Indirect vs. Retail: Which Will Win SMB Telephony Sales?

If you are a Response Point VAR, I’m sure you can relate to this article. It sheds some light on the ongoing debate about phone systems moving into retail.

In the SMB market, the VAR model has been proven to be quite effective in delivering “Added Value” to business customers. We’ve seen many examples of customers who found the Syspine Response Point product at Costco.com but then contacted us to find a local VAR to supply, install and support the solution.

I believe the VAR channel will continue to play a vital role in SMB telephony solutions. As technology evolves, retail channels will inevitably sell to the mass market. However, I believe there can be peaceful coexistence between the channels.

http://www.phoneplusmag.com/articles/indirect-versus-direct-channel-ip-pbx-sales.html