Sonus Partner Programme expands to enable EMEA channels to simplify enterprise customers’ unified communications solutions deployment
Sonus Partner Assure Programme marks one year anniversary with expanded support and two-tier framework for channel partners across its Session Border Controller (SBC) portfolio
Key takeaways:
- EMEA members of Sonus Partner Assure programme include award-winning partners Westcon Convergence, Capita IT Services and Modality Systems.
- Sonus solutions enable channels to simplify the networks of the 59% of enterprises who today run more than one vendors’ Unified Communications solution.
- Since its inception in 2012, approximately 300 partners and resellers have joined the Sonus Partner Assure Programme worldwide.
LONDON, UK, 11th July 2013 – As enterprises battle with interoperability issues in their Unified Communications deployments, Sonus Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: SONS), a global leader in SIP communications, has announced it has further expanded its channel partner programme, Sonus Partner Assure, to include additional partner designations, including the adoption of two-tier distribution, making it easier for partners in EMEA to support these enterprise customers and relieve them of the complexity often associated with today’s Unified Communications solutions.
59% of enterprises today run more than one vendors’ Unified Communications solution within their business, making the management and maintenance of a consistent user experience hugely challenging for many IT teams. Canny channel partners across EMEA have joined the Sonus partner programme because Sonus’ Session Border Controller (SBC) solutions offer them a unique selling opportunity: Sonus SBCs overlay existing infrastructure, interoperating and ‘normalizing’ disparate VoIP signaling protocols, simplifying management and making a smooth, steady migration to a next generation communications system a realistic proposition.
With the new two-tier business model, Sonus is able to extend the reach of this selling opportunity to a broader partner set, including more than 250 partners that joined the programme through the company’s acquisition of NET, Inc. last year.
Partners including Modality Systems, Microsoft’s UK Voice Partner of the Year for the past two years, Capita IT Services, four times winner of Cisco for Scotland Services Partner of the Year and Westcon Convergence, winners of two vendors’ ‘Distributor of the Year’ awards in 2012, have all joined with Sonus and are leveraging the functionality of Sonus’ SBC portfolio with Microsoft Lync to further enhance their own Microsoft Gold Communications partner status, and go-to-market opportunities.
The announcement of the programme’s expansion marks the one-year anniversary of the Sonus Partner Assure programme and allows Sonus to ensure superior partner enablement via:
- Expanded partner management with value-added distributors engaged to provide pre- and post-sales technical support, in-region labs and demonstration resources and expedited local product delivery capability worldwide
- Broader self-service tools available through the Sonus Partner Portal, including an online quoting tool for instant delivery of product configurations and pricing, direct access to technical support documentation and trouble ticketing as well as a hub of communications resources from bulletins to webinar archives and product collateral.
- Accelerated ramp up for new partners and new partner representatives through the extensive library of online, on-demand training courses for both sales and technical job functions
Quotes:
“Sonus solutions enable us to simplify the deployment of Microsoft Lync for our customers and gives them a flexible and resilient infrastructure to build upon,” said Ian Guest, Head of Marketing, Modality Systems. “For many customers, migration is the only realistic proposal, and Sonus’ portfolio provides a path to migration at the customers’ pace.”
“We joined the Sonus Partner Assure programme because of Sonus’ reputation and experience in the delivery of high-quality, reliable VoIP and SIP solutions,” said Rob Gibbon, Head of Partner Management, Capita IT Services. “Sonus’ acquisition of NET further strengthened our belief in the company and has enhanced our ability to deliver end-to-end solutions from the headquarters to the branch of our most demanding customers.”
“Sonus understands what channels need to be successful,” said David Grant, Senior Vice President, Westcon Convergence. “Their portfolio breadth and commitment to the success of channel partners drove our decision to come on board as a pan-EMEA Sonus distributor.”
“The EMEA market is not homogenous, and providing our channel partners with solutions and a support and purchasing structure that enable them to flexibly meet the needs of their customers is essential to their long-term success,” said Serge Adam, Vice President, EMEA, Sonus.
Other facts:
- Channel, or indirect revenue as a percentage of total product revenue was 17% in Q1. With continued scale in the deployment of the Sonus Partner Assure programme, Sonus expects the Channel to contribute 20-25% to total product revenue in 2013.
- A recent Infonetics Research report shows the enterprise SBC market up 60% from 2010 to 2011 and expected to grow 26% year-over-year through 2016.
- Interoperability capabilities of Sonus solutions are tested and the results are freely available, offering customers and channels confidence in purchase and deployment.
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Sonus, SONS, Sonus Partner Assure, channel, value added reseller, VAR, session border controller, SBC, session initiation protocol, SIP, SIP trunking services, Sonus SBC 1000, Sonus SBC 2000, Sonus SBC 5100, Unified Communications, UC, Cloud VoIP communications, interoperability, complexity, distributor.
About Sonus Networks:
Sonus helps the world’s leading communications service providers and enterprises embrace the next generation of SIP-based solutions including VoIP, video and Unified Communications through secure, reliable and scalable IP networks. With customers around the globe and 15 years of experience transforming networks to IP, Sonus has enabled service providers and enterprises to capture and retain users and generate significant ROI. Sonus products include session border controllers, policy/routing servers, subscriber feature servers and media and signaling gateways. Sonus products are supported by a global services team with experience in design, deployment and maintenance of some of the world’s largest and most complex IP networks. For more information, visit www.sonus.net or call 1-855-GO-SONUS.
