Sony reworks channel for conferencing push

Sony Business Services has given its channel a facelift in time for the launch of its new video conferencing offering, Ipela.

In recent months the vendor has signed seven SME-targeted VARs and SIs to add to its existing base of small business-targeted IT resellers and mass merchants.

A three-tiered partner program, which includes new sales and technical certifications and discounted pricing for the company’s IP communications and monitoring products, has also been created.

The Ipela video conferencing products, starting at around $3500, are based on session initiation protocol (SIP) and come in a range of screen sizes, starting at 17 inches.

Sony has also partnered with networking vendor Cisco for use of its Call Manager application for the range.

According to national sales manager, Vince Hanning, the changes to the channel would position Sony as a serious player in the convergence market.

“Sony is convinced it has a major part to play in communications, especially in IP conferencing,” he said. “Conferencing is forecast to be worth $100 million in five year’s time and that’s been driven by the need to communicate faster.”

In line with this Sony had also recently signed a partnership with Macquarie Telecom for use of its metro networks in Sydney, Melbourne and shortly, Brisbane.

The deal would enable the company's partners to offer end-users the whole package of product, carriage and integration, Hanning said.

Conferencing was also an important area for the company in its capacity to pull-through the rest of Sony’s business offering.

“Instead of having just a PC, people could use the PCS-TL30 as a display for a Vaio,” he said. “We also see people needing two of our 40 inch screens for our group conferencing product.”

According to group marketing manager, Peter Norman, Sony had also been working with higher-end partners on developing a new hardware rental sales model for the conferencing products.

“The utility computing-type model is something we are exploring with partners to help them sell into consultancies up to 350 seat SMEs,” he said. “With these types of sales models we can help them structure their business on minimum overheads and outlays.”

To support this new sales model the company would embark on a series of seminars aimed at verticals like health and government in February, Norman said.