Print.IT Reseller - issue 59

01732 759725 28 TELECOMS Established in 1992, North Supply has been a certified BT partner for over 25 years. The ISO 22301 (Business Continuity Management) and ISO 27001 (Information Security Management) accredited telephony solution specialist, has supplied products and services to over 50,000 customers throughout the UK. Managing Director Richard Potts said that the German-engineered innovaphone portfolio which includes VoIP gateways, PBX IP telephony system, myPBX UC solution and myApps UC client, is ideal for channel vendors already operating in or looking to make the move into the profitable telecoms sector. “In addition to the core IP PBX innovaphone IP PBX: key features: n Flexible solution that can be sold as an on-premise, private or public cloud solution n On-premise comprises a series of pure IP gateways with some variants supporting traditional analogue and ISDN lines in addition to SIP n Virtual appliance – the IPVA can operate in both VMWARE and Hyper V environments n New V13 Apps based software platform has the look and feel of a mobile app that is modern, flexible and different n Powerful IP gateways that can cater for customer requirements ranging from five to 25,000 users, tailored for single and multi-site applications and support full redundancy n PoE powered with a super quick start-up time n The gateways is also a UC server, supports reverse proxy and therefore prevents the need for additional hardware to offer UC capability n Flexible licensing model that allows reuse of licenses when migrating from on-premise to cloud North Supply has secured exclusive distribution rights in the UK for innovaphone IP telephony and Unified Communications (UC) solutions and is looking to the print and IT reseller community to expand its network of channel partners New revenue opportunity for IT channel offering there is also a new Apps based software platform; user desktop Unified Communications client; a range of IP handsets, PKMs, DECT + WI-FI phones; IP Video Door Access units; plus more specialist applications such as call recording, operator consoles, fax server, web RTC, conferencing, professional on hold and auto attendant messaging services all of which add value to the base solution for both the customer and the reseller.” He continued: “As data and voice continue to converge more and more IT resellers and VARS are offering voice solutions that complement their current suite of products and services. We have worked closely with innovaphone to develop a margin-rich model that provides channel partners with a great opportunity to attract new customers, as well as increase stickiness with existing clients.” Potts points out that whilst North Supply is actively looking to expand its partner network, the strategy is very much about reach and relevance. “Our overall aim is to maximise coverage and penetration nationwide, and we will be looking to appoint partners based on geographical need or ones with specific vertical market expertise for example. What we don’t want to do is create a situation where we have too many partners covering the same region who would in effect be competing with each other.” A logical step Potts argues that for dealers already used to dealing with IT infrastructure, making the move into telecoms doesn’t require a huge step-change. The innovaphone IP PBX is PoE powered and requires CAT5 cabling, data switches etc. to operate – all of which are standard offerings from VARs and IT resellers. “Innovaphone is a logical step for resellers who already provide IT/data related voice products such as Cisco, as well as dealers who want to add voice capability to their portfolio. It is an ideal solution for customers that operate across multiple sites and want a system that is integrated, provides the capability to reallocate licenses and automatically invokes failover as required. Moreover, it is a very secure system using protocols such as STUN and TURN, making it ideal for businesses where data security is paramount,” he explained. Attractive rewards The different partner levels are successive, offer high margins and perfectly complement each other. Resellers can dip their toe in the water by acting as a consultant and enjoy attractive rewards for referrals. This, says Potts is an attractive model for resellers with limited in-house technical resource or who are unable to initially invest in engineer training. “Essentially referral partners provide the lead and North Supply will manage the entire process from pre-sales, demonstration and quote, through to installation and after- sales technical support,” he explained. In order to be accredited as an Richard Potts