Avaya Bringing Select ISV Apps Into the DevConnect Fold

Any small ISV knows how difficult it can be to get its applications noticed. Sometimes it takes a stroke of luck, sometimes it’s a matter of being in the right place at the right time. But Avaya is hoping a new program within its DevConnect ranks will help the crème de la crème of Avaya-approved solutions rise to the top.

The Avaya DevConnect Select Product Program enables customers and Avaya channel partners to order third-party solutions direct from Avaya or its distributors, essentially streamlining the marketing process for the ISV and the buying process for the customer or channel partner, said Eric Rossman, vice president of Developer Relations at Avaya.

“We’ve worked with hundreds of companies and tested more than 1,500 solutions over the years, and currently we have 400 technology partners,” he said. “This program is an extension of DevConnect that offers streamlined ways to order those tested solutions.”

The program includes solutions that add value to or help round out an Avaya offering, such as E911, video or vertical-focused technologies, Rossman said. Currently eight technologies have been selected to be a part of the program, and Rossman said DevConnect plans to add 10 to 12 solutions each quarter.

Companies can self-nominate if they think they have a unique solution, he noted. “We’ve had a whole lot of requests and over time that will bode well for us. For one thing, if there are solutions needed for certain verticals or to meet customer needs, we can go to the community and ask for development.

“We tried to make [the program] as straightforward as possible,” he added. “Before the DevConnect Select Product Program, a company would become a technology partner, we would test and document their solution, and then it would end. But now we’ve extended their ability to reach customers — we leverage their strength as a technology partner and they leverage our channel strength.”

For customers and channel partners, the program makes it easier to order solutions that  have been tested and are proven interoperable with Avaya’s technology, Rossman said.

“We’re treating DevConnect Select third-party products like Avaya products, where we have literature and we market them just like we would any other product,” Rossman said. “We have a big ecosystem and by doing this in this fashion it makes it easier for customers to order.”