Comms Dealer

CONTEXT's channelwatch study shows that a high proportion of a 6,000-plus sample of European resellers are not interested in selling cloud.

The UK was most disinterested, with almost half those surveyed saying no cloud for them, but other major European economies (Germany, France, Italy, Spain) also showed around a third missing out, due to concerns over security and complexity, but also because they said they were not seeing demand from customers.

This may also be due to the established nature of the businesses, reaching that time in their lifecycle and that of their owners when the costs and upheaval in traditional sales and work-practices are not desired, particularly in the UK. This phenomena has also been noted in the US.

Looking at which solutions are being sold, most of those selling cloud had sold back-up, as expected, but security has also started to figure strongly this year, particularly in the UK and Germany. 

Storage in the cloud was on offer from over half the resellers in France and Spain.

Reporting the results at the Global Technology Distribution Council's European Summit in Vienna, CONTEXT said that a high proportion rated what distributors offered through hosting in the cloud as excellent or good; it was also clear that most resellers rated their distribution partners highly overall, particularly in Spain and Poland.

CONTEXT MD Adam Simon reported that some resellers in the UK and Germany had expressed concerns over rising costs and value, but they were in a minority.

Distributor Westcon has added Sonus Networks' Cloud Link solution to its Best of Breed Microsoft Office 365 Cloud PBX offer.

The promotional programme offers resellers additional discounts when selling a 3-part Microsoft ecosystem component sale comprising Sonus Cloud Link (the integrated appliance solution comprising the Sonus SBC 1000 and SBC 2000 session border controllers running embedded Microsoft Skype for Business Cloud Connector Edition); Polycom voice handsets and Plantronics Wired and wireless UC headsets.

Nick Wright, Product Manager, EMEA, Westcon, said: "This Best of Breed programme is designed to alleviate any concern end users might have about investing in a total solution for transitioning from traditional voice deployments to a Microsoft Cloud PBX implementation at their own pace."

Kevin Baynes, Sonus UK & Ireland Country Manager, said: "Sonus Cloud Link speeds-up Microsoft CCE deployments with a pre-packaged code and wizard. We have experienced installation times being reduced from 7 hours to 1 hour."

The 2017 Harvey Nash/KPMG CIO Survey reveals that, despite economic and political uncertainty having an impact on organisations' technology strategies, the situation is in fact contributing towards an increase in digital innovation.

According to MSP Claranet, this finding highlights the fact that such uncertainty can be a positive for businesses that are prepared to go the extra mile to differentiate themselves from their competitors.

According to the report, 64 per cent of CIOs polled said the current climate of uncertainty is affecting how they approach their technology strategies.

However, far from retreating into their shells, an overwhelming 89 per cent said they are either maintaining or increasing investment in innovation.

For Claranet, this shows that uncertainty should be seen as an opportunity rather than a burden.

Michel Robert, UK MD at Claranet, said: "With political and economic turmoil still well and truly in full swing, a common knee-jerk reaction can be to embrace an austere approach to technology adoption, in order to save on costs and consolidate the company's position in the market. However, what this report shows is that the opposite may well be the best course of action.

"Regardless of the economic and political climate, the priority for any business leader should be working out how best to get ahead of their competitors. If anything, such external challenges mean that organisations need to think of fresh ways of doing things as a matter of course. It's a time to experiment with new approaches."

Distributor of broadband connectivity and hosted voice services DMSL has been appointed as a Premier Partner of BT, the telco's highest accreditation level.

The move sees BT invest in partner sales and gives DMSL access to exclusive support and resources.

Under its new designation DMSL is able to offer BT Authorised Suppliers discounts and promotions, demonstration and evaluation equipment, trials and pilots for new products, access to partner training and dedicated support from BT.

"As BT brings forward new products such as GFast and FTTP connectivity options and mobile devices and services, the opportunities for Authorised Suppliers are growing," said DMSL MD John Carter.

ITS Technology Group (ITS) has recruited a former Openreach top exec as MD.

Daren Baythorpe (pictured) was Openreach's MD for the Business and Corporate Delivery division, and has also held a number of senior management positions, as well as being an adviser with telecoms and utility sector companies including BT and Severn Trent Water.

Baythorpe, who has spent the last six months advising ITS on business strategy, said: "I'm now working with ITS and the wider team more formally. The business has many qualities and has worked hard to establish itself as a major altnet provider."

ITS CEO Roy Shelton added: "Daren has transformed some of the largest and complex workforces in the telecoms sector.

"Plans are already in place and being delivered for the growth of our 21 networks throughout the UK, including the augmentation of our concessions and our national network.

"ITS goes from strength to strength and with Daren's focus and direction along with our additional investment from our first institutional investor there are some exciting times ahead."

Norwich-based Comm-Tech Voice & Data has bagged Great Yarmouth company Fine Line Communications following the retirement of its owner.

Fine Line will continue to operate under its own brand.

Comm-Tech MD Justin Millar stated: "With the skill sets and assets both businesses can bring together, this is the natural choice to continue the legacy of both companies."

Former Fine Line owner Kenny Leak said: "Having decided to retire we have left the company in good hands. Comm-Tech will strengthen every aspect of the business and take the customer experience to the next level."

Comm-Tech was established 30 years ago and is a Vodafone Total Communications Partner.

Onecom marked its 15th anniversary with a surprise party for staff and the launch Onecom Employee Plus, a programme of learning, development and rewards designed to boost positivity and productivity inside and outside working hours.

The firm's 400 workers based at its Whiteley HQ and 11 regional offices also received £25 to spend on the celebrations.

COO Aaron Brown said: "To mark this milestone we wanted to reiterate our commitment to the training and development of our people, to their health and wellbeing and to establishing a positive work-life balance."

Pictured: Aaron Brown celebrates with Onecom staff.

Hosted comms provider Inclarity is claiming to have launched the fullest range of Polycom VVX handset VoIP telephony bundles in the UK channel.

Inclarity's bundles include a Broadsoft Enterprise License, 2000 UK landline and 2000 UK mobile minutes, together with a choice of VVX handsets ranging from the entry level VVX100 and 200 series through the mid-range VVX300 and 400 series up to and including the full range of premium and executive phones found in the VVX500 and VVX600 series. 
 
Offering the full VVX range allows Inclarity channel partners to be
flexible with the bundled solutions they can provide their clients which includes the ability to mix handsets options across an installation.
 
Glynn Jones, Polycom's VP EMEA Channels and Advanced Technology Group, said: "The market for hosted cloud telephony continues to grow at pace.  As a long standing partner we are delighted that Inclarity now offers the full range of VVX business media phones as a key component of its solutions and services proposition to channel partners."
 
Enzo Viscito added: "Businesses are demanding high quality, flexible and secure VoIP bundles at a keen price. This is why we are offering our channel the widest choice of Polycom VVX business media phones, together with the internationally recognised Broadsoft License and virtually unlimited minutes.
 
"To help resellers sell our bundles we include number porting, DDI numbers and a quick migration turnaround."

Sennheiser and 3CX have established a technology partnership and announced product compatibility.
 
The headset maker's UC product portfolio is now compatible with 3CX's software-based PBX including the latest 3CX v15.5 release.

Nick Galea, CEO at 3CX, said: "With Sennheiser's UC headset portfolio 3CX customers can be confident to enjoy the benefits of our UC solutions to the fullest."

The European Commission has opened an in-depth investigation into the proposed $38bn acquisition of automotive and Internet of Things chip maker NXP by Qualcomm.

The Commission has concerns that the transaction could 'lead to higher prices, less choice and reduced innovation', just when the IoT and car automation market starts to take off.

Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy, said: "With this investigation we want to ensure that consumers will continue to benefit from secure and innovative products at competitive prices." 

Qualcomm specialises in UMTS and LTE smartphone chips and NXP is a niche provider in the automotive and near-field communication (NFC) and secure elements (SEs) market segments.

The Commission's preliminary concern is that the merged entity would hold strong market positions within both smartphone baseband chipsets and NFC/SEs chips, and would have the 'ability and incentive' to exclude rival suppliers from these markets through practices such as 'bundling or tying'.

The merged entity would also have the ability and incentive, said the Commission, to modify NXP's current intellectual property licensing practices, in particular in relation to NFC technology. This could include bundling NFC intellectual property with Qualcomm's patent portfolio. 

The Commission will investigate whether such conduct could lead to 'anti-competitive' behaviour, such as increased royalties for customers and/or exclusion of competitors. The Commission now has 90 working days to make a decision by October.