Aura Alliance eyes Avaya dominance

London VAR G3 Telecommunications teams up with foreign players to secure global contracts

Tony Parish: looking to expand into Eastern Europe and South America

A global network of top Avaya partners is looking to storm the market after teaming up to capitalise on the vendor’s move away from direct sales.

The Aura Alliance came into being last year with London VAR G3 Telecommunications one of the driving forces behind its formation. It has recruited members in Europe, Asia and the US. Standardised service-level agreements and other rules of engagement have recently been agreed.

G3 managing director Tony Parish said the Alliance is open to fellow Platinum partners, as well as those holding Gold status. He added that increasing coverage of the US and branching into South America and eastern Europe are top priorities.

Avaya began its drive to migrate the majority of its direct sales to the channel two years ago, offering partners the opportunity to snap up some hefty contracts. Parish claimed the Alliance was closing in on its first major deal.

“There are no global players because if [customers] go to the likes of IBM and Colt, they do not have the skills,” he said. “It is going to be left to partners of our size.”