Unify has expanded its routes to market following a distribution agreement with ScanSource Communications, the first distributor signing since the annulment of its relationship with Westcon and the instatement of Nimans as sole UK distie in October 2013.
The partnership will focus on the UK from the outset and kicked off with a partner event staged at Mercedes-Benz World in Surrey on May 15th. The deal also presents Unify with an opportunity for expansion into Europe where ScanSource operates extensively. Under the agreement, the full range of Unify's UCC technologies become part of the ScanSource portfolio. The move builds on Unify's existing modus operandi in the UK with Nimans, giving partners more choice.
"Nimans is a well respected, experienced and professional distribution partner that is used to operating in a competitive market," said Tony Smith (pictured), the vendor's UK&I Channel Sales Director. "Unify's decision to partner with ScanSource Communications will not affect the strong and professional relationship we have built up with Nimans. The decision to expand our routes to market in the UK is based on market conditions and our evolving strategic aims. The time was right for both parties, and most importantly the reseller community."
According to Smith, Unify will continue to invest in partnerships where it makes 'commercial sense', but he has no further plans to expand the vendor's distribution relationships at this time. "In the UK, our focus over the next year is to pursue a disruptive channel recruitment drive based on quality rather than quantity," added Smith. "We want to recruit high calibre partners not just from the traditional voice space, but also IT and software partners that can drive virtualised solutions and our new SaaS offering, Circuit."
Smith has witnessed strong demand for software-led communication and collaboration technologies driven through the channel. "We believe it's the right time to invest in partnerships such as the one with ScanSource Communications where both sides will benefit from enhanced competition in the market," he added. "The timing also aligns with our drive towards a more channel centric model and the expansion of our partner community. Both parties believe that this is a strong relationship that will deliver great mutual growth benefits in the future."
The need to address the changing face of the market today is a strategic driver that Unify has not ignored, noted Smith. SaaS is becoming prolific and Unify's portfolio is positioned to allow partners to leverage this trend and ultimately make more long-term, profitable recurring revenues, he emphasised. "We have to ensure that we are addressing the UK partner community sufficiently to support this opportunity," commented Smith. "There is no exclusive focus for such opportunities. Unify and ScanSource Communications' joint expertise enables us to support partners and customers in small, medium and enterprise categories across all verticals."
Unify will also benefit from ScanSource Communications' function as a distributor that provides the full suite of value added services including trained technical and pre-sales support, financial assistance in expanding resellers' purchasing power, in-depth training and education and channel marketing solutions. ScanSource also has a track record in helping partners scale across multiple countries, driving efficiency and expertise into relationships that deliver additional value to partners.
"Working together, we believe that Unify will greatly benefit from ScanSource Communications' access to the broader pan-European market," added Smith. "As the relationship develops, and as market conditions prove suitable, we will expand into other European territories. Any territory we move into will fall under the same distribution agreement that applies in the UK. The agreement enables us to engage with new partners, boost our European presence and in time will ensure a significant increase in market share."
This is a viewpoint shared by Phil Boyd, Vice President of Merchandising at ScanSource Communications Europe, who reaffirmed: "Unify's portfolio of products and services, coupled with ScanSource's knowledge, value added services and support, will enable resellers to effectively meet the needs of their end users."
Unify aims to drive business for partners through its software portfolio which has already seen impressive growth of 25-plus per cent and rising. "The profile of what we and our partners sell today will be the biggest change we will see over the next two years," commented Smith. "We have also invested heavily in generating leads for our partners. This activity is one of our core strategic objectives and we will continue to invest in this area to ensure our channel grows and profits from their partnership with Unify."
In other developments, Unify has expanded its UK channel team. "This ensures that we, in conjunction with our distributors, offer high levels of support to our partners," added Smith. "Working closely with ScanSource and our channel partners Unify is helping to address the business world's long-time challenge of how to enable greater flexibility, new ways of working and increased collaboration.
"This is an exciting time for us all. However, the evolving market not only presents opportunities but also risks to those that do not move with the times. We are well placed with our partners, our distributors and our portfolio to ensure we maximise on this opportunity."