Avaya signs Peribit in VoIP channel push

WAN optimisation specialist Peribit Networks has joined a global partner program run by contact centre communications vendor Avaya.

Michael Paul, country manager at Peribit, said the alliance -- part of Avaya’s global DevConnect initiative -- would help both companies bring a more attractive offering to customers.

“Both partners will work closely to identify opportunities for the pair of them,” he said.

Paul said the companies would cross-market products and sales opportunities through both companies’ indirect channel – although Avaya will also sell direct.

“We are going to provide assistance to the Avaya guys and to the Avaya channel to close the deals, using sales staff and technical staff,” he said.

“It gives us a broader reach into the marketplace from a VoIP perspective.”

Peribit had about eight channel partners in Australia so far, including XSI Data Solutions and IBM’s network integration division, Paul said.

Roy Wakim, regional manager for analyst relations at Avaya, said Peribit’s WAN optimisation products filled a hole in Avaya’s partner network.

Wakim said Avaya had about 10 DevConnect partners locally, but Peribit was the only one offering WAN optimisation -- a relatively rare speciality globally.

“If you look at DevConnect, it’s just vendor applications that enhance VoIP,” he said. “And we’ll be working with channel partners on particular opportunities.”

Peribit was chosen partly because it was best-of-breed and fulfilled Avaya’s criteria on testing and certification, Wakim said.

Peribit’s Paul added that recent research suggested companies would increasingly turn away from simply buying more bandwidth to fix their network problems.

“Gartner has said that by 2008 investing in WAN optimisation solutions will be the primary WAN upgrade strategy for 75 percent of enterprises,” Paul said.