Avaya to sharpen mid-market focus

Incoming UK chief Simon Culmer to implement horizontally geared sales structures as vendor indicates "dramatic improvement" in lead times

Avaya's new UK boss Simon Culmer is to put in place new go-to-market structures to hone the vendor's focus on the mid-market.

The incoming country chief has also claimed an early analysis of data shows the comms player has "dramatically improved" the lead time problems and product quality issues experienced last year.

Avaya currently organises its high-touch sales operations by vertical market, focusing on areas including public sector, financial services, retail and B2B. Culmer, who was unveiled as UK and Ireland managing director a week ago, wants to put implement a mid-market-focused horizontal operation to sit across the sector-focused teams.

"One of the things I want to look at is the mid-market area. I am very keen to see how we can shift our mid-market strategy and I want to do that sooner rather than later," he added. "We want to help smaller companies embrace things that maybe the bigger companies are doing."

Culmer claimed he will scour the vendor's partner base for resellers able to help Avaya make a bigger splash in the mid-market with its burgeoning video, unified communications and collaboration portfolio.

"We have a lot of existing reseller relationships that have been incredibly successful for us in the traditional voice space," he said.

At its partner conference in November, Avaya was contrite about what it saw as an unacceptably low 80 per cent success rate with delivery times and product quality. Culmer claimed his early indications show the vendor is making good on its pledge to improve lead times.

"I am aware of some of the history and, looking at the trends, that has dramatically improved. I have seen the trends and they are incredibly positive," he explained.

Culmer arrived at Avaya from Huawei and replaces Andrew Shepperd, who left the firm recently after just eight months in the post. In another personnel shift, former Mitel UK channel chief Enda Kenneally is to oversee Avaya's UK partner operations. She joined the company around the turn of the year and previously held a post managing the relationship with key partner BT.