The leading distributor has hosted two open days for nearly 40 dealers at its Manchester HQ and Panasonic’s Bracknell headquarters with the aim of promoting the new system’s functionality to resellers. It is also supporting the launch with aggressive discounts of up to 60 percent on Panasonic IP products until the end of October.
“We are acutely aware that whilst Panasonic is the leader in sub-100 extension markets it has not yet effectively penetrated the sub-1000 extension market. The KX-TDA600 should help resellers fully exploit that market because it offers both impressive functionality and impressive cost effectiveness,” commented Nimans’ Panasonic Business Manager, Andy Ellingham. “As well as penetration of the larger marketplace we also need to improve knowledge of Panasonic’s IP capabilities. For example there is a perception in the marketplace that connecting a remote worker using Panasonic costs several thousand pounds when the reality is this can be achieved for a lot, lot less. We are on something of a mission to promote that message of cost effective functionality because we feel there are some excellent opportunities yet to be exploited by Panasonic resellers.
“Certainly resellers who attended our Open Days recognised the potential this system offers in exploiting post-100 extension markets having benefited from a thorough demonstration of its functionality and capabilities.”
That cost effectiveness is achieved by combining voice and data capabilities using the same wide area network. The hybrid solution also benefits from enjoying the reliability of PBX with the advanced functionality offered by IP. Its modular design also means it is ‘future proofed’, allowing the system to be expanded to accommodate up to 1288 ports with free slot architecture enabling functionality and capability to be extended through use of expansion cards.
Further savings can be made during operation by exploiting IP lines and reducing the number of public telephone lines whilst private inter-office connections can be established by making use of networking features. The IP technology also allows users to retain their extension numbers whether working in the office or at home, with the shared voice and data line making the creation of home offices simply a matter of a network connection.
Offering 960 extensions and 640 lines, the system also features flexible call distribution functionality which enables administrators to control who receives which calls and when. Alongside call queue and hold options this includes an ‘overflow’ function which allows calls which are not answered within a defined period to be re-directed to a back-up location. Customer relationship management is also aided by preferred customer identification which ensures VIP customers can receive priority and be put through to a specific staff member. Integration with Panasonic’s PC Phone software and use of direct USB connections from digital telephones to PCs provides another useful CRM tool by enabling users to access a range of customer data, including caller name and account and purchase histories. This can be particularly useful in high volume call environments as this data can be shared across a network so users can access caller data before taking the call, making calls more efficient and providing higher customer satisfaction levels.