Vertical focus needed for VARs that wish to gain market share

Resellers eager to grab a slice of the expanding IP telephony market may need to add vertical focus to succeed, vendor Avaya has claimed

Resellers eager to grab a slice of the expanding IP telephony market may need to add vertical focus to succeed, vendor Avaya has claimed.

The vendor claimed growth of voice over IP (VoIP) is set to soar over the next few years, with a rising number of providers seeking extra business.

With some customers still unsure of the benefits that VoIP will bring to their particular business, a reseller that can tailor their offering to a particular sector’s need could boost its revenue, Avaya claimed.

Paul Louden, sales director for SMEs at Avaya, said: “In what is a fragmented marketplace, companies will need to add focus to specific verticals. If resellers understand the vertical market, they can understand the challenges they face every day.”

Louden claimed that if resellers can gather a reference site of local customers in the same sector they can offer a stronger sell to customers. Understanding what firms need and when they require support can help maintain a relationship.

“One of our resellers, NEG, has focused on IP systems for the doctors’ surgery market. It is branded for that vertical and decision making is done on a local basis.

“I would recommend that resellers pick a certain market, understand where they are strong and communicate on projects in this sector,” Louden added.

NEG’s bespoke telephony system for GP surgeries is called NEG Surgery Line. The system includes a telephone system for the hard of hearing, personal fax services, and queue reducing, as well as information indicators for the waiting room.

Richard Chapman, chief executive of NEG, said its branded solutions for doctors’ surgeries has 22 case studies and NEG is already introducing a new system for secondary schools, which currently has 18 customers signed up.

“By branding into non-telecoms verticals you can produce major success. It offers an absolute differentiator that will enable resellers to address the real needs of customers.

“Resellers can gain a reputation for working in a vertical and keep up-to-date on sector developments,” he said.

Chapman said that branding gives customers an identity and enables resellers to show a dedication to providing to this sector and not merely shifting on mass.

“I am comfortable that we can brand anything. Every industry will have regular issues and resellers need to understand and address them. We will be permanently looking at verticals from now on,” he added.