3Com bares program for ‘voice partners’

SINGAPORE – 3Com Corp. recently announced the details of its new Voice Authorized Partner Program for resellers and distributors looking to sell voice solutions across the various Asia-Pacific markets, excluding Japan.

Participating partners will enjoy an array of benefits based on the types of organizations they target and their volume of business. The products covered by 3Com’s channels include the award-winning 3Com NBX platforms.

The program consists of two groups of partners that will cater to the needs of different target markets.

Voice partners selling to small to medium enterprises (SME) will enjoy a marked increase in training, lead generation and marketing support, while partners that specialize in medium to large enterprises, known as "voice integrators," can expect a more straightforward accreditation process, the cost of which, in some cases, will be slashed in half.

Voice integrators typically require more advanced technical training, especially in post-sales diagnostic and troubleshooting response, and the size of customers they serve demands a different set of 3Com solutions.

All around, end-users in the Asia-Pacific will benefit from superior-trained technology partners that will be better prepared to meet their telephony needs.

3Com has a range of products that specifically meet the needs of the SME market in the Asia-Pacific. It has engineered a simple accreditation process that represents real cost-savings for its partners in this space.

In many cases, resellers and distributors will see the cost of training and investment in service contracts that is necessary to sign up as a 3Com voice partner, cut in half.

Further benefits for voice partners targeting SMEs include substantial rebate on voice products, lead generation and SME voice solution sales training, on-site technical training sessions, support from 3Com’s Professional Services operation for projects outside their scope of expertise, and Web-based sales and technical training courses.

Mirroring 3Com’s own strategy of targeting specific markets with tailored solutions, enterprise-focused voice partners will be called upon to adopt an industry-specific attitude to solution sales.

3Com will help partners with training programs that stress the particular technology needs of vertical industries such as education, healthcare, government and finance.

"3Com is totally committed to the Asia-Pacific, where we envision strong growth in the future," said Claus Winhard, 3Com’s international voice sales development manager.

"Voice resellers of all sizes will benefit from the Voice Authorized Partner Program, which meets their needs based on their specialization and the customer groups they serve. It means a better deal for resellers and distributors, and ultimately better services for the end-user organizations," Winhard added.