From April, Avaya and Extreme Networks are working with UK distribution partners to deliver a complete, high quality networking solution that includes Avaya’s flagship IP telephony solution for smaller firms and intelligent and highly available network edge switches from Extreme Networks. Initially Westcon, a joint Avaya and Extreme distribution partner, will carry the combined product set, with both parties working to extend the offer to other partners. The combined offer gives even very small firms an easy, affordable way to take advantage of advanced, secure IP-based communications to improve productivity, customer service and other business processes.
“Small businesses know they can trust their resellers with a complete networking solution of the highest quality. Now, with Avaya IP Office and Extreme Networks data switches available as a package through authorised value added distributors (VAD) BusinessPartners can deliver a really powerful solution,” said Pat Hume, vice president, Avaya, EMEA. “We are strong proponents of open standards, as most companies’ networks typically include elements from a mix of vendors. As a result, jointly Avaya’s and Extreme Network’s solutions, which are based on open standards, provide businesses of all sizes with the choice and flexibility they need to build the network that is right for their company.”
The converged solution will combine Avaya IP Office, an award-winning communications solution created for small businesses, with Extreme Networks’ Summit series of network edge switches. Upgraded last month to include remote diagnostics and support for SIP-based services, the Avaya IP Office suite offers a complete, scalable IP telephony solution for both single and multi-site deployments. The Extreme Network switches provide bandwidth management to help ensure clear, consistent IP voice calls, simple management from a central location, and integrated security and service recovery features for business continuity.
"This is a great opportunity for Central Telecom, allowing us to offer a genuinely different and highly competitive convergence package to the SMB market," said Spencer Bradshaw, Business Development Director, Central Telecom an Avaya Platinum Business Partner and winners of last year’s Avaya best converged solutions award. "SMBs may not have the same budgets as large enterprises but that doesn't mean that they are happy to compromise on performance, particularly when it comes to IP telephony where network problems are very obvious to users. With the joint distribution model and pre-integration and testing work completed, together with the strong Extreme and Avaya alliance, BusinessPartners get the simplicity and cost benefits of dealing with a single vendor while our customers get the performance benefits of a best-of-breed solution." concluded Bradshaw.
Resellers will be offered special pricing on Extreme Networks Summit 200 (24 and 48 ports), 300 (24 ports) and X450e (24 and 48 ports) series edge switches when purchased with an Avaya IP Office. The agreement enables SMBs to purchase a high quality, end-to-end converged communication system from authorised Avaya and Extreme Networks resellers at significantly reduced rates.
"Extreme Networks provides customers with converged networking platforms that can deliver the high availability and traffic management features required for trouble-free IP telephony along with the simple management demanded by SMBs,” said Stephen Jamieson, director channels, Extreme Networks. “With complete integration with Avaya’s IP Office suite and a single purchase point we’re offering UK resellers a compelling solution with which to target the SMB market.”
Extreme Networks is a platinum member of the Avaya DeveloperConnection program -- an initiative to develop market and sell innovative third-party products that interoperate with Avaya technology.