Security specialist Sphinx has made a successful transition into the convergence market as it marks the first anniversary of its distribution partnership with Alcatel-Lucent, according to Managing Director Mark Hatton.

Hatton admitted the learning curve had been 'steep' but said that Sphinx has successfully grown Alcatel-Lucent's reseller partner base by 20 per cent over the last 12 months, recruiting new convergence players from the IT channel. "We have strengthened Alcatal-Lucent's channel by bringing in partners who are prepared to be self-sufficient and committed to the technology," he said.

"Alcatel has so much to offer but in return, it does need that commitment up front, so we insist our resellers go through the appropriate training and accreditation programmes. Yes, it can be expensive and time consuming, and subsidies are available. And in return, they get full access to the resources that will help them develop and participate in lead generation campaigns."

Hatton said the biggest challenge for Sphinx and incoming resellers has been to achieve a greater level of technological understanding and make sure that everyone grasps the concept of the solution sale in a market where business applications are the driving force.

"I used to be someone who didn't give the phone a second thought," he said. "But of course it isn't a simple thing at all. There are some very interesting nuances about the voice industry and we've had to work hard to understand them - and we're much better equipped now. But it's been a steep learning curve!"

Hatton said that Sphinx's background in security product distribution has translated well into the convergence arena, where the trend towards remote working and unified communications makes security a pressing issue - even during the credit crunch. "We're very strong throughout the business and we've just spent six months on a rigorous partner recruitment campaign," he said. "Meanwhile, we're working with existing partners on specific demand generation campaigns like Alcatel-Lucent's Business in Motion, which we're running and funding in the UK."

Business in Motion targets organisations that have large volumes of mobile professional workers who typically bill their time out. "It's really focused around complete mobility solutions built around remote access, unified communications and collaboration tools that can help make a dispersed and mobile workforce more productive," explained Hatton. "We're working with telemarketing agencies and a small number of partners on sales positioning and lead-generation. We've also signed a distribution agreement with Amigo Software, which develops a range of XML-type applications for the integration of voice and data networks, delivered on Alcatel-Lucent hardware."

Hatton said the arrival of typical open source-type applications for the IP phone, enabling a genuine multimedia screen-based interface, is the logical next step for convergence. "The initial phase was all about voice and data network integration," he said. "But selling convergence for its own sake doesn't get you far now. People want to know how their business will benefit; and it's these tools and applications that will show them. Applications are where you get traction."

Hatton said that the first signs of a tighter economy are now emerging on the sales side. Big projects are being deferred or broken down into smaller phases with a stronger security or compliance focus - and sales that are infrastructure-centric are taking longer to come through. "But it's just a note of caution at the moment. There's a tightening of belts but we don't see any need to take precipitate action. Alcatel-Lucent is really well positioned to ride the trend. They cover the voice and data spectrum with security embedded in the technology thanks to the Bell Labs heritage, which means deploying an Alcatel-Lucent solution gives you security from day one.

"And for us, the mobility trend simply adds to the overall view of a need for security. It adds to the ease with which organisations will listen to a security proposition."