Plantronics Becomes Preferred Avaya UC Headset Provider
Plantronics has been named the Avaya preferred headset provider for Avaya Unified Communications and contact center solutions. Rather than selling Avaya-branded headsets manufactured by Plantronics, Avaya will use the Plantronics channel of distributors and business partners who will sell the Plantronics-branded headsets designed for Avaya telephony solutions.
Until now, Avaya had been reselling Plantronics headsets with an Avaya label, but as the company eschews a hardware model for a software model, and “transitioned to a channel sales model,” Avaya will no longer sell these headsets. Avaya has transitioned to a channel sales model, and will now leverage Plantronics’ established channel partners, which also includes Avaya resellers. Many of Avaya’a headset distributors and business partners are already Plantronics channel partners, and those that are interested can apply to be an Authorized Plantronics Partner.
Avaya will no longer resell the headsets, and customers will instead purchase Plantronics-branded headsets designed for Avaya telephony solutions directly from Plantronics’ channel of distributors and business partners. Plantronics is the only Platinum-level headset manufacturer in the Avaya DevConnect program, and Avaya will recommend Plantronics headsets for their UC and contact center customers. Since the Plantronics headsets are Avaya-certified, Plantronics notes that they will provide “immediate connectivity and advanced call control functionality with Avaya’s solutions.”
The companies are working together “to reach business partners and customers with the benefits of adopting the new end-to-end UC and contact center solutions with an integrated marketing initiative.” According to Plantronics, Avaya product APIs are being tightly integrated into Plantronics audio solutions, and Plantronics will deliver several new products for Avaya Unified Communications and Avaya Contact Centers in 2010.