SME’s set to be “The New Big” in South Africa

Avaya is addressing the changing needs of small and medium-sized enterprises throughout the Middle East, South Africa and Turkey

14 May 2013, Johannesburg:- With more than 1 million[1] small and medium-sized enterprises driving more than third of the South African GDP, Avaya, a leading global provider of business communications applications, systems and services, is talking directly to these businesses about how to become more efficient and customer-focused. Identifying organisations with fewer than 500 employees as ‘The New Big’ force in powering the nation’s economy, Avaya, who is actively engaging with SMB’s across the region through an eight-city road show for the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and South Africa, has shifted its business focus on empowering SMEs to collaborate with customers, colleagues and suppliers through a range of collaboration, video and networking solutions.

“Mid-sized organisations are instrumental in the growth of the economies in countries across the Middle East, Africa and Turkey, and it is essential that they are properly equipped to achieve their business and growth objectives. The days of complicated IT solutions, intended for larger enterprises, have come to an end; SMEs are busy expanding their core businesses, and need simple solutions that embrace innovation,” said Selvin Kristnen, Managing Director, Avaya South Africa.  “SMEs are constantly growing and agile – they invest in new technology because they understand that in order for their organisation to grow, they need to take informed decisions about which solutions can make them more competitive and customer-centric.”

Under the theme ‘The New Big’, customers attending the Avaya Forum will learn how Avaya has simplified the complexity of business communications systems, while retaining vital collaboration features.  Avaya IP office —suitable for SMEs with as few as five employees—now scales up to 1000 users. This solution gives mid-sized companies a more cost-effective, simplified way to manage growing staff on a network across one or multiple sites.

Avaya IP Office can also be paired with Avaya’s recently introduced ERS 4000 series switches and Wi-Fi solutions to automate network set-up. One simple command automatically configures the switches and enables collaboration features – a time-saving, straightforward process that’s ideal for SMEs, which may not have dedicated IT staff. In addition, Avaya has made video more mobile, accessible and affordable to mid-size enterprises -- customers no longer need to confine themselves in expensive video conferencing rooms to stay visually connected with their customers, peers and partners on their device of choice being an iPad, laptop or an android device


About Avaya:
Avaya is a global provider of business collaboration and communications solutions, providing unified communications, contact centers, networking and related services to companies of all sizes around the world. For more information please visit www.avaya.com/mea