Unified Communications for the Enterprise

This week I am attending a regional sales conference for Avaya. Smoothstone recently became a Gold level partner in Avaya's DevConnect program and we provide a SIP Trunking solution that works with their systems. We are working to establish new relationships within their various sales channels.

As I get to know and talk to these folks, I am amazed at the challenges they experience in finding the right providers to help their customers make the full shift to IP communications. Uncertainty and confusion has led to hesitancy, which can really hold a business back and let their competition get a leg up on them.

They have mentioned challenges with carriers and providers not having adequate coverage, or pricing that is inflated because they have to charge more for locations outside of their core network. They also have mentioned that they have struggled finding that one provider who can do it all for them-provide a reliable data network solution and a robust set of telecom services that scale to their customers' needs.

That is where Smoothstone comes in. We explain how Smoothstone provides a fully-managed nationwide MPLS network, over which we deliver enterprise-level IP communications solutions, including SIP trunking, managed network security and contact center. The response we have gotten has been remarkable, with the Avaya representatives wanting to learn even more so that they can introduce our solutions to their business partners.

And what is perhaps most compelling to them is our statistic that, in 10 years of business, we maintain a 99% customer retention rate, which is unheard of in our industry. This fact demonstrates that we are a trusted partner that they are comfortable bringing to the table as they sell Avaya phone systems.

This is evidence that strategic business partnerships can be mutually beneficial and really help businesses provide a more complete offering. Smoothstone does just that, working with a number of VARs, resellers, and system integrators as their service provider of choice. To find out more about Smoothstone's partner program, click here.

John Wesselman