Nortel announced a new
portfolio of voice, data and wireless products designed to help small and
medium businesses (SMB) boost employee productivity and satisfaction,
streamline business operations and costs, and deliver superior customer
service.
For nearly 20 years, Nortel has provided voice communication solutions to
more than 15 million small and medium business employees in more than
80 countries, and its award-winning Business Communication Manager (BCM) 50
sold more than 22,000 units globally during its first year of availability.
Nortel is replicating that success with the expansion of its SMB portfolio and
is increasing focus on programs, training and tools to support channel
partners and to ultimately drive revenue in this critical, growing market
segment.
Nortel’s expanded SMB portfolio brings the power of wireless LAN,
Ethernet switching, security and converged voice and data to the SMB market.
The portfolio will be available in August 2006 and consists of four new
products that address unique requirements, challenges and budgets of smaller
businesses. The new SMB portfolio also includes enhancements to Nortel’s BCM.
“We began to realize the power of communications technology last year
when we installed Nortel’s BCM. It delivers big-system features and
capabilities at affordable, small business owner pricing – giving us both big-
company technology and small-company personal touch,” said Jim Pears,
president, Metro Dodge Chrysler Jeep. “We are now using a complete SMB system
from Nortel to deliver a superior service experience for our customers. We’re
able to provide customers with IP phones and a wireless hotspot in the service
waiting area and our service manager is never out of reach with his PDA and
soft phone.”
“Nortel is delivering solutions that make new technologies relevant and
beneficial to small and medium businesses,” said Alex Pierson, general
manager, Enterprise and Small-Medium Business Communication Systems, Nortel.
“The right business communications system can completely change the playing
field for a smaller company, but solutions must be tailored for smaller
businesses, affordable and easy to implement and use. With our new portfolio,
small and medium businesses can now afford sophisticated communication
technology that had only been available in the past to large companies with
big budgets.”
“Nortel’s Business Communications Manager delivers the applications and
features that enable our employees to be more effective and responsive at a
price we can afford,” says Alyson Horn, president, Alyson Horn Casting. “The
new management capabilities delivered in the BCM enhancements will make
ongoing management simple. We’re also implementing the new contact center
application to help us better manage our increasing call volume; it’s a great
tool for our business.”
According to a recent Nortel survey to more than 1,000 small and medium
businesses around the world, data networking, wireless LAN and security
software and devices are the top three technologies SMBs are most likely to
purchase in 2006. Nortel’s SMB portfolio of products and enhancements include:
– Business Ethernet Switch 100 Family – Provides cost-effective,
easy-to-use desktop connectivity and delivers power for devices such
as IP phones and wireless access points. This reduces wiring
requirements and costs, and simplifies employee moves now and into the
future.
– Business Secure Router 222 – Delivers low-cost connectivity to the
Internet or IP networks and enables greater employee flexibility for
work locations and hours via secure connectivity from home or
elsewhere.
– Business Access Point 120 – Provides simple, secure wireless data and
voice connectivity from anywhere, at anytime to allow employees to be
more productive and accessible.
– Business Element Manager – Provides a simple and consistent network
management interface across the SMB portfolio to streamline repetitive
tasks and simplify network operations.
– Business Communication Manager 4.0 – Software enhancements to the
BCM 200 and BCM 400 deliver enhanced simplicity and ease of
management, as well as ad-hoc conferencing for up to 40 participants,
expanded IP set support, enhanced security and voice-enabled WAN
support.
Smaller businesses want to partner with resellers who can provide end-to-
end technical support and who clearly understand their business. With the
launch of the new SMB portfolio, Nortel is introducing new SMB specific sales
training and on-demand marketing tools to assist its North America channel
partners. New channel programs include the SMB Connection Partner Community,
an online community established to facilitate communication between Nortel and
its SMB channel partners, and Blueprints for Success, a tool developed with
input from Nortel channel partners to identify best practices used when
selling Nortel solutions to SMBs.
“Nortel’s SMB Connection simplifies online access to the latest SMB-
related news, events, programs and product information making it easier for
our sales team to stay up-to-date and be more effective selling Nortel
solutions,” said Barry Gerhardt, president, Barry Communications. “This new
initiative for Nortel’s partner community facilitates two-way communication
and will help strengthen the relationship between Nortel and its partners
focused on SMB.”
In Europe, Nortel recently announced the addition of an SMB program to
its Accelerate partner initiative for new and existing partners that sell to
companies with up to 250 employees. The program is designed to accelerate the
profitability of these partners and increase the adoption of Nortel technology
in the SMB market throughout EMEA.
