“India needs a strong communications platform”

Avientek FZCO, based in Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO), is a leading value-added distributor of audio-visual solutions and unified communications in the Middle East, Africa, and the Indian subcontinent. It recently partnered with Mitel, the Canada-based global leader in business communications, founded in 1973. The two companies hosted a four-city roadshow in India, across Bangalore, Chennai, New Delhi, and Mumbai in February 2023. Asif Khan, Channel Director for Middle East and Africa, Mitel, and VM Manu, GM, Avientek, spoke about their collaboration in an interview with Pradeep Chakraborty. Excerpts:

Tell us more about this partnership between Mitel and Avientek.

Asif Khan (AK): Mitel was looking for a strategic partnership for distribution when we started the India operation. We had the objective to find the right partner, who can also add value.

At places where Mitel has resources, Avientek will work with its team, while it will put in place a dedicated team where Mitel’s resources are not available.

We wanted a partner with good knowledge of the channel model, pre-sales support, operations and logistics efficiency, and credit and financing. We analysed several potential partners in India, looking at their models and value proposition. The partner had to represent Mitel in India. Avientek had all the necessary ingredients for driving the regional strategy with a global mindset.

VM Manu (VMM): Avientek is well-known in the distribution industry, especially in the AV and extended segments. We have partnered with many companies across the region. Today, differentiation among AV, telecom, and IT, is getting blurred, and moving onto a single platform.

Mitel is in the AV industry. We are getting into collaboration and communication. They come with a strong product lineup. They also have different deployment options – on-premise, cloud, and hybrid, etc. Mitel is a global leader in business communication with a stronghold in call centres.

India is also a preferred location for back offices for several industries. Many people are now working in the hybrid mode, especially after COVID-19. There is a need for a strong communications platform – with unified communication, call centres, and collaboration. Mitel has been among the world’s strongest players. The partnership can be successful in India.

How is Mitel meeting the needs of organisations in India?

AK: We have the complete product portfolio for all of India. We have UC solutions, contact centre solutions, etc. We feel that UC had been missing. Earlier, it was traditional PBX technology that was being used. India is the hub for IT and ITeS and we are empowering the end users with these solutions. You can get everything in a single window.

Elaborate on the geographical parameter of this partnership.

VMM: We have signed an agreement with the pan-India mindset. Avientek has a sales team across the region, that covers nearly the whole of India. We have teams in Delhi, Chennai, and Kolkata. Our office and experience centres are in Bangalore and Mumbai. We will be focusing primarily on the telecom industry. We are also focusing on good AV companies to bring them to our side of the telecom and collaboration segment.

Mitel hired teams in Bangalore, Kolkata, and Mumbai. What about North India?

AK: We have planned this in two phases. We first got three people and went forward with that strategy. South India has many more addressable markets, such as Bangalore, Chennai, and Hyderabad. In Kolkata, a lot of government work is going on, especially in the railways.

South India has more addressable markets, such as Bangalore, Chennai, and Hyderabad, while in Kolkata, a lot of government work is going on.

Now, Mitel and Avientek are going to split resources. At places where Mitel’s resources are available, Avientek will work with its local team. At places where Mitel’s resources are unavailable, Avientek will have a dedicated team. We will gradually build larger teams.

How was Mitel managing India earlier?

AK: Mitel is working across over 100 countries. The Indian market was being managed by the Apac regional team, based out of Singapore. The Apac team managed the Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), and Singapore regions, as well. We realised that we can utilise the Middle East resources, strengths and experience in India. We moved the APAC team and connected them with the Middle East. Now, we are here today in India.

What are the benefits that you all are seeking out of the alliance?

AK: The benefits are three-fold. First comes revenue. Mitel has been growing in double digits YoY. We now need to replicate that in India. Second, we are looking at customer acquisition across various segments. Third, we are looking at verticalisation. We see vertical as the way forward — and would want to enter hospitality, government, healthcare etc.

The trio of verticalisation, customer acquisition and revenue are what we are looking at. Here, distribution is going to play a very important role in getting this strategy.

VMM: Avientek has been one of the youngest and fast-growing distribution companies in India. We are now looking at a 360-degree approach. We are now getting into telecom. The next step would be the IT industry. Later, we can also distribute any product across India, as we would have developed a good reach. We are also hoping for an aggressive push to our revenue. We can double the numbers for the next three to five years.

Mitel is a stable company. We can increase our credibility in the market by aligning with another stable company.

So, what are the products and solutions that you are going to distribute in India?

AK: Mitel has a complete portfolio of products addressing the horizontal and vertical needs of customers. In the horizontal segment, we have a platform for SMBs to very large corporations. In vertical, we have solutions fit for all purposes—hospitality, government, etc. For technology verticals, there are contact centres, banks, and related segments. Avientek is going to distribute all our products and end-to-end solutions. We are planning to add new products for the Indian market, such as some cloud offerings.

Asif Khan, Channel Director – Middle East and Africa, Mitel

VM Manu, General Manager, Avientek

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