Three months after introducing its Exclusive BusinessPartner (EBP) program, Mitel has more than 100 indirect sales partners as part of the tier, which offers resellers strategic advantages in selling and servicing Mitel's portfolio of unified communications solutions in ex-change for exclusivity.
Mitel, which merged with Inter-Tel last year, has more than 800 U.S. indirect sales partners. The EBP program was introduced three months ago following a 26-city road show in October to meet with the channel partners of both companies.
"Many of our largest [business partners] have chosen to join the new Mitel Exclusive BusinessPartner program and sell our solutions to 100 percent of their new customers," says Carter Chapman, director of chan-nel sales at Mitel. "In return, they receive guidance that we believe is unmatched in this industry."
Chapman reports that Mitel's 800 partners and 60 offices give the company significant U.S. market coverage. In terms of EBPs, Mitel's ideal number would be in the range of 125 to150, and it has just signed its 118th EBP. Chapman says this cap would ensure that these partners realize the full benefits of an exclusive relationship with Mitel.
"With the investment required to succeed in the unified communications marketplace, it is clear that smaller players will be unable to compete in the future, putting customers and channel partners at risk," says Chapman. "Our new, combined channel program leverages our enhanced market position and provides what we believe is one of the most attractive channel programs available today. The rapid scale created by the combination of Mitel and Inter-Tel makes us an even clearer choice for new business customers, and benefits both existing clients and the hundreds of VARs who have built their businesses around our solutions."
Mitel's EBP program builds on the best practices of Inter-Tel's suc-cessful "OneInter-Tel" channel program and Mitel's "high touch" sales and services model to deliver additional value that helps drive the success of elite channel resellers. "Mitel’s systems, along with an expanded suite of applications, advanced desktop appliances and comprehensive services, can help them address any opportunity -- today and well into the future," says Chapman.
The EBP program provides resellers with access to unified communications solutions, including the Mitel 3300 IP Communications Platform (ICP), a proven enterprise platform, combined with the SMB-focused Inter-Tel 5000, along with the Inter-Tel 3000 for small businesses and residences. Meeting the needs of customer environments ranging from 20 employees to large, multisite businesses with thousands of employees, EBPs avoid the overhead of working with multiple manufacturers to address specific customer requirements, says Mitel.
