Opportunities in IP communications

Justine Cross, Business Development Manager for Zultys, EMEA, discusses channel opportunities for resellers looking at IP communications solutions.

Q: What is your route to market?

A: Zultys has a two tier distribution. Only Zultys accredited resellers can sell its MX media exchanges. Zultys will not be over distributing the product set. It is very important to Zultys that it works with a smaller number of well educated partners rather than the mass market.

Q: Describe your business model to explain how your products reach the end customer: that is do you deal solely with distributors, do you deal with distributors, resellers and systems integrators, do you deal with end users?

A: The supply route of the product is always through distributor to reseller to end user. The support of sale happens at all levels. Zultys works with its accredited resellers at the end user level to support them when bidding on an opportunity. Zultys never sells direct to the end user or direct to a reseller.

Q: Why do you think partners and customers choose you? And, why should new partners choose to work with you?

A: Customers choose Zultys because it makes VoIP and IP Telephony simple. Zultys products are 100% based on open standards and are feature rich for both the SME and Corporate markets.

Partners choose Zultys for IP Telephony again because Zultys makes it very easy for resellers to enter this marketplace. Zultys offers free technical and sales training, a full marketing support package along with feature rich technology. Zultys also has a very clear route to market, you will never find Zultys selling direct to an end user.

Q: How do you support your channel?

A: Zultys technically supports the UK channel from the EMEA headquarters in the UK. It has a growing technical services division that offers the channel, presales; post sales; on going training; tender support, and on site demos and presentations.

Q: What benefits and incentives do you offer to your existing partners/new partners?

A: Zultys ZIP partner program is designed around marketing support, lead generation and training. Every ZIP partner has access to marketing funds every quarter. The program has not been designed around the notion of sell 10 boxes at no margin and get a free PDA; it is based around finding real business opportunities at good margins.

Q: At what times of the year do you recruit new partners?

A: There is no specific or preferred timing for this. Zultys looks all year round for new relevant partners that can translate the compelling business benefits of Zultys and VoIP to end users.

Q: Do you want new partners now?

A: Yes.