Top Avaya partners set to receive higher rewards

Colman: those that invest in more products and training will be supported with a better discount structure

Avaya’s new UK channel chief Lynda Colman has pledged to increase rewards for the vendor’s most committed partners and aims to drive more than 90 per cent of business through resellers.

Colman assumed the role of UK VAR sales manager about a month ago. She replaces John Howard, who left the vendor to take up an EMEA-wide post at ShoreTel.
She claimed one of her top priorities was to ensure VARs are rewarded commensurately to their commitment.

“Instead of spreading ourselves thinly we are going to focus on channels that invest with Avaya and align all the benefits [accordingly],” she said. “Those that invest in more products and training will be supported with a better discount structure.”

Avaya is set to launch an updated channel programme in the near future, said Colman. She added that in the last six months, the percentage of Avaya’s indirect UK business has risen from “the mid-70s to the mid-80s”.

The goal is to drive upwards of 90 per cent of net new business through the channel.

Avaya launched its quest to become more channel-centric about a year ago. Colman admitted many of the vendor’s previous channel drives had been “half-hearted”.

“Some conversations with our business partners may not be comfortable ones,” she said. “The difference now is we want to be transparent and our partners trust us.”

Colman claimed she would assess Avaya’s market coverage over the next few months to ensure all verticals and horizontals are adequately addressed.

“We need to ensure partners are looking at different areas,” she added.
Avaya’s UK distribution line-up of Nimans, Scansource Communications Europe and Westcon would remain unchanged for the foreseeable future, she asserted.

Colman is the latest in a raft of managerial appointments at both global and UK level in the last year. Steve Walker, managing director of Platinum Partner IP Integration, claimed the changes have all been positive ones for partners.

"A lot of people in large organisations get involved in politics and posturing but Lynda is straight-talking and keeps her promises; I am delighted she has got the job," he said.

“The discount structure has always been a problem and I am delighted there is a plan (to address that). There has always been a rebate structure, but that is being brought more into the mainstream.”