Unified communications (UC) specialised vendor Zeacom and its UK distribution partner 5i have launched a Return on Investment (RoI) calculator to help resellers and end users demonstrate the benefits of investing in IT.

The tool is available to Zeacom's UK partners and aims to help them shore up sales in a testing economic climate by showing the cost efficiencies of the vendor's Operator Console product. It is designed for use by channel sales teams and end user procurement staff.

The tool compares the cost and time it takes to perform communications tasks using the Operator Console with more traditional tools. Zeacom claims a saving of £1,800 per month can be demonstrated for a company with 1,000 staff. The vendor also says firms could enjoy less tangible benefits such as increasing staff retention and enhancing customer service.

Samuel Williams, general manager of Zeacom Europe, said: “In tight economic conditions, client retention is more important than ever and customer service can be a key differentiator. At the same time, IT managers are required to justify all investments they make. Demonstrating RoI is a critical component of purchasing decisions.”

Peter Howells, managing director of 5i, added: “Historically, UC has eluded traditional RoI calculators as it is difficult to quantify increases in workforce productivity or efficiency in financial terms. The launch of this tool provides channel partners with the rare opportunity to clearly demonstrate the RoI that organisations can achieve through the deployment of intuitive UC."