Avaya reseller pegs North Bay market at $28 million

BY LORALEE STEVENS
STAFF REPORTER - North Bay Business Journal
http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com
© 2001 North Bay Business Journal

NORTH BAY --- UNIFIED TELDATA, Inc. (UTDI) of San Francisco has received an undisclosed grant from Avaya to pursue markets in Marin, Sonoma, and Napa counties as well as the East Bay. UTDI will open an office along the U.S. 101 corridor between Novato and Santa Rosa, according to CEO Lyhn Haller.

Avaya, a Lucent spin-off that manufactures a complete line of telecommunication systems for businesses, estimates the high-tech and telecom market in the three North Bay counties at $28 million in 2002.

“As an Avaya Definity Product specialist, we'll be targeting enterprise and national companies with offices in the North Bay,” says Ms. Haller. “However, we won't ignore what we call the Express Market segment: companies with 20-200 employees. Avaya's research indicates 80% of North Bay companies fall into that market.”

UTDI will have a team of 12-15 people up and running by the end of the year, according to Ms. Haller. The 35-employee company already has clients in the area, including Any Mountain, Audiobase, and New Vine Logistics.

“Our business model calls for a full-service solution approach,” says Ms. Haller. “We sell Avaya's communication systems exclusively, but we also supply peripheral noncompeting systems such as DSL, CRM (customer relationship management) systems, voice and data cable, UNIFIED messaging, and call center applications. We're a Sprint partner and Pac Bell agent.”

Avaya is looking to enhance its dealership model, in which qualified dealers design, sell, and service its products in local and national markets, and global accounts are kept in house.

To advance the marketing of the new products as well as its traditional systems, Avaya is investing in its highest-ranking exclusive dealers. UTDI was chosen because, “We're a Diamond Avaya dealer, one of the top 25 in the country,” says Ms. Haller. “We're licensed to sell the complete line of Avaya products, from the smallest to a 25,000-line system as well as premier wireless.”

UTDI is not the only Avaya dealer in the North Bay. Integrated Technology Partners of Santa Rosa, recently acquired by U.S. CommCorp in Petaluma, also sells the systems to the same market segment.

Ms. Haller believes there's room for more than one dealer. Further, she doesn't see the current economic slowdown preventing mid-size companies from upgrading their networks to Internet Protocol and adding advanced telecommunications applications.

“In the long term, everybody wants cost-cutting IP strategy,” she says. “We can usually show ROI in less than a year. Any company with multiple locations or a mobile workforce can take advantage of an IP-based network and CTI (computer telephone integration). Also, in the wake of the September 11 events, there will be less business travel. Avaya has a conference server for both voice and video conferencing. The system pays for itself within six months.”

For more information, call Unified TelData at 415-247-6900.