Tag: #konftel

Trust Distribution has issued a rallying call to resellers to move with the times and follow its lead – by successfully transitioning into a ‘new-age’ technology specialist, following ‘phenomenal levels’ of growth.

The business has undergone a mini revolution in recent years and is urging more customers to join its journey into cloud-based solutions, complementing continued strong demand for on-premise communication systems. 

Its own hosted telephony platform (truSIP) and video conferencing systems from brands such as Konftel are set to propel Trust further forward throughout 2022, based on a seamless collaboration strategy, including high quality end points.

“Integrated UC apps such as Teams and Zoom have really come to the fore having exploded in demand due to the pandemic. This traction continues to shape the market and when combined with high quality end points, resellers can take advantage of significant growth potential.”

That’s the view of Simon Hughes, Konftel Brand Manager at Trust who says over the past two years in particular, there has been a major shift to the cloud taking place – with the company experiencing ‘phenomenal levels of demand’. “The resellers I speak to are doing a much higher percentage of hosted solutions compared to pre-Covid levels. There will always be a requirement for traditional on-premise systems for new and existing customers. However, the market is clearly moving in new directions too. Trust are well positioned to support our resellers no matter what stage of their journey they are at.”

Solutions-based

He emphasised: “We’ve been trading for around 17 years and our core product range was originally based around the PBX. We’ve always been renowned as a telecoms distributor but now we are a communications and IT specialist including networking. We are much more solutions-based as our expertise evolves.”

Hughes added: “Cloud-based applications have grown massively over the last few years and high quality video cameras and audio are essential, for hosted as well as traditional on-premise systems.

“It’s an easy and additional value-added sale with various options available depending on a customer’s requirements. End points are more crucial than ever because they provide a quality experience that can undermine a reseller’s reputation if done wrong. It’s all about the user experience and it’s important not to cut corners. Hosted traction continues to grow and we offer high levels of support to ensure a simple and pain-free way for resellers to enjoy additional revenue success. We are aware of resellers losing their customers to a rival who come in at a later stage, providing additional endpoints and services. They shouldn’t let people steal their lunch!

“Many resellers do understand the importance but there’s still an education process required for some. The final few metres of the communications journey are crucial and opportunities are being missed. Teams and Zoom integration can get let down by poor camera and audio quality especially when just using a standard laptop.”

He highlighted: “Konftel is a key trading partner which is ideally suited to today’s trends as their products are vendor agnostic, easy to use and deliver an exceptional user experience.

“Conferencing in 2022 will be even bigger and better. As more people return to offices this will require more conferencing across more rooms as not everyone will be together at the same time. We won’t go back to the way it was before.”

Trust provides high levels of reseller support including a dedicated no jargon conferencing ‘Tru Guide’, for resellers to use with their customers. This is complemented by Konftel’s interactive room type guide that helps ensure the optimum equipment for every room type. 

Hughes concluded: “We want to encourage more resellers to capitalise on additional revenue opportunities and transition at their own pace.

“High performance endpoints play a crucial role is delivering an optimum experience. Historically conferencing and end points have been viewed as a bit of an afterthought to be added to a sale as and when further down the line. But in a rapidly changing, more agile world, hardware is now being recognised more by resellers. Those neglecting it are definitely missing out.”

Konftel’s interactive room type guide is being hailed a resounding success – helping resellers and their customers ‘cut through the conferencing jungle’ and speed-up the sales cycle.

The powerful new tool – available here – showcases Konftel’s expanded product portfolio based on collaboration solutions for any room type – highlighting how video is everywhere and everywhere is video, in a rapidly evolving workplace.

Launched last Autumn, the guide helps users pinpoint the optimum set-up to understand the different dynamics of any video meeting scenario. It’s earned industry-wide acclaim.

Tremendous Impact

Mark Sumner, UC&C Business Manager at distributor Northamber, says the guide has become a valuable addition to his sales kitbag – welcomed by resellers and their customers to help generate quicker and increased sales. 

“The guide has made a tremendous impact across the market. It’s a big jump forward and helps people see first-hand a solution for every scenario, from offices to even school-style environments. They can visualise and see straight away how equipment would fit in and get connected. It’s been warmly welcomed by the whole channel. The guide is so flexible, intuitive and comprehensive.”

The innovative 3D guide identifies the most appropriate products and connectivity set-up, from personal workspaces, focus and huddle rooms to large multipurpose rooms – based on an overall objective to optimise video enabled meetings, whatever the layout.

Sumner added: “One hundred per cent, the guide helps users cut through what can be a complex conferencing jungle. It’s helping broaden the appeal of conferencing. We work with UC, AV and IT resellers and they are recognising this is the market they need to get into and this is the market they need to understand. The guide speeds up the whole sales process, rather than simply finding a product online, going through the specifications and initially recommending it’s the right product for the right room. It brings everything to life and adds a compelling new dimension. Seeing really is believing.” 

Konftel’s UK Sales Director, Jeff May, explained: “With the hybrid workplace emerging as the new norm, video meetings have become the central resource for collaboration and efficient decision making. This means every meeting space, whether at home, in the corporate office or even the classroom, needs to be equipped for instant, easy-to use and high quality video conferencing. 

“There are many complexities to achieve successful and consistent video meetings – from room lay out and connectivity to choosing the right technology, which has to be easy to use. Our innovative room guide makes it easy to identify and choose the right equipment for the right rooms. One size definitely doesn’t fit all.”

Sumner concluded: “Now is the time to get involved in conferencing and understand the technology more. That could be wireless audio through to plug and play video. Years ago UC and collaboration was a bit of a black art but now every reseller can get involved.

“In today’s more flexible hybrid world, video conferencing can take place everywhere there’s a connectivity signal. Demand for high quality end-points is growing. For example I think the hotel and hospitality sector, hiring out equipment in rooms, offers huge potential in 2022.”

Conferencing and collaboration manufacturer Konftel is celebrating a prestigious new accolade – earning praise for quality, value, customer loyalty and new product innovations.

Konftel has achieved a European Customer Value Leadership award from global consultation experts Frost & Sullivan. It reflects ‘excellence in best practices’ with Konftel praised for ‘world class performance’ following a rigorous analytical process.

Align with customer demands

Frost and Sullivan’s Senior Industry Analyst, Vaishno Srinivasan, paid tribute to the company’s high value and high performance product range. “Konftel’s success mantra revolves around flexibility, usability, and value that align with customer demands.”

She continued: “It is critical for vendors to provide a range of flexible, plug-and-play A/V options as enterprises face several challenges, including meeting room reconfiguration as well as uncertainty about the number of workers in the office and meeting room occupancy in the new-normal office environments. 

“Konftel’s wide portfolio enables customers to effectively match endpoints with meeting room configurations, sizes, connectivity requirements and budgets. Konftel’s A/V kits provide the best value for the investment with its high quality, functionally robust enterprise-class devices backed by a two-year warranty, Ultra HD/Full HD resolution, beamforming microphones, and renowned OmniSound audio technology. These specifically set Konftel A/V kits apart from the competition at similar price points.”

A rigorous evaluation

Delighted UK Sales Director, Jeff May, says the latest success is testament to the company’s pursuit of product and service excellence – creating a wide range of flexible options for different room environments.

“Frost & Sullivan applies a rigorous analytical process to evaluate multiple nominees for each award category before determining the final award recipient. Konftel excelled in many of the criteria.

“Our comprehensive portfolio, including table top audio conferencing endpoints and high quality USB conference cameras, allows customers to pick and choose the right endpoint — either standalone or A/V kits — according to their needs. To be endorsed by Frost & Sullivan is a tremendous achievement of which we are all rightly proud.”

Konftel was the first to create a dedicated conference phone over 30 years ago. Its evolving product portfolio features the new C2070 video kit, combining pristine picture performance with beamforming microphone audio.

Also protecting the planet

In addition Konftel has recently produced an innovative 3D interactive room guide which identifies the most appropriate products and connectivity set-up, from personal workspaces, focus and huddle rooms to large multipurpose rooms. It’s based on an overall objective of video enabled meetings, always and everywhere, at home or in the office. Konftel also holds Climate Neutral certification meaning users can conference with a clear climate conscience.

The awards committee concluded: “At Konftel, success is measured not only based on product sales but also across customer satisfaction and loyalty. Creating a better collaboration culture across businesses and protecting the planet with sustainable and environmentally-friendly initiatives are ingrained into Konftel’s DNA. 

“For its strong overall performance, Konftel is recognized with Frost & Sullivan’s 2021 European Customer Value Leadership Award in the professional audio/video conferencing devices market.”

A link to the report can be found here

Pioneering conferencing and collaboration manufacturer Konftel has developed a special interactive room type guide, to help users pinpoint the optimum set-up and understand the different dynamics of any video meeting scenario.

Designed for resellers and their customers, the powerful new tool – available here – showcases Konftel’s expanded product portfolio based on collaboration solutions for any room type – highlighting how video is everywhere and everywhere is video!

The innovative 3D guide identifies the most appropriate products and connectivity set-up, from personal workspaces, focus and huddle rooms to large multipurpose rooms – based on an overall objective to optimize video enabled meetings, whatever the environment.

Chief Marketing Officer, Stefan Eriksson, explained: “With the hybrid workplace emerging as the new norm, video meetings have become the central resource for collaboration and efficient decision making. This means every meeting space, whether at home or in the corporate office, needs to be equipped for instant, easy-to use and high quality video conferencing. 

“There are many complexities to achieve successful and consistent video meetings – from room lay out and connectivity to choosing the right technology that is simple and easy to use. Our innovative room guide makes it easy to identify and chose the right equipment for the right rooms. One size definitely doesn’t fit all.”

Eriksson says the Konftel Room Type Guide illustrates the quality, dynamic design and overall exceptional performance of Konftel’s acclaimed video conferencing range.

Konftel’s latest product developments include:

Konftel 70 video kits

The new Konftel 70 is a versatile high performance speakerphone that blends exceptional audio quality with a stylish accolade-winning design. It’s an ideal video meeting companion or can be used as a standalone or even portable solution, for huddle rooms and small/medium locations.

It forms the audio centrepiece of two new video kits – the C2070 and C5070 – which are part of Konftel’s entire Climate Neutral certified portfolio.

Konftel Personal Video Kit

The Konftel Personal Video Kit creates conferencing convenience – and is ideally suited to today’s growing hybrid working trends, spanning both the home and traditional office.

The complete conferencing package consists of the new Konftel Cam10 webcam and popular Konftel Ego speakerphone – delivering business class performance with high levels of usability as part of a compact and portable overall design.

Konftel C50800 Hybrid

The Konftel C50800 Hybrid is a premium video collaboration solution for medium to really large meeting rooms. Delivering outstanding image and audio quality, the package combines the Konftel Cam50 PTZ conference camera and the Konftel 800 conference phone with the Konftel OCC Hub for One Cable Connection.

Eriksson highlighted: “Identifying the requirements for each environment and use case is the key to finding the right solution and set-up. The end-goal – video enabled meetings, always and everywhere. Our room type guide is a simple way to navigate the work environment and find the optimal video solutions.”

Quality Counts

He concluded: “Meeting environments are now hugely varied and continue to diversify in today’s evolving world of hybrid working, spanning both homes and offices. Many companies recognise the need to maintain a workforce that may be much more remote in the future, where conferencing is the new norm. This means they will need to either redesign or re-equip office locations. Large conference rooms with vast glass tables, for example, make for really poor acoustics. Social distancing will need to be assessed too. 

“To achieve this, the type of video conferencing equipment needs to match each individual room. The type of connectivity, lighting, field of view, audio distance and overall room design and size need to be considered. Ease of use, reliability and flexibility all have to combine together. And quality really matters. Audio clarity, picture sharpness and reduction of background noise – these are all factors which greatly influence the overall impact of any meeting.”