“Manufacturer focus continues to be on IP, which due to the number of businesses operating at the smaller end of the market, is where the biggest volume of sales are,” he explained. “We are starting to see a significant shift from digital into IP. New technologies such as SIP are broadening the appeal of IP and to accommodate growing numbers of remote workers, businesses need IP networks in place to accommodate that.”
Freeth added: “We are starting to see a bigger trend at Nimans; certainly the amount of IP sales are increasing on a monthly basis although digital and analogue will always probably remain a core part of our business.
“There is no doubt resellers are starting to incorporate and drive IP into businesses more. Manufacturers are pushing this from a price perspective which make it even more compelling for end users to change.”
Freeth says that as more businesses run their own internal networks it makes sense to operate their telephony over the same infrastructure. “This will lead to a higher return on investment and make it easier to manage as everything can be controlled by an IT Manager.”
In addition, application sales continue to rise at Nimans. Call recording, voicemail and soft phone trends stand out for Tim which he says relates to more mobility usage. “As businesses start to bring together the mobile, data and voice, it improves efficiency and performance with one device to communicate from, regardless of where people are. Even smaller businesses are moving down this road.”
Freeth concluded: “There is still the challenge for dealers to raise awareness in this sector. If they really focus on vertical markets, there are massive opportunities to exploit with solicitors, doctors, retailers and a broad mix of others. To maximise the potential they should research these sectors and see what technology best fits where.”