Avaya sees communication as biz accelerator for cos

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: At a time when operating costs are under sharper scrutiny, communications solutions provider Avaya GlobalConnect is tapping the opportunity in helping make a difference by slashing communication costs for corporates.

���There is a scarcity of capital in the market, the banks are still risk-averse, and in these conditions it is imperative that companies keep their operating costs under check even as they grow���, Avaya GlobalConnect MD Anil Nair told ET.

He said companies were increasingly realizing the importance of voice/video conferencing, the possibility of savings through such measures, and even the saving on carbon emissions by adopting such steps. ���Companies have to keep growing and acquire new customers, but they have to also reduce operating costs while they pursue growth���, he said.

Companies that were fast expanding, including banks, manufacturing outfits and insurance companies were all leveraging technology for their communications, and this was vital in the context of distribution costs being as high as 40% of total costs, he said.

Avaya recently introduced a new technology solution, Avaya Aura, which the company claims is a breakthrough architecture that integrates communications across multi-vendor, multi-location and multi-modal businesses. The new product is aimed at reducing costs and quickly delivering voice, video, messaging, web applications and other facilities to employees anywhere.

Mr Nair said Avaya was focusing on its customer���s customers, co-creating communications solutions with inputs from customers, and keeping an eye on its solutions being environmentally sound. He said the company had also launched the Avaya GlobalConnect financial services facility for customers, which would help customers facing credit scarcity to adopt Avaya solutions for which they can pay back in a phased manner based on usage.

Avaya has shifted focus from being MNC business-centric to being domestic business oriented, partly because of market realities. ���We saw the shift coming, and we are re-calibrating towards an emphasis on domestic markets���, Mr Nair said.

Besides its existing verticals including IT, ITES, and BFSI, Avaya has added new verticals like services providers including those in the insurance and telecom domains.