Express Data plays matchmaker

Express Data plays matchmaker 

http://www.arnnet.com.au/index.php?id=1727606722&eid=-100 Julia Talevski

Distributor wants Cisco and Microsoft partners to collaborate

Express Data has claimed it is the first distributor in the world to get Cisco and Microsoft resellers to cooperate on solutions based around Cisco Unified CRM Connector 3.0. The free middleware application integrates Cisco Unified Communications products with Microsoft CRM to provide a host of features including database recording, click-to-dial and call duration tracking.

Resellers are often reluctant to work together because it means putting a competitor in front of their customers. But Express Data marketing manager for Cisco and Microsoft, Harris Loefti, claimed its new initiative was an opportunity for resellers that didn't have skills in both Cisco Unified Communications and Microsoft Dynamics CRM to benefit from collaboration.

Unified CRM Connector 3.0 is targeted at SMBs with less than 250 users.

Loefti said Express Data was currently working on the project with two partners in Sydney and another two in Melbourne but was not willing to disclose details because contracts had not been finalised. The distributor is fully funding these partnerships in conjunction with Cisco.

Read next week's ARN to see what a couple of specialist resellers think of the idea.