David Grant, Senior Vice President Europe, Westcon Group, has welcomed news of Avaya's strategic acquisition of Sipera.
"For more than 20 years, Westcon has been one of Avaya's premier global distributors," he explained. "In 2006, we also announced a significant global deal with Sipera, underscoring the importance of security solutions for real-time IP communications.
"Our rich history in UC - combined with the fact that Westcon is the only Avaya distributor working with Sipera in Europe - gives us a unique perspective on the acquisition."
The news is significant in several ways, reckons Grant. On a market level, it lowers the cost of entry for companies looking to deploy advanced SIP UC applications and protocols.
"This will fuel interest and expand the ability for companies to leverage SIP technology," he believes. "For Avaya partners, this means reduced time-to-value for those selling advanced Aura-based solutions. The acquisition will also lower the OPEX costs for those interested in managing and provisioning secure remote working.
"Westcon believes this to be a highly significant transaction in the marketplace, one that not only benefits Avaya, Sipera and Westcon partners, but a move that has dramatic repercussions for companies looking to successfully leverage and adopt SIP-based UC applications."