Avaya's new channel programme has already landed one of the UK channel’s biggest fish after BT Global Services declared its commitment to the vendor.

Avaya Connect, which launches on 1 February, was unveiled earlier this month. Andrew Small, portfolio general manager for BT Global Services, claimed the programme’s accreditation structure, coupled with Avaya’s SIP-based Aura
portfolio, had been key factors in expanding the partnership.

“We have a long-standing relationship and this is an extension,” he said.

He claimed that BT would bolster its design and delivery resources around the Avaya portfolio.

BT Global Services has long been one of Nortel’s biggest partners, and inked a four-year deal with the fallen vendor as recently as May. Small claimed the extension of his firm’s Avaya partnership had nothing to do with the imminent acquisition.

“This process was underway before that was even on the radar,” he explained.

He also stressed that the Avaya deal would have no impact on other big-name vendor partnerships, including Cisco.

“We have always had a strategy of working with multiple vendors and we are looking to strengthen our relationship with all of them.”

Rob Bamforth, principal analyst for Quocirca, said: “Avaya has always been strong from a telephony perspective, but it has not really had an IT edge ­- this will strengthen it in that space.”