Global headset manufacturer Jabra has grown more than 30% year-on-year and plans to drive unified communications (UC) in SA.
This is according to Holger Reisinger, Jabra call centre and office sales director for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.
Reisinger explains that the South African market hasn't received as high an uptake as its central European market.
“The more mature markets in central Europe have reached 60% sales, where in SA it's less than 16%,” he says. “However, we see the Fifa World Cup as an opportunity for South African companies to invest in unified communications infrastructure, which will enable them to leapfrog older technologies and boost productivity in the workplace.”
Reisinger points out that following last year's recession, the industry is picking up again, particularly in the small to medium-size call centres.
“The biggest trend we're seeing at the moment is the need for flexibility and mobility in the corporate workforce. The growth of unified communications technology is supporting the drive for mobility.
“In SA, over the past 18 months, Jabra has seen a great demand for wireless devices, and also for USB devices that can be directly connected to a PC or laptop.”
Reisinger adds: “What we see in the local call centre industry is a move towards wireless devices as well as costs dropping for wireless headsets.”
Earlier this month, Jabra signed a partnership deal with communications solutions provider Avaya. “It's an important strategic alliance; by getting Jabra headsets certified with Avaya technology, we can address a broader market.”
Last month, the company released the Jabra Pro 9470 and Jabra Go 6430, which manage multiple communication devices to reduce complexity.
“Jabra Pro and Jabra Go provide call commission management, meaning if two calls come through at the same time via a smartphone and office phone, they can be directed to the Jabra headset. This is useful to manage multiple callers during teleconferencing,” says Reisinger.
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