A leader in the world of voice, mobile, and data products, Gamma have once again delivered innovation to the Unified Communications (UC) market with their Gamma Connect fixed mobile convergence solution.
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Head of Product Management for Application Services at Gamma, James Bushell[/caption]
In an era where Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) has become more popular than ever, and people in the workspace are turning to their mobile and smartphone devices to make business calls, Gamma hopes to introduce a solution that will provide end-users with complete control over their communications systems - regardless of whether an agent is using a smartphone or a desk phone.
We spoke to the Head of Product Management for Application Services at Gamma, James Bushell, to find out more about the features and benefits of Gamma Connect. James is responsible for running the product management team that covers Gamma Horizon, Connect, and the company's SIP Trunking services too.
When Did UC Start to Emerge for Gamma?
Before we jumped straight into a discussion about Gamma's recent mobile convergence product, I was interested to find out when the company started to really explore the potential of unified communications. James noted that while UC has been a talking point in the communications sector for some time now, it's only started to gather speed recently, with the rise of Cloud Computing and Software as a Service (SaaS).
"I think at the heart of everything is still PBX functionality. Everything starts with a call - even at a time when video is available. Our launch of Horizon was really our first step into UC, as our Cloud PBX service."
"The more we worked with channel partners and saw that they needed more opportunities to add value to their offering, the more we began to expand outside of the traditional voice call, asking ourselves how we could offer more than just a PBX."
Horizon has been an incredibly successful platform for Gamma - and a solution that's continuing to grow exponentially today. "We're growing ahead of the year on year figures, and expanding further into UC is how we plan to continue driving that growth."
Have You Felt A Lot of Pressure in the Current Market?
It's safe to say that the UC market is a competitive one. Even with their success, I was interested to find out whether Gamma has experienced a lot of pressure from their channel partners and customers to continue differentiating and delivering more value. James told me:
"I think that channel partners should always be pushing their providers to help them grow. I think we've been successful with our channel because we're always looking for new ways to differentiate and help them. We never sit back on our laurels. I don't think there's really any pressure in that sense - this is just what we do. We want to put more and more effort into innovation."
When Did Gamma Start Exploring Fixed Mobile Convergence?
Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) with Gamma Connect is obviously the hot topic for the brand right now. In an environment where smartphones are everywhere, I was keen to find out what pushed Gamma into the FMC market.
"The obvious starting point for us was when we invested in our own core mobile network. Connect is helping us to really leverage our mobile core, and IP network at the same time. We were keen to move into a solution where we had real control over our mobile network, and we felt that this was a great way to differentiate ourselves, and our partners."
