Think of Samsung and many of their products come immediately to mind but their strength and depth of their networking skills is often overlooked. Samsung has products in transmission markets such as DWDM using optical line services and Metro Ethernet high bandwidth access products.
Now, Samsung is unveiling their UbiGate SIP gateway as the cornerstone of a hosted IP telephony offering that brings together the proven applications of Yorkshire based TeleWare with the VPN services of next generation network provider THUS in one ready to go, channel friendly package called Samsung Hosted.
“This is about business and not the technology”, says Samsung Networks Division General Manager Julian Barnes. In selling a hosted solution to end users the reseller has to talk with confidence about the three core elements that contribute towards a successful deployment; namely the applications, the network and the CPE.
With Samsung Hosted we have brought together these three components in one package for the channel and added a fourth – the services wrap.”
So why has a PBX based CPE provider made such a radical move with a potentially disruptive hosted offering?
Barnes, “We recognise that a growing percentage of the market is surely going to adopt a hosted telephony model of some kind from a supplier. By working together with TeleWare and THUS we will have a better solution for our resellers’ customers who choose this option.”
Samsung is targeting the SME to Mid Enterprise market with the hosted product and Barnes says that new and existing channel will be developed to bring it to market.
“This is a new service that will have broad interest. We will be providing resellers with a range of product and applications bundles which will reduce their learning curve and maximise their margin opportunities. To support resellers we have created a single support point that will be based in our Manchester office and have set out to provide a start to finish channel support structure that will enable successful installations. We will or example, carry out network audits to establish the suitability of user networks for voice services.”
The UbiGate product itself ticks many boxes: a SIP based router that manages QoS, security and firewall applications and providing a single management interface for complete control.
TeleWare Marketing Director Lesley Hansen says that Samsung Hosted will be as shrink wrapped as a hosted service can be and will include most of her company’s comms applications from the outset.
“The TeleWare Service Manager Portal will enable the provision of applications for Samsung Hosted such as Voicemail, Intelligent Number, call recording and virtual PBX. Voice conferencing is also on the options list whilst IVR and call centre applications will be added shortly.”
Julian Barnes is certain that he is working with the best partners when he says, “Samsung Hosted offers the channel significant technological benefits. “TeleWare provides the most advanced hosted IP solution and includes the added opportunity to include their FMC applications. The channel has needed a holistic solution such as Samsung Hosted for some time – a solution that takes away any channel pain, and I believe Samsung will be instrumental in making the tipping point for hosted telephony that much closer.”
Taking a Look
Resellers attending the Convergence Summit, North – Hilton Manchester, Deansgate 29-30 April have four opportunities to see attend Forum Seminar Sessions about Samsung Hosted Communications in Room 6, Second Floor.
11am, Tuesday 29th April
3pm, Tuesday 29th April
11am, Wednesday 30th April
2.15pm, Wednesday 30th April
These Forums will be attended by representatives from Samsung, Teleware and THUS
If sadly you are unable to get to the Convergence Summit, North there are launch presentations planned for May:
8th May – Force India F1, Silverstone
14th May – Teleware, Thirsk
16th May – Samsung, Chertsey
Comment
This is a bold and significant move by Samsung. It’s an endorsement of the hosted telephony principle by a global player and an endorsement by them of the next generation network capabilities of THUS and the application strength of TeleWare. Samsung Hosted is as bundled and wrapped as it can be for the channel and further developments and offerings can be anticipated in the near future. The application will run alongside their OS7000 series with both solutions having a development roadmap into 2009 and UbiGate will also be available as a CPE solution in its own right.