KSS and Comstor join forces offering Cisco IP telephony to the channel

Kunene Solutions & Service (KSS), a Cisco Silver Partner in South Africa, has completed Cisco`s IP Communications (IPC) certification. In partnership with Comstor, a division of Westcon AME, KSS is now offering Cisco`s IP Communications and Telephony solutions to its end-user base. KSS Managing Director Andre Maree says the achievement of the certification will allow KSS to take advantage of the huge opportunity in the burgeoning IP Telephony market.

"The local PABX market is very large and many resellers would like to be able to offer IPT solutions to their clients," says Maree. "Now we can have access to Cisco`s leading range of solutions and with our empowerment credentials firmly in place, we are well poised to enable converged solutions to the market. Our agreement with Westcon means we can focus on the integration side, while letting Comstor take care of the supply side."

John Hindley, Group Business Development Manager at Westcon AME, agrees that the deal is good for smaller resellers, looking to offer telephony solutions. "Many resellers have an existing skills base implementing data solutions, but lack the skill set and accreditation needed to offer IP Telephony," he says. "IP Telephony on the LAN offers both huge benefits to customers and huge opportunity for resellers looking to add value but they need a partner that has had experience at implementing a converged voice, video and data network. For the last six years, KSS has been re-awarded Cisco Silver Partner status and this commitment, matched with their IPC certification, will ensure that smaller resellers can rely on KSS to deliver on their promise."

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KSS`s own offices in Midrand are a showcase for the possibilities of IP convergence, featuring what Maree believes, is the country`s only single integrated infrastructure that incorporates traditional and IP Telephony, IP cameras, IP video on a single IP data network.

"What we discovered through our own implementation, is that with traditional PABX solutions, the features are visible and already understood by the market. But the key to selling IP Telephony resides in educating the end users of the benefits of true IP Telephony, over and above the attractive cost savings. The features below the surface require an in depth understanding in order to convey the value of the intangible benefits and we can help resellers who don`t have the necessary specialisation, to take advantage of our experience."

The Cisco IP Communications system helps enable the transmission of data, voice and video traffic over a single open, fully integrated Architecture for Voice, Video and Integrated Data (AVVID) infrastructure. The system also allows deployment of advanced services such as unified messaging, multimedia conferencing, collaborative contact centres and interactive multimedia response systems. Cisco`s IP Telephony solutions provide large companies worldwide with scalable and cost effective unified communication options, which reduce costs, while providing enhanced services.