| CRN: Large IP telephony vendors are now focusing on the small-business or small-office space. Why?
PUCHBAUER: We think the economy has a little bit to do with it because it's easier for a smaller company to make the decision to replace a telephone system than an enterprise. CRN: So is it tougher now for AltiGen to secure sales given growing competition from the majors? PUCHBAUER: Actually, no. We've been doing this a long time. I can also say I've been doing this for almost 10 years, and I've got 15,000 or 17,000 customers installed. So do you want [a VAR] installing it when this is his first one, or do you want someone that's been doing it for years that's got 10 other customers or 30 or 50 or 300 customers that you can go talk to that are also using this technology? That's very attractive. So our pedigree is pretty strong. CRN: What impact have you seen from the bigger vendors' entrance into the small-business market? PUCHBAUER: Other companies coming into this marketplace do two things for us. One, they expand the market so this technology continues to take over where legacy was king. And the second one is credibility, in that all the messages from all vendors right now are IP. We actually are benefiting from the increase of systems where for other folks, it might be more of a detriment.
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Published for the Week Of February 9, 2004
