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Avaya has expanded its existing distribution deal with VExpress for the Australian market, moving it to a master agent agreement.
Under the expanded deal, VExpress will distribute the communications vendor's unified communications-as-a-service (UCaaS) Avaya Cloud Office by RingCentral product, as well as its SIP multi-platform communication devices, for mid-market organisations and small- to medium-sized enterprises (SME).
This agreement expands upon a pre-existing three-year cloud services partnership, which followed an 11-year technology distribution relationship.
This master agent deal is part of Avaya’s Master Agent Program, which is aimed at driving adoption of Avaya Cloud Office by Australian small- to medium-sized businesses (SMB) through signing agreements with local distributors and channel partners.
The aim of the program, according to Avaya, is to assist with the transition of sellers, channel partners and customers to cloud software and unified communications.
VExpress is the second distributor with a master agent agreement. Last week, CommsPlus was also named master agent for Australia and New Zealand.
David McEwan, COO and executive director at VExpress, said the expansion of the distributor’s portfolio will allow partners to focus on driving long-term value, as opposed to maintaining technology, for their clients.
“While Australian mid-market companies and SMEs have been interested in cloud-based communications and workflows for the better part of a decade, most cloud strategies have either been fast-tracked or refreshed as a result of COVID-19,” he said.
“The urgent need for remote work this year demonstrated that despite the nation’s technological maturity, many companies found themselves ill-equipped for new or flexible ways of operating. In this context, mid-market companies and SMEs – which make up the bulk of our economy – are relying on channel partners to fulfil the communications requirements underpinning post-lockdown business recovery.”
Steve Williams, channel director for A/NZ at Avaya, added the master agent deal will see complexity removed from partners’ businesses and supply chains, which will in turn improve customer experience.
“Changes to the way people work have impacted organisations’ technology needs and spending habits, with emphasis on flexibility, speed and agility now seen as crucial to business continuity and recovery,” he said.
