With rising fuel prices causing many companies to re-examine their travel budgets, Tech Data Canada is hoping the time may be right for Polycom‘s line of voice, video and data collaboration tools.
The distributor has inked a distribution agreement with Polycom (Canada) Inc., and its high definition video, wireless and wireless voice and content products are now available to Tech Data partners.
Greg Myers, vice-president, marketing, Tech Data Canada, says he sees the Polycom agreement as a really nice extension of Tech Data’s line card.
“We’ve got a lot of depth and experience and position in network telephony, built on the backs of our Cisco and Nortel trade, but we try to represent all the relevant technologies and vendors in the marketplace,” said Myers. “As the whole unified communications (UC) space develops. Polycom’s solutions really represent a good fit for our strategy.”
It’s that UC and telepresence opportunity that has Tech Data particularly excited about Polycom.
“The fact these (video conferencing) solutions can now reside directly on the network and operate with IP brings them more into the domain of the networking VARs, and they’re less of a specialty product you might have sourced a few years ago from an A/V specialist,” he says.
Myers adds it’s the fact Polycom’s products are IP and open standards-based, and designed to be easily configured into mainstream network applications and compatible with the major vendors, that make them such a strong channel opportunity.
Rarely is it a single-vendor solution, he says. The key is around the open standards and IP.
“With proprietary technology, even when its fully integrated into a network environment, you’re always worried about drivers and configuration…there’s more work to be done,” said Myers. “There’s an opportunity to specialize and provide services, but I think most VARs recognize the opportunity for improved customer satisfaction and long-term customer relationships comes from making things easy and seamless.”
While the global scenario for telepresence is impactful, connecting multi-nationals around the globe, what’s even more meaningful in this context, says Myers, is the ability to connect a mobile workforce, with all the productivity benefits that entails.
“What (Polycom has) that’s important across all customer types is scalability,” he said. “They’ve got solutions that have been built and configured to support small business opportunities, and they’ve also got solutions for a more global scenario.”
Myers added that Polycom is a 100 per cent channel friendly vendor that has invested heavily in demand generation, building a large demand generation team in markets across Canada to feed opportunities into the channel. Combined with Tech Data’s availability, financial and configuration support, Myers says it’s a strong channel opportunity.
“Channel partners that engage with Tech Data and Polycom are going to see immediate results from that investment of their time,” said Myers.