Comms Dealer

UC platform developer 3CX has established a new office in Paris, France, as part of a bid to double its partner network via local marketing campaigns and training events.

It says it will use in France the same model which has turned out to be successful in other markets such as the UK, Italy or Germany. The company's new office will be expected to serve almost 500 current partners.

Apart from new website dedicated to French partners, 3CX's new localised product in French will include the administrator manual, user interface and French system prompts.

"France is a major IT and telecommunications market and as a European company we are in an ideal position to deliver the right solution to this market," said Nick Galea, CEO 3CX.

"France has historically been at the forefront of telecommunications and appreciates the advanced features our Unified Communications solution provides. Our new office significantly increases our presence in the French market as we are able to better support our partners and customers."

Recently, the company has also opened new offices in Poland, Russia and Japan.

NEC Corporation has taken the no. 1 position in the below 100 extension market segment as reported in MZA's latest Global PBX/IP PBX Market report over Q1 2013.

NEC's market share in the below 100 extension segment grew from 15% to the current 18%, while in the total extensions PBX/IP PBX market NEC took up second position worldwide.

"The recent MZA report highlights NEC's international success in enterprise telephony," said Graeme Snowden, Portfolio Director SMB at NEC Enterprise Solutions. "It is a clear recognition of the strength of NEC's portfolio of communications solutions and the ability to serve customers worldwide.

"We have been able to carve out this market position thanks to continuous innovation in our portfolio, as well as expanding our channels to market."

Computer Based Training is now available to resellers for NEC's small business solution the SL1100.

Resellers can achieve instant accreditation with an online course which can take a matter of just 3-4 hours even for a beginner, and all from the comfort of their own home or office. Other benefits include access to technical support from their distributors, downloadable reference materials and regular technical updates.

Simon Hughes, NEC UK Distribution Manager, said: "We wanted to take away all the obstacles for resellers wanting to on-board with NEC. It's affordable, convenient and quick and doesn't take a chunk from the working week."

The course involves flexible modules, multiple choice questions and an automated certification process. NEC plans for further CBT courses in the near future.

Hughes added: "The opportunities in the current PBX marketplace are huge. We're aiming to double SL1100 installs in the UK."

NEC has produced a video in support of its new training scheme:  Click here

Movers and shakers from some of London's most prestigious hotels attended a Smart Connections event hosted by sector specialist comms provider SBL at the Corinthia Hotel, London.

John Owen, SBL MD and co-owner, opened the seminar by introducing the partners, guest speakers and what the day aimed to achieve for those in attendance.

"The aim of Smart Connections was to inform and educate about technology trends and solutions that can aid hotels in increasing revenues and enhancing guest services," he said.

"Our focus was the upper echelons of the market as it is at these properties where service delivery is most critical. Our team of presenters and partners demonstrated how to deploy solutions properly whilst focusing on those aspects that would provide maximum benefit."
 
Hampshire-based SBL boasts an impressive portfolio of hotel customers and plans for next year's event are well under way.

Benoit Dilly, currently UK Country Manager will be leaving his post at the end of August to join another BNP Paribas Group entity, Arval UK, the vehicle leasing and fleet management company as Managing Director.

Benoit has served as UK Country Manager for BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions since 2009. During this period, the company has posted robust annual revenue and profit growth, in a tough and challenging economic climate.

He has also overseen the implementation of efficient systems and remodelling of organisational structures to better serve the needs of key business partners and clients. Benoit officially assumes his role at Arval UK on 1st September.

Replacing Benoit from 1st September will be Tristan Watkins who will be leaving his Paris-based role as Managing Director of Technology Solutions, an 'International Business Line' for BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions.

Tristan has held a number of senior roles within the BNP Paribas Group; in Corporate Banking, Mergers & Acquisitions, and for the last 10 years, in fleet and vendor leasing. The knowledge that he has built up during this time means that he has a strong understanding of the business, and the leasing market across Europe, making him well equipped to continue building a growth strategy for the UK entity.

A UK-wide locker network designed to offer an end-to-end delivery service for field engineers has significantly improved their operational performance, according to Bybox, provider the solution.

Thousands of lockers are located at sites ranging from petrol stations and supermarkets to sports grounds and fire stations. And Bybox claims that on average there is a locker within three miles of an engineer, meaning that waiting at home for spare parts to arrive or travelling to depots to pick them up is a thing of the past.

ByBox specialises in delivering items pre 8am and delivers 20 million items a year with 20,000 engineers using the platform daily.

The firm is well established in the telecoms sector and for many years has distributed parts that are required, often at short notice, around the clock and in remote locations to help engineers maintain networks 365 days-a-year.
  
"Once a delivery has been made into a locker, engineers receive a text or email alert advising them that their goods are ready for collection," stated a spokesperson.
 
Engineers can order parts up to 11pm for delivery the next morning. The first time pre 8am delivery success rate is 99.77% and 96% of deliveries are in lockers pre 6am.

"This increases scheduling flexibility and significantly reduces the number of inefficient same-day deliveries made by alternate, less efficient transport systems," added the spokesperson.

"It also reduces the number of repeat visits to sites as engineers receive all the parts needed to complete their day's jobs at one convenient location pre 8am."
 
ByBox also operates a network of Forward Stock Locations around the UK and Europe that are accessible 24 hours a day for engineers who require parts urgently outside of normal hours.
 
Urgently required parts can be dispatched 24 hours a day from the nearest Forward Stock Location (FSL), either direct to site or to the nearest locker or, alternatively, be held at the FSL for collection by an engineer.
 
ByBox' electronic lockers (iBoxes) can also be used as mini Forward Stock Locations. Fast moving and emergency parts can also be stored within a dedicated iBox door close to likely demand. All stock is visible over the web so field based staff can confirm if a required item is available before visiting the locker.
 
The iBoxes are accessed via card or code and are available with a variety of door sizes and columns that can handle anything from large parts to small accessories. The lock boxes, which are accessed by key, also have a large capacity, with the biggest doors having a 1.188 cubic m3 capacity.
 
In addition to the UK, ByBox has networks in the Republic of Ireland, France and the Benelux. Not only can it manage the distribution of items, but it can also look after the warehousing, inventory, returns, repair and provide engineering resource.

Through its subsidiary echo it can supply a bespoke range of tech and logistical support services consisting of outsourced low-level engineering through to high end technical repairs on demand on a range of electronic items. Additionally, its in house repair centre can manage the testing, repair and return of any faulty items such as GSM phones and cell fax equipment.
 
ByBox' offering is underpinned by its supply chain system Thinventory, which increases the visibility of new kit from OEMs and suppliers and provides complete visibility over the entire supply chain. The system has a full track and trace facility via the website providing total transparency across the supply chain 24 hours a day, seven days a week, making it simple to locate any urgently-requested part and move it to where it is required. 
 
The level of visibility provided allows companies to run lean inventories as they know exactly where their stock is, and can move it to where it is needed. Savings associated can be considerable; some companies have leaned out their inventory so much by using the locker network that they have managed to reduce the size of their warehouses, cut running costs and freed up capital.
 
The Thinventory system also simplifies the returns process enabling engineers to use the locker network in reverse to return faulty, unused or decommissioned parts. Once an engineer has placed a part in a locker and attached a returns label, the tracking software automatically redirects it back to the manufacturer; leading to a reduction in new purchases. The system also accelerates the reverse logistics loop to comply with OEM Return Merchandise Authorisation processes and increase warranty claims.
 
 

Mobile analysts Juniper Research estimates that the number of smartphone shipments reached 230 million in Q2 2013, representing a y-o-y growth of almost 50% from Q2 2012 and q-o-q growth of nearly 13%.

Samsung increased its smartphone market share by shipping an estimated 72 million smartphones and accounting for approximately 31% of all smartphone shipments in the quarter.

Juniper noted that e?Even though Samsung posted another record quarter in terms of device shipments, the South Korean company admitted slowing sales of their high-end smartphones including the Galaxy S4, with quarterly growth driven by mid-low end smartphones.

Samsung is estimated to have shipped 20 million Galaxy S4 in the first two months after its April 2013 launch, but subsequent sales are believed to have tailed off.??Likewise, says Juniper, Apple boasted iPhone sales showing steady y-o-y growth - up by 20% to more than 31 million - but saw y-o-y profits fall for the second successive quarter.

Apple was also the only leading vendor to experience a q-o-q decline in smartphone sales, down 17% from the previous quarter: as a result its share of smartphones slipped from 18% in Q1 2013 to 14% in Q2.??With Apple confirming that new products are in the pipeline, Juniper Research still believes Apple needs to bring out an innovative device.

Even though a cut-price model attractive to the emerging markets would help overall sales, Apple's background in innovation at the premium end of the market means that it must bring a 'game changing' device into the market to maintain its competitive edge.

?Juniper believes that Apple will soon enter the smart wearables segment and that they are one of the players best placed to deliver convergence between the two segments - mobile devices and wearable devices.

It is what they provide within the wearable market that will be the 'game changer', reckons the analyst firm.?? LG posted its highest ever smartphones sales quarter, shipping 12 million in Q2 2013, representing a y-o-y growth of an impressive 114% from Q2 2012.

Meanwhile, says Juniper, Chinese demand for low and mid end smart phones led to increased sales for vendors including Huawei, ZTE and Lenovo, with each exceeding an estimated 10 million shipments in Q2 2013.

??Nokia shipped 11.7 million smartphones in the fourth quarter and posted Lumia sales of 7.4 million compared to 5.6 million in the previous quarter. The company also shipped 4.3 million Asha smartphones in the second quarter.??BlackBerry's (previously RIM) recent results - which run to a different financial schedule - are expected to see them ship around 6.9 million smartphones in Q2 2013.

The Canadian company is believed to have sold nearly 2.8 million BlackBerry 10 devices over the past three months.

Cloud contact centre solutions provider NewVoiceMedia has appointed Georgia Thomas as Partner Marketing Manager.

Thomas will be responsible for developing the company's partner marketing relationship to and through Salesforce to secure its position as global partner of choice for cloud contact centre technology. NewVoiceMedia's ContactWorld solutions integrate with Salesforce to enable customers to quickly and easily deliver a personalised and unique customer experience.

Prior to NewVoiceMedia Thomas ran her own consultancy and has held positions at Reed Elsevier, Business Monitor International and Euromoney Institutional Investor. A member of The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), she is also undertaking a part-time MBA at the London School of Marketing.

The newly-created role follows the recent appointment of Sara Smith as Partner Manager. Tim Pickard, CMO at NewVoiceMedia, commented: "With her extensive international marketing experience and tremendous enthusiasm and drive, Georgia will be invaluable in her new role with us."

Thomas added: "I'm excited about the challenge ahead and look forward to creating a partner marketing strategy that will not only strengthen our relationship with Salesforce but also develop other strategic partnerships to take us to the next level."

Phil Brown has been promoted to the role of B2B Director at Micro-P, to focus on driving forward the distributor's B2B customer, vendor and sales proposition.

Brown has been with Micro-P since 2011 as Commercial Director and since then he has driven vendor relationships and built strong, dynamic commercial teams. Using his vast channel experience, he will now focus on core IT and specialist resellers to ensure Micro-P is continuing to support their needs, enabling them to grow and develop their businesses.

Brown commented: "In this new challenge, I will ensure that Micro-P's reseller partners are fighting fit for the future. Micro-P has always been led by the principles of strong customer relationships and I will continue to ensure that we exceed our customers' needs to drive our combined growth and success."

Paul Bryan, Managing Director at Micro-P, added: "Since being with Micro-P, Phil has consistently demonstrated his ability to drive vendor strategy and relationships, enabling us to fulfil our aggressive growth plans. He's in a perfect position to take a holistic view of our proposition to the channel and prepare Micro-P and its reseller partners for future expansion."

Surrey-based IT, voice and data solutions provider siptel has helped to raise over £19,000 for two Woking charities.

The reseller sponsored the annual charity ball and silent auction held at Hoe Bridge School, in Woking in support of 'LinkAble', which provides sports, social and recreational activities for children and adults with a broad range of learning disabilities, and global children's charity 'Plan' which works with children in the world's poorest countries to help them build a better future.

Steve Rasmussen, Director at siptel, commented: "By supporting such worthy charities as LinkAble and Plan, as well as Hoe Bridge School, it is nice for siptel to feel that we are giving valuable input into the local community."