SMB customers will be able to lease communications assets for a fixed monthly charge that includes installation and maintenance services. The new service delivers an online leasing fee quote within just 20 minutes, giving SMBs rapid access to advanced communication technologies and resellers the benefit of payment at the start of the leasing period.
“One of the biggest problems for our SMB customers is cash flow, so financing is an absolute must in today’s market. By offering a financial service customised for SMBs, Nortel is enabling them to invest strategically in communications technology rather than implementing on a restricted piecemeal basis because of limited budgets. This enables them to benefit from technology in the same way as larger businesses that have the advantage of capital that can be invested,” said Paul Fullman, director, product development, at Datasharp a specialist provider of business telephony and Nortel Gold Solutions Partner.
SMBs interested in the new financing solutions simply register interest with their Nortel reseller who then uses an intuitive web tool to generate a quote from Grenke. The financing option is subsequently printed and emailed to the customer for consideration. When the customer makes a decision to proceed the reseller can simply approve the quote and convert it into a contract between Grenke and the customer.
“Vendors like Nortel really understand the financial pressure that resellers are often under,” said Ian Bullingham, sales director, Midland Telecom. “A solution like this can help us open doors to the end user and enable them to achieve their business goals. Partnering with experts such as Nortel and Grenke Leasing helps to reduce the financial burden carried by resellers.”
“We’re investing significant resources in strengthening our offering for Nortel’s SMB resellers and making it easier for new and existing partners to work with us,” said Amanda Giddins, director, Distribution/Indirect Reseller Business, EMEA, Nortel. “We launched the Nortel SMB Accelerate Partner Programme in early 2006 and now, with these new financing solutions, we’re stepping up our commitment to this market. Many resellers use financing as an integral part of the sale, one of the key benefits of this offering is improved cash flow for the resellers, who receive payment on delivery.”
“Leasing in the IT industry is a trend that will continue to grow in line with increasing pressures around selling prices and financial flexibility. We have been offering leasing programmes to businesses in Europe for 25 years and teaming with Nortel presents an exciting opportunity to help SMBs streamline their buying decisions and help them to purchase the technology required to meet their business needs,” said Kevin Green, commercial director, Grenke Leasing Ltd.