Westcon Helps Arm Former Nortel Recruits with Avaya Ammo

By Paula Bernier

It’s been a particularly rough year and a half for Nortel (News - Alert) channel partners. Nortel filed for bankruptcy in January of 2009, just a few months after the financial market bailout news and stock market meltdown that was the harbinger of the recession and prolonged economic slump. So when Westcon Convergence (News - Alert) around the turn of the year invited these channel partners to attend what it called Avaya New Partner Boot Camps, many of these war-torn industry veterans were ready to enlist.

Westcon Convergence, a specialty distributor selling to the VARs, held Avaya New Partner Boot Camp events in Philadelphia in December, in January in Chicago and Dallas, and in February in Toronto. Steve Bernard, vice president and general manager at Westcon Convergence, says his company hosted 25 to 30 partners at each of the gatherings.

“Obviously these guys have seen their world turned upside down,” says Bernard.

When Avaya stepped in and bought Nortel’s enterprise properties last fall there was a collective sigh of relief. Better yet, says Bernard, is that Avaya issued a roadmap within 30 days of the acquisition.

At its boot camps Westcon helped partners understand the Avaya value proposition, how to make reasonable margins for the business, and the like. Upon completion of the Avaya BusinessPartner Boot Camp, attendees became Avaya Authorized BusinessPartners with the ability to pursue specific product authorizations and certifications necessary to support Avaya business.

In addition to staging the boot camps, Westcon about a year ago established a structure and methodology it calls RapidRamp. The effort came to light after many Nortel partners approached Westcon looking for direction on what to do next. RapidRamp helps answer that question through a combination of support, curriculum, online resources and in-person events, Bernard explains.

RapidRamp enrollees, of which there are currently more than 100, can choose from beginning or advanced coursework in three basic curriculum channels: operational, sales and technical. Each course is taught by qualified personnel from Westcon Convergence, Avaya and Avaya Partners. Typical course titles range from “Mid-Markets Solution Selling” to “Avaya Solutions Designer One on One,” and are delivered as webinars, module downloads or in classroom settings.

“RapidRamp is the latest and most powerful of several initiatives we have undertaken to help new Avaya Channel Partners increase their chances at business success,” says Bernard. “Once a reseller signs on to RapidRamp, which is complementary to our loyal customers, they are provided with a wide array of strategic resources; not only course content, but dedicated account managers, business development managers and on-boarding experts to help make sure their specific business needs are being looked after.” IT

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