Avaya looks to segment partners

Channel director aims for smoother coverage across all sectors to drive success in 2011

Avaya’s recently appointed UK channel chief’s top priority this year will be to improve the vendor’s coverage of key markets and tempt resellers into new sectors.

Niall Anderson (pictured) joined the comms player late last year in the newly created role of UK and Ireland regional channel director.

He claimed better division of partners across various vertical and horizontal markets would be the key to success in 2011.

“We need to make sure we can get a coverage model for the UK and not have as many types of partners serving the same segment,” he explained. The vendor is running a vertically focused segmentation programme.

Anderson said Avaya’s contact centre offerings already enjoy a strong presence in the retail space, but stressed that “there is an opportunity to penetrate further.”

Making its presence felt in the public sector will be a top goal this year, he added. “We are growing our [reach] into government, but we have a long way to go on building that proposition,” he said.

The advent of new delivery models such as software-as-a-service and cloud computing could also see the comms vendor forge ties with a new breed of partner.

“Our product portfolio is fuller,” said Anderson.

“We are going to come at [the market this year] much more around collaboration. We will need some new partners, application development or ISV-type partners.”