Panasonic is gearing up to launch its UC platform for the smaller end of the market in July, with shipments beginning in September. Here's what else the ‘sleeping giant' has up its sleeve...

During the first week of September Panasonic will start shipping its next generation PBX platform. However, this comes well after rivals in the market have got their products for the sub-100 market out the door. Steve Gerrard, Head of Marketing for business telephone systems for the UK and Ireland at Panasonic, said: "If anything, Panasonic may be a little late in bringing the unified communications platform along." Yet Gerrard is confident that the timing will work for Panasonic customers, a proportion of which are still buying analog systems.

Currently the business still ships a significant amount of analog systems to customers, under the TES range. "We sell a surprisingly large number of analog equipment in the UK and Ireland," confirmed Gerrard. "It's a single digit part of the business, but an ongoing range. Analog isn't growing for us. It's not the future of the company, IP-based platforms are. Our digital TDA platform for the sub 100 market is dominating the market space. About a year ago, Panasonic announced its TDE hybrid IP platform, and the next one coming is the unified communications platform."

To support the launch, Panasonic will put more support into the channel, with added funds and resources going into distribution and dealer channels, Gerrard said. "We are going to keep building the profile of Panasonic, and wake up this sleeping giant. We are going to remind people that Panasonic is here and always will be."

Gerrard, who joined Panasonic on 1st April, has 18 years of industry experience. He most recently worked as pan EMEA Marketing Manager at Copper Eye. Prior to that he was at Mirapoint and before that at Redback Networks in the Netherlands. He has also previously worked with Newbridge Networks, now Alcatel, and Xylan, now Alcatel. He began his career as a trainee accountant, a time which he described as ‘a bizarre hiccup'.

As to why he joined Panasonic, Gerrard stated: "The great thing about Panasonic is that it's a sleeping giant. However, it's had very few press releases or outward-facing activity to publicise what it's up to here. This is a challenge to myself to make it known how good Panasonic has been to date, and can be going forward based on its distribution and reseller channel, and new products coming down the line as well."

Gerrard will additionally be developing the Communications Systems product range, looking at routes to market and brand awareness to increase sales for the channel. He will also look at how to capitalise on industry trends such as converging communications and unified messaging for the smaller business.