ABP launches VoIP Channel Partner Program 28 March, 2004 by Chris Talbot

ABP Technology specializes in distributing open standards-based VoIP products, and with its new VoIP Channel Partner Program, the distributor now offers full distribution services, VoIP training, access to the latest VoIP open standards technology, pre- and post-sales support, one-stop purchasing and qualified lead generation to its channel partners, said Robert Messer, president of ABP Technology.

"I honestly believe that voice over IP is sort of the next wave for resellers. It's like IT has been absorbing everything from accounting in the early days, financial with the spreadsheets, word processing, networks and basically all the handling of information, and voice was sort of the last thing that wasn't really inside of the VAR's control with information technology," Messer said.

Voice, of course, is now a significant part of many IT VARs' businesses. ABP Technology deals with both IT and voice VARs, and Messer said the distributor aims to offer best-of-breed products that use open standards, including products from Snom, AudioCodes, Red Hawk, Ingate, Intertex and InCypher.

According to Messer, one of the main features of the new VoIP Channel Partner Program is SIPTRAIN, a SIP and VoIP training and certification program for both IT and telecom VARs. He said the end-to-end solutions ABP offers to its channel partners allow resellers to immediately go out and start selling VoIP to their customers. They also allow resellers to gradually enter into the VoIP market at whatever pace they choose, he said.

"So what we did is we basically put together a portfolio of products in the voice over IP space that allow resellers to immediately go out there and sell to their existing constituency of customers solutions," Messer said.

Messer said APB offers three fundamental technology streams to its channel partners -- PBX extensions, PBX internetworking technologies and complete PBX replacement products. The distributor doesn't concentrate on any one specific market category, but offers a selection of products for SOHO, small- and medium-sized business and enterprise markets.

"Although our products are vendor-independent in that we don't have one brand … we actually have a lot of small brands that are sort of the best of the breed of every single application," Messer said.

Based in Dallas, ABP Technology covers all of the U.S., Canada and Latin America all the way south to Chile.