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New breed of reseller.
Atia Solutions is an example of a new breed of reseller that has developed a highly successful business by embracing what it regards as a future-proofed technology, software-based IP telephony.
Patrick Copping, Business Development Director at Atia, says that from the outset his company recognised that software-based IP telephony would come to dominate the comms market as customers became more aware of the business benefits this technology could potentially deliver.
“However, there was a lack of knowledge in the channel that was stalling the market and holding many resellers back. The problem was that many resellers were reluctant to move outside of their old comfort zone and this resulted in them selling outdated products, not because they were the best for their customers, but because it was all they knew.
“Customers started to get wise to this, and in turn this presented us with a unique opportunity to address the problem by focusing on customised business-orientated IP-based communication solutions. This strategy would not only provide an enhanced level of service, but in conjunction with our green policy would also be in tune with customers’ growing concerns about the environment.”
Brave new world
Atia made two brave strategic decisions. Firstly, they would only sell software-based IP solutions, even if it meant turning away opportunities for potentially more lucrative TDM-based products. And secondly, they would take the necessary steps to gain ‘Carbon Neutral’ status to endorse their environmental credentials.
Copping explains, “After an extensive review of what IP telephony technology was available we finally decided to fully embrace the ‘pure’ IP solution from Swyx as our core product. The Swyx solution, therefore offered us a chance to differentiate ourselves in the market - we would NOT sell ‘just a phone system’. As Swyx is a software application, rather than as a discrete piece of hardware, we can look at the organisation’s complete network and see what value we can add to the business as a whole. We can do this either through integration, customisation or both.”
Reducing carbon footprint
“Achieving a balance between our business objectives and reducing our carbon footprint, was more of a challenge, but was one we were wholly committed to. The ‘Carbon Neutral’ award was not easy to achieve, but it was essential to demonstrate our long-term commitment towards sustainability. We have pledged to continually reduce our CO2 emissions and Swyx is a key part of this.
“Because of the software-based nature of the Swyx solution, we are able to carry out over 90% of support calls remotely, there is minimal packaging and upgrades can be downloaded as a software update. We also promote the recycling of legacy telephone equipment reducing the estimated total of 2 million phones that end up in landfill every year. The Swyx product is not only good for the environment, but also ensures a quicker response time for our customers and lower operating costs for ourselves.
“The dividends of this investment are now starting to be realised. In the last two years the company has won over 100 new customers and is adding around 10-15 new deals every month.”
Key markets
“One market where this policy has been particularly successful is professional services, such as solicitors, accountants, recruitment and estate agencies. These businesses tend to be more regulated and therefore benefit from integrated technology that provides features such as, call recording, archiving and call routing and remote access as part of its standard offering. These businesses also tend to be very paper-intensive and therefore issues such as storage can be a major problem.”