Last week, I had a fantastic opportunity to explore the innovation and magic of GITEX for myself, by jumping into the centre of the action at Dubai. Although there were countless companies throughout the event showcasing their insights into digital transformation and development, one of the most intriguing brands this year was Avaya, who inspired quite a stir with their brand-new CEO, and unique product stand.
I caught up with the UK MD for Avaya, Ioan MacRae, to chat about where the brand is heading in the coming months, and what big changes we might be able to expect from the UK side of Avaya.
What Drew Avaya to GITEX In the First Place?
The first thing I wanted to know when I began my conversation with MacRae, is why Avaya had chosen to come to GITEX this year and showcase their incredible digital transformation solutions. Ioan told me that while, first, the location was brilliant for bringing people together from across the Avaya community, the biggest focus was on allowing customers and vendors to see the true potential of the Avaya portfolio.
“As you can see from the stand, we’re not doing a product demonstration per se. Instead, our idea behind coming to GITEX this year is to get our customers who have already accessed our DX and CX solutions to demonstrate how the systems are working in their environment so that new customers and partners can integrate those ideas into their own strategies. For me, it’s about bringing UK customers and partners out, to see what they can truly accomplish with Avaya.”
In other words, GITEX is a platform for education and awareness for the company this year, and it’s something the brand is taking very seriously. After just a week in his role, the new CEO was already present at the event, sharing his thoughts with the crowd.
What Did You Think of the Partner Keynote?
After I was lucky enough to witness Jim Chirico’s speech for myself, and speak to him a little in person, I was interested to find out how Ioan felt about the topics that Jim had covered, all the way from the discussion of chapter 11, to the future of Avaya.
“I think the first part that Jim addressed regarding Chapter 11 and where we are as a company right now is basically what most people expected. However, the latter part of the speech was more revealing about how he’s going to personally take the business forward, giving some responsibility to the local MDs like me, so that we can make quicker, more informed decisions. This will mean that Avaya can be a lot more agile in the field, and that can only be a good thing.”
Personally, I was really impressed by Chirico’s keynote, which was delivered without any slides or notes to guide him. The whole experience was heartfelt and intriguing – perfect for delivering an insight into the future of Avaya under a new CEO.
What Was Your Favourite Part of the Avaya Stand?
Avaya took a very different approach to their stand this year, by creating a very customer-centric experience. The stand is all about showing vendors and partners how Avaya are both “talking the talk” and “walking the walk” at the same time. Ioan noted that although he’s been to Dubai several times, it’s his first time seeing a stand where customers have actually had the chance to showcase what they’re doing with the Avaya solution in their own case environments:
“I think one of the most impressive elements of the Avaya solution is that it’s so cross-vertical. You can look at everything from healthcare, to commercial, to finance – it doesn’t matter which vertical a partner or customer is focused on – there’s a solution for everyone.”
“Whether it’s cloud deployment, chatbot technology, or third-party solutions from one of our partners. For me, the most exciting thing was how vast our verticals are, and how our technology can apply specifically to each vertical.”
The Open Architecture is Really Coming Through for Avaya, Isn’t It?
I had noticed that the open architecture approach has been a big focus for Avaya lately, with integration happening among almost everything, and more focus on partnerships and third-party solutions. Ioan commented that:
“We know that today we can’t offer our customers a complete end-to-end solution in the DX and CX areas. Instead, we need to work with other partners and communities, and integrate with new people.”
Looking back into the history of Avaya and telephony, the brand used to be able to offer everything the average company needed, from handsets to PBX, and so on. However, now that times have changed, and CX or DX solutions have come into focus, Avaya have embraced the fact that they need to work alongside other partners and communities to give more to their consumers.
What’s Next for the UK Side of Avaya?
Since Ioan is the UK MD for Avaya, he was also happy to tell me a little more about what UK customers can expect to see from the brand in the coming months. Most significantly, Avaya will be opening a new Guildford office, designed to act as a sort of “experience centre” for partners and customers. The location will be rolled out in two phases, with the first starting in October:
“The new office is about helping customers to experience the potential of the Avaya portfolio for themselves, and see real case-study examples of how solutions can be implemented. Instead of giving people boring pitches and sales talk, we’re going to be able to show what our technology can do for each individual set of circumstances.”
“Customers will be able to come over, visit the office, and work from the Avaya environment if they want to. We’ll be starting this in October, and working on it continuously after that.”
