Aastra
is taking steps to increase its grip on accreditation programmes,
micromanaging more aspects in order to ensure quality. Alan Reeve, UK
and Ireland managing director of the company claimed that it is in the
top two for the video space PBX market-share across the entire continent
of Europe, with a few exceptions. However, branding is going very well
and many countries within Europe are now learning about the company’s
program. He explained, “Over the past three years, many more in the
channel know about us. We now have about 130 UK partners.”The Company’s Achievement
This Canadian based company is planning to become more competitive with Cisco in coming months particularly in the video space market. In addition to Cisco, it will target other providers such as Lifesize and Polycom. Reeve further explained, “We have channels in videoconferencing, and we are trying to encourage them to sell our full suite of technologies.”
How did Aastra reach so high? The company claimed that the firm differentiated itself from the competition and as a reseller-based option by offering a hands-on solution to multiple business avenues. Flexibility was key as was a direct, customer-centric approach. “The channels I do have we look after. I try to get to everyone in my channel on a first-name basis. If someone has a problem, they can ring me.”
Of course, at the root of this programme lies the key issue of accreditation. The company has reported increased attention given to accreditation, namely through keeping VARs up to date. They identified the agenda of separating themselves from resellers that cause problems, as they [the vendor] are limited in what they can do in response.
A New Programme That Filters Out Problems and Losses
In fact, the new requirement suggests that the company won’t even work with resellers who are unable to complete the newly improved and stringent accreditation process. Reeve states that it is now a priority to monitor the programme, and ensure that everything is running smoothly and everyone is working towards a high standard.
Aastra has enjoyed a stellar reputation for open-standards enterprise communications. Despite its new attention to accreditation, don’t take this as a sign of unwillingness to work with new members. After all, Aastra just approved Extreme Networks as a member of the updated Approved Partner Program. Aastra’s A2P2 programme will focus on providing fully integrated Unified Communications solutions with their related telephone systems. Earlier, Plantronics was also approved under the new accreditation programme, and this operation ensures integration between the headsets of Plantronics and Aastra’s call control system.
All of this improvement of the accreditation system is big news, considering the influence Aastra already has. The company counts over 50 million installed lines worldwide and across 100 countries. Their IP telephony products and communication systems (offered along with customized solutions for customers) have garnered the company’s reputation for quality service and feature-rich software.
Best of all, the system offers scalable solutions for any business, whether that business is large, medium or small. Collaborations across country lines can now occur easily, and thanks to the new programme, quality is ensured.
