New SMB Partner Program Enhancements Provide Tools and Support to Bolster Business Around Synapse® Product Line

BEAVERTON, Ore., Sept. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- VTech Communications, Inc., which manufactures AT&T-branded home and office telephones under a license agreement with AT&T Intellectual Property, today announced the appointment of Graham Williams to lead the newly enhanced SMB Partner Program. Williams, who has spent the last seven years at Avaya, will lead the charge to build the SMB channel business for VTech, helping Partners sell and position its advanced AT&T-branded Synapse® product lineup to small and medium-sized businesses (SMB).  

Williams is a 17-year veteran of the telecommunications and technology industries.  Most recently at Avaya, Williams has served in a variety of roles over the years, such as sales, business development, channel marketing, product marketing, services, strategy and product management.  As vice president and head of VTech's SMB program, he is focused on growing the company's Synapse product sales and strengthening its Partner relationships.  Under his leadership, VTech has redesigned its SMB Partner Program, which launched on September 1.  

"Our priority is to listen to our SMB Partners and build an SMB Partner Program that meets their needs for sales, marketing and technical support to ultimately drive their success in the market," Williams said. "We are making sure we do everything we can to make the jobs of our Partners easier through industry-leading customer service, no hidden costs, financial incentives and a strong, attractive SMB Partner Program."

The newly enhanced SMB Partner program provides channel Partners with the tools, resources and incentives to build a strong business around the AT&T Synapse product line, which is designed for up to 100-person offices. It offers an easily scalable architecture to protect technology infrastructure investments and delivers a significantly lower total cost of ownership compared to competing platforms. The Synapse line enables Partners to maximize their professional services offerings by reducing installation times and lowering maintenance/support requirements.

In the new program, Partners can accrue marketing development incentives under a new, aggressive Joint Marketing Funds (JMF) program that provides financial resources for local marketing activities. Partners will also earn more savings and financial incentives based on Synapse product sales. Gold and Platinum Partners can take advantage of additional product discounts, greater percentage of JMF resources and participation on the SMB Partner Council, which works closely with VTech to address the market needs of its Partners.

The enhanced SMB Partner Program provides new certification requirements and new tools to enhance sales.  Key components of the program include:

• A new two-year warranty for all Synapse products
• Free web-based training and Partner certification
• World-class technical support from VTech's Partner Support Desk
• A product roadmap for Synapse showing future features and benefits along with free software upgrades throughout the year, ensuring Partners are able to reap the benefits of the latest technology
• Significant potential margin enhancements to help increase revenues
• Sales-based incentives, such as the JMF and product discounts

Synapse Product Lineup

With its rich feature set, scalability and easy maintenance, the Synapse system is designed to optimize telecommunications investments, delivering adaptability for future communications needs at a lower total cost of ownership compared to competing systems. The Synapse platform supports up to 100 extensions with an intuitive, easy-to-understand management interface. Synapse also provides the flexibility to expand from one to 39 lines with the use of analog lines and/or T1/PRI, enabling scale as the business grows without unnecessary expenses up front.  In addition, Synapse offers the capability to add Synapse accessory cordless handsets and cordless headsets for greater mobility in larger work environments. These cordless devices allow employees to multitask and provide farther range than most cordless handsets and headsets.

Online Resources

To learn more about VTech's SMB Partner Program, visit the website at www.telephones.att.com/smb, which offers numerous resources, such as product information, white papers, case studies and video demonstrations. In addition, Partners receive the monthly SMB newsletter and are included in the online geography-based SMB Partner locator tool to help new customers find appropriate service providers in their area.

About VTech®

VTech is the world's largest manufacturer of cordless telephones and a leading supplier of electronic learning products.  It also provides highly sought-after contract manufacturing services.  Founded in 1976, the Group's mission is to be the most cost effective designer and manufacturer of innovative, high quality consumer electronic products and to distribute them to markets worldwide in the most efficient manner.

For further information on VTech and its array of products, please visit www.vtechphones.com.

© VTech Communications, Inc.

Synapse is a registered trademark of VTech Communications, Inc.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates - AT&T operating companies - are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's fastest 3G network. AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet and voice services. A leader in mobile broadband, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse(SM) and AT&T | DIRECTV(SM) brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising. In 2010, AT&T again ranked among the 50 Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE® magazine.

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© 2011 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. 3G service is not available in all areas. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE VTech Communications, Inc.