Westcon Divides Sales Force To Boost SMB VoIP

The Tarrytown, N.Y.-based distributor has separated its Voda One division's sales force into two teams, one focused on Avaya SMB products and one focused on enterprise products. The dedicated SMB sales staff will offer small-business-focused solution providers more dedicated support, Westcon said.

Voda One's decision to split its sales team derives from Avaya's similar decision, said Rob Linder, vice president of sales at Voda One.

"The products are different, the markets are different, the tools that resellers need are different," Linder said. "SMB has a shorter sales cycle and is typically a little more transactional than larger enterprise business. They need things to happen faster than a Fortune 500-type company. We are trying to get customers what they need to grow their businesses."

Voda One's portfolio for the SMB market is driven by Avaya IP Office, Merlin Magix Integrated System, Partner Advanced Communication System and complementary products from vendors such as SpectraLink, Multi-Tech Systems and Symbol Technologies. Voda One recently launched a 17-city road show for Avaya partners selling to the SMB market.

The model helps Communications Solutions USA better serve SMB and enterprise customers, said Michael Hartley, vice president of the Deerfield Beach, Fla.-based solution provider.

"Having two teams is important because there is a difference between enterprise business and technology requirements and [those of] SMB," Hartley said. "It's also important having those teams cross that boundary and work with each other."

Meanwhile, the distributor's Westcon division has beefed up its services and support for Nortel Networks IP Telephony solutions for SMBs based on Nortel's Business Communications Manager (BCM).

The division has developed sales and product training for Nortel's BCM for SMBs and created bundles with netIQ and NICE, said Stuart Schwartzreich, director of Nortel Networks product management at Westcon.