BusinessPartners Go Exclusive with Mitel Unified Communications

PRLog (Press Release) – Jan 24, 2008 – PHOENIX, Arizona, – Having smoothly completed its $729 million merger with Inter-Tel, Mitel® has launched an expanded Exclusive BusinessPartner (EBP) program that gives resellers strategic advantages in selling and servicing its comprehensive portfolio of unified communications solutions. Introduced three months ago following a 26-city road show in October to meet with the channel of both companies, Mitel has signed up more than 100 members to the EBP program.
Mitel’s EBP program builds on the best of Inter-Tel’s successful “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.
“We selected the best practices from both companies to provide a compelling offering that enhances the overall performance of our channel program and adds value to our exclusive BusinessPartners,” said Carter Chapman, director of channel sales at Mitel. “This program benefits the hundreds of resellers who have built their businesses around our solutions and makes us a clear choice for new business customers.”
The EBP program provides resellers with access to unified communications solutions for the real world including the Mitel 3300 IP Communications Platform (ICP), a proven enterprise-scale platform, combined with the SMB-focused Inter-Tel 5000. Meeting the needs of customer environments ranging from 20 employees to large multi-site businesses with thousands of employees, EBPs can avoid the overhead of working with multiple manufacturers to address specific customer requirements.
According to Mark McKersie, president of First-Tel, a Mitel EBP located in Michigan, the program has benefited his company in several ways.
“In one aspect, the ability to work with one manufacturer provides a number of efficiencies,” he says. “In the past, when First-Tel worked with multiple vendors, we were expected to participate in multiple training sessions, carry multiple inventories and adjust our operations to meet the specific demands of each vendor. As you can expect, adhering to the demands of different manufacturers became a very complicated and expensive proposition.”
In addition to having access to a wider range of products and services to address the market, strengthen their competitive position and grow their business, Mitel Exclusive BusinessPartners enjoy numerous sales support and training opportunities to improve their business processes and ensure they have the tools to meet their business goals.
"The Exclusive Business Partnership strengthens Trans-West Network Solutions business relationship with Mitel enabling us to be the dominant force in our market,” Herb Rosen, president/CEO of Trans-West Network Solutions.
EBPs have access to Mitel best practices and procedures to help improve all areas of their business. This insight from Mitel’s internal sales management and operations, only available to EBPs, helps resellers develop strategies to tackle a wide range of business issues, such as growing revenues, selling into vertical markets, reducing truck rolls for onsite support, improving cash flow and improving profitability.
Steve Klenner, owner of BSB Communications, a Mitel reseller with several locations in the Midwest, has taken advantage of the EBP program.
“The EBP relationship has been instrumental in how we manage our business,” says Klenner. “We appreciate the ability to consult with Mitel executives on any number of issues, ranging from sales to human resources. It is an invaluable program that enables us to compete more effectively and improve our bottom line. In our business, this speaks volumes.”