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Avaya cements BT union with IP Office 7.0

Vendor hopes rising demand will negate the need for more distribution tinkering

Avaya's UK business could be given a shot in the arm as long-time Nortel ally BT throws its weight behind the vendor's latest version of its SMB comms platform.

Avaya IP Office 7.0 was launched last week and marks the integration of Nortel and Avaya's respective PBX technology.

Jeremy Butt, vice president of worldwide channels, said: "There are a gazillion customers in the UK with heritage Nortel; we are not going to leave technology orphans."

Paul Blundell, director of Avaya partner iQual, was effusive in his praise for the new products.

"The price point on this is excellent," he said. "It is an enterprise-class product at an SME price."

Lee Shorten (pictured below), UK managing director at Avaya, claimed that integration at a channel partner level is also nigh-on complete.

"We have spent 18 months trying to cull bad partners," he added. "We have been doing lots of channel mapping, trying to make sure we are recruiting in the right areas."

One of Nortel's top routes to market in this country was through its long-standing partnership with BT. Since the acquisition the carrier giant is understood to have kept Avaya somewhat at arm's length while it conducted a lengthy period of due diligence and evaluated the merits of the new relationship.

"The heritage Nortel product was primarily delivered through the BT Local Business [channel] of SME experts, whereas Avaya traditionally partnered with distribution," said Shorten. "We have now created a level playing field. [SME] is one of the parts of the business where we have got one and one equalling more than two."

Avaya trimmed its distribution line-up from five to four last year and Shorten explained he now wants to maintain the status quo.

"It is my hope that the market grows to the point where we need four but, if it doesn't, then we will only need three," he said.