Panasonic seeks SI partners to make headway in SMB space

Panasonic Systems India is seeking systems and network integrators who can
help it make inroads in the SMB client base for its IPPX systems, which is a
natural evolution and extension of its EPABX machines. The IPBX is ideally
suited for the voice and data needs of SMB customers as it is cost efficient and
it can be integrated gradually with the existing legacy systems, without
disrupting the entire network.

“We are targeting the SMB, more than the corporates. This is because the
latter are well aware of the technology and have IT managers who can maneuver
its integration,” said Sandip Yederi, Marketing Head, Panasonic Systems APAC.
The SMB organizations, on the other hand do not have dedicated IT departments
and instead rely on their solution providers to do the needful. Which explains
why Panasonic is trying to get the partners onto its side for pushing its IPBX
products.

Sandeep Yederi: Seeking partners who are experts in voice-based and IP camera based integration

The company is also compiling some success stories of SMB customers who have
witnessed lowered costs and higher RoI after deploying

IPBX solutions. These will be made available to its customers, giving them
compelling reasons to shift to IP-based communication systems.

Panasonic is focusing only on those companies which have less than 100
employees. According to the company's survey, there are over 2.8 million
companies in the country of which almost 80 percent fit its description of SMB.

“We feel that our products fit these set of companies best. Here we want to
position our hybrid PBX systems. Today we have IP cards and users who want to
upgrade from EPABX to IPBX simply have to change the CPU. We are educating the
CIOs and IT managers of these companies to understand exactly why IPBX makes
sense to them,” Yederi said.

Earlier Panasonic was operating with the office automation channel. But it is
now increasingly looking at the IT channel to further its business in India. “We
feel that the IT channel is much better equipped to deal with our products,
which is why we are aggressively tapping them. We are seeking partners who are
experts in voice-based and IP camera- based integration. Besides this, we are
actively recruiting network and security integrators,” added Yederi.

Panasonic has six distributors that import directly from Singapore who cater
to its tier-two channel. Its tier-two channel comprises 80 direct dealers who in
turn handle 650 resellers. All its partners are trained for level one support,
while it has 14 service centers for component level repair.

Currently, there are some obstacles challenging the uptake of IP-based
communication in the country. Chief among this is governmental regulations which
prohibits the co-existence of PSTN and IP-based communi­cation networks.

“This is the government's way of ensuring that the interests of the telcos
are protected. What it fails to see is that most of these telcos are now
Internet service providers as well and offer broadband solutions too. If people
start using IP then these telcos will be benefited ultimately,” educated Yederi.