Avaya has appointed First Distribution as a distribution partner in SA and the SADC region.
The two companies will focus on making Avaya's technology available as cloud-based or hosted offerings across the region, says Avaya.
First Distribution will work with cloud service providers and managed service providers to build out Avaya's unified communications-as-a-service, contact centre-as-a-service, and video-as-a-service offerings - making them available as local offerings across the region, it says.
The distribution company will also offer the complete range of Avaya solutions, including Avaya's innovative networking and wireless offerings.
Avaya has now transitioned to software and services from being a contact centres solutions provider, which it says constituted 73% of its global revenue for the fiscal first quarter, with half of all sales coming from new and cloud-enabled technologies.
The company says it is seeing the strongest demand for solutions based on an operational expenditure model, with its managed services business posting year-on-year growth of 16%, as enterprises increasingly look to cloud-based deployments.
Tamzin Gray, general manager at First Distribution, says First Distribution, through its African division First for Africa, will offer Avaya a Pan African Footprint.
"First Distribution will be strategically partnering with Avaya resellers in South Africa and Africa to deliver value-added distribution services. We are looking forward to working with Avaya and making a positive impact to the Avaya channel in the South African and African markets."
He says there is lack of understanding of how cloud actually works in Africa and how partners can get involved in delivering services to their customers.
Through First Distribution's investment in technical resource and various internal training and skills initiatives, the company is in a position to assist the partner community to scope any Avaya solution based on the customer requirements.
Danny Drew, MD at Avaya South Africa, says as Africa looks to play a greater part in the global economy, Avaya is helping organisations across the region to meet their digital transformation challenges.
Drew says by working with First Distribution, Avaya can build the ecosystem to help enterprises leverage its solutions, make offerings available in the model they want, and help organisations to achieve transformation at their own pace and path.
Maryka Absil, distribution and midmarket lead, South and Southern Africa at Avaya, says First Distribution will allow Avaya greater coverage and accessibility through their traditional distribution channel as well as through the new channels.
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