AUSTRALIA – Avaya Inc (NYSE:AV), a leading global provider of business communications applications, systems and services, today announced plans to increase its stronghold in the SMB sector in Australia with the appointment of Jamie Romanin to the newly-created position of Channel Manager, SMB Southern Region for South Pacific.
 
According to IDC, SMB is an important growing market segment in the IP telephony market. Although the penetration of IP telephony has increased since 2005, there is still a great potential for future growth. With more and more small-to-medium sized Australian companies seeing the benefits of converged voice and data applications, Romanin's appointment reflects Avaya's continued commitment to this market segment. Avaya understands that all customers, regardless of size, want a secure and reliable communications system on which to build and maintain their businesses and Romanin will work with Avaya's local channel partners to extend the reach of its secure, intelligent converged voice and data system – Avaya IP Office.

 

Romanin brings 10 years experience to this role and joins the company from former SME IPT player Zultys Technologies. He is responsible for driving Avaya's growth plans across the southern states of Australia by supporting local SMB channel partners and deepening long-term customer relationships to maximise revenue opportunities.

 

Walter Labio, Director, SMB, Avaya South Pacific said Romanin was selected because of his extensive management experience in the Australian channel. "Our channel partners play a vital role in delivering to the specific business needs of small and mid-sized companies. We have a clearly defined two-tier distribution model and Jamie's focus is on deepening our collaborative relationships with these partners by supporting them in marketing, training and certification strategies.

 

"Jamie is charged with helping our channel partners achieve higher profit margins by adding valuable consultancy services and pushing into new technology sectors such as convergence and security. He brings impressive hands-on experience to the role that will help Avaya deliver the best possible support to our channel partners, promoting our certification programme and enhancing outreach into the rapidly expanding SMB market."

 

IDC believes the expanded executive team for Avaya represents good news for Avaya's SMB customers in Australia, as they can expect better service to address their needs.

 

Romanin added, "As part of my new role, I'm looking to build on the success of Avaya's SMB business and accelerate market adoption of our converged voice and data applications and solutions. We are in a strong position to provide substantial support and training to our local Distributors/BusinessPartners through initiatives such as Avaya University and individual convergence seminars. Through such programs, our partners can realise new areas of revenue and ultimately deliver business value to our SMB customers through superior product offerings and unparalleled support capabilities."

 

Prior to joining Avaya, Romanin was Southern Regional Sales/Channel Manager at Zultys Technologies, manufacturer of converged IP communications equipment. In only three years, he was instrumental in the successful launch and build up of a tier-two distribution model including key distributors and resellers for Zultys Technologies in Australia, thus becoming the one of the company's most profitable region in the world.

 

Romanin started his career at Telstra's Business & Government unit and later worked for Matrium Technologies, a leading provider of workforce management solutions for the contact centre space where he became State Sales Manager for Victoria.

 

About Avaya
Avaya Inc. designs, builds and manages communications networks for more than 1 million businesses worldwide, including over 90 percent of the FORTUNE 500®. Focused on businesses large to small, Avaya is a world leader in secure and reliable Internet Protocol (IP) Telephony systems and communications software applications and services.

 

Driving the convergence of voice and data communications with business applications - and distinguished by comprehensive worldwide services -Avaya helps customers leverage existing and new networks to achieve superior business results. For more information visit the Avaya website: www.avaya.com.

 

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