Avaya signs VExpress as master agent

Avaya has signed Sydney-based distributor VExpress to its new master agent program, extending an existing relationship.

The partnership makes VExpress Avaya’s second master agent in Australia, following the signing of CommsPlus last week. VExpress had been one of Avaya's local distributors for the last three years.

As part of the agreement, VExpress will distribute and provide ongoing technical support, professional services and maintenance for Avaya’s new Cloud Office product and its open SIP, multi-platform communications devices to its reseller network.

Avaya also launched Cloud Office in Australia, a RingCentral-developed UC-as-a-service solution, which enables users to call, meet, message and access business apps across multiple devices.

Avaya said its master agent program will help channel partners to fasttrack the operational recovery efforts of Australia’s midmarket organisations and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Master agents act as the first point of contact, connecting potential customers to Avaya, with the vendor handling the rest of the transaction. Avaya would take over contracting, provisioning, managing and billing the unified communications services for the customer.

VExpress executive director David McEwen said, “While Australian midmarket 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.”

“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, midmarket 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.

“We have expanded our portfolio with Avaya Cloud Office so that our partners can focus on driving long-term value rather than maintaining technology for their clients, while also creating an opportunity for them to build professional services around the platform on their journey to becoming consultants for those customers.”