UC Supported Through Arrow S3-CounterPath Alliance

A new agreement for deployment has been created by Vancouver, B.C.-based CounterPath with Arrow S3, announcing the former's entrance into the broad reseller channel.

According to the executive vice president of CounterPath, Todd Carothers, in order to aid enterprises and carriers, the company has been keen to pay attention to a direct sales model, and has also broadened its go-to-market strategy, now reaching carrier channels. However, as a result of concerns with regard to the complex setup and configuration processes, the executive team of the company chose not to migrate into the broad channel. A new provisioning server has been created, and Carothers states that this has resolved the difficulty.

Carothers said: "We have added a client configuration server to our solution that makes setup and configuration much more straightforward. You simply log in to the provisioning server and enter the necessary settings so that when the users put their hands on the phone all they need to do is enter their username and password and they're done. So you can expect to see us working with a wide variety of VARs and VADs moving forward."

Arrow S3 is a unified communications-focused subsidiary of Englewood, Colorado-based Arrow Electronics, and CounterPath's agreement with the former ensures that a link exists between CounterPath's Bria desktop and mobile softphones, and over 12,000 OEMs, contract manufacturers, channel partners and commercial customers in Arrow's network (within 53 countries).

Carothers added: "We are investing heavily in training, marketing and sales support. Our channel compensation package is based on varying discount levels with recurring revenue opportunities for service renewals." However, he failed to offer any more information related to the pricing of the product or partner margins.

CounterPoint has established, at present, a customer base consisting of tens of millions of downloaded endpoints, and this exists alongside a vast vendor interoperability list in the IP-PBX and SIP-based network infrastructure softswitch space. Furthermore, CounterPath is promoting mobile applications which allow communications services to be provided to mobile devices.

Unified communications is aided by the company's Bria product line, and voice and video calls over fixed, mobile and Wi-Fi broadband networks come as part of this. The reported customer list presently includes Alcatel-Lucent, AT&T, Verizon, BT, Mobilkom Austria, Rogers, Avaya, BroadSoft, Cisco Systems, GENBAND, Metaswitch Networks, Mitel and NEC. (CY) Link