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Alcatel-Lucent: UC will shake up the reseller base |
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Channels Web Stories -
In:
Asian Channels September 2007
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Written by Shanti Anne Morais
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"UC is only one element of communications that a company needs. It's definitely not the end and not the element that solves everything, but having said this, it is important element to have in place," states Dirk Dumortier, vice president, Business and IP Transformation and CTO Enterprise Business Group, Asia Pacific, Alcatel-Lucent, China.
Collaboration for example, is extremely useful when it comes to ensuring each interaction with your customers' lead to sales. Therefore, UC should be used as a competitive weapon that optimizes your business. Dumortier notes that when it comes to UC, there is a need to look at firstly, the enterprise itself (its communication requirements for example) and what the operator brings to the table. He also adds that Alcatel-Lucent has been in the UC space since 2004 and is a visionary in this field, seeing its first implementation of UC for Microsoft in the US in 2005. "We knew early on that collaboration is going to be a key to the future, which is why we have an open solution built around UC. It has given us a kick-start and a firmj-hold into this market," Dumortier says. The reason he feels Alcatel-Lucent stands out in this arena is because the company is not looking at an isolated island of an enterprise but instead wants to connect to multiple enterprises. He adds that Alcatel-Lucent is also the only company who has web-based programming (XML) in UC, making it easier to integrate its UC solutions with various platforms like Microsoft, SAP and IBM for example. It makes it easy to program, which in turn, allows for better scalability. Handling partners, says Dumortier, is one of the most difficult parts in the whole UC value chain. In order to succeed here, a complete go-to-market strategy is needed. This he feels is a big challenge that all the vendors face. "Everybody knows that having the right partners are crucial to a company's success, but it takes a while to get this right. In fact, in the Asia Pacific, only a few have actually got it right. He adds that the old voice resellers who have not moved out of their comfort zone will be in trouble as UC becomes more pervasive and mainstream. "When it comes to these types of resellers, only those with strong alliances will survive," he observes. There is a need for a shake-up in the communications industry's reseller base and this, is bound to happen sooner rather than later, says Dumortier. "Resellers here can't just specialize but have to expand their capabilities and knowledge. Those who can do this will be successful." So who are the right partners in UC then? Dumortier says that for Alcatel-Lucent especially, it's those partners from the classic PBX and IP telephony environment. "These guys understand the desktop environment very well," he notes. When it comes to UC in the Asia Pacific, Dumortier feels there is an understanding of it, and more will discover they need it, but definitely more education is needed. He explains, "The Asia Pacific end-user needs to understand how UC can solve mobility needs and how it can help them be more efficient and productive. The vendors who can create this understanding and help them realize their needs will of course be the ones who ultimately succeed in this space." He also points out that Generation Y is extremely important to UC's take-off. "This generation is used to fancy consumer gadgets and technology - they are very technologically savvy and when they come to the workforce, they will want to use this technology in business. Companies therefore will have to address this. It's the first time in history that the user has much more capabilities than the company itself. UC therefore, will be an important enabler here and will help transform businesses, and those who utilize this will have the competitive advantage. Whatever it is, there is definitely going to be a major revolution in the business world in the next couple of years, and those who utilize UC will emerge the winners." Dumortier adds that with ASEAN 2015 on track, the opening of borders will result in massive competition. UC can and will help businesses here. He sees trends in the region pointing to higher adoption of UC. For example, fancy tools on the desktop, he says, will help drive UC further. He observes that desktop companies like Microsoft still have some things to learn in the UC space. "It is important to remember," he stresses, "that UC is only one element in the communications pie. It is definitely not a totality and should not be sold as such." However, he believes that Microsoft and company will ultimately be successful in the UC space as long as they always remember and address the key need of end-users - the use of UC as a business enabler, resulting in more profitability and ensuring business success.◊
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