental initiatives to seasonal call centres, companies are seizing the ability to only pay for the facilities they need to use, increasing or decreasing their investment as business demands. "This pay monthly scheme, with its ability to flex numbers up and down, has always been positioned as a major USP by hosted service providers," said Hayman. "By applying a similar plan to soft/virtual PBXs, licences and apps, FLP allows CPE equipment to be treated in the same manner. This eliminates the opex versus capex argument and puts the focus back on what's operationally best for the customer."
Security is becoming evermore important in the voice space, even though, claimed Hayman, many suppliers continue to hide their heads in the sand. However, SpliceCom claims to be the only PBX vendor to offer built-in protection against freaking. "We provide protection against call hacking utilising Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology for remote, mobile and home working device connectivity," he added. "And, in an increasingly litigious society, protection of our customers through integrated call recording is fast becoming a must. It no longer matters if an organisation is required to record all calls for regulatory purposes or otherwise."
SpliceCom's go to market approach insulates partners from the 'me too' price squabbling and margin damaging approach of the over-distributed big brand manufacturers, claims Hayman. "We firmly believe that to deliver high quality solutions and services the channel requires quality product margins and a professional approach," he said. "We are constantly vetting potential resellers, identifying those best suited to promote our solutions to their customers. We look at their business goals and direction to evaluate how SpliceCom can best service their business growth.
"To help us achieve this, the launch of ProVision Services allows new channel partners to get up to speed quickly and successfully deliver their first few customer installs. Our new website features a reseller-only microsite which allows us to tailor an effective supply of information on a reseller-by-reseller basis. This means we can maximise our personal contact with each channel partner, working with them in true partnership to deliver measurable marketing initiatives."•