Sonexis, Wildfire Seeking Solution Providers

Sonexis is seeking both voice and data VARs to sell its audio- and Web-conferencing appliances. Its AudioCollaborator and NetCollaborator products provide businesses with a cost-effective in-house alternative to conferencing services offered by carriers such as AT&T, said Ed Wadbrook, senior vice president of product management and strategy at Sonexis, Boston.

The appliances sit on the network behind either traditional PBXs or IP PBXs, preserving customers' investments in legacy telephony equipment, Wadbrook said.

"Solution providers can sell [our products at every single sales call because every customer does some collaboration," he said.

The appliances are designed for easy installation and includes remote-management capabilities to reduce the time solution providers have to spend supporting the product in the field, he said.

"We've designed them so that from the time the partner unpacks the box to being up and running is 30 minutes," he said.

Sonexis currently has about 35 partners and plans to have 100 signed on by the end of the year, he said.

To support its partners, Sonexis is creating a lead-generation program, as well as an ROI calculator and other marketing tools, he said.

Wildfire Communications is also looking to add solution providers to its recently launched Partner Alliance Community (WildPAC) program, said Tim Walsh, vice president of worldwide sales at Wildfire, Waltham, Mass.

Wildfire's Enterprise Edition voice-activated virtual assistant integrates voice mail, dialing, call routing, call screening, contact management and group messaging.

End users can use voice commands to program the system to forward calls to any location and screen calls using the caller's name and phone number, increasing employee productivity, he said.

The company last week began shipping an SMB version of the product, dubbed E500, for customers with under 500 users, a market Wildfire hopes to target through solution providers, Walsh said.

WildPAC provides partners with lead generation, marketing assistance, training, services and volume discount pricing, Wildfire said.