In huge news for the VoIP world (and the open-source Asterisk project underlying Fonality), Fonality has entered into a partnership with Dell to take easy-to-use, affordable VoIP phone systems to the SMB (small-to-medium sized business) under a brand name Dell is calling the “Fonality VoIP Phone System.” Dell will be selling it through its global SMB sales organization, as well as its channel.
Needless to say, the opportunity is huge. According to the Dell’Oro Group [PDF], 35 million small businesses worldwide are expected to adopt VoIP calling over the next three years. Fonality brings to the table an easy-to-use, directly installable product. Dell brings its market reach and brand. It’s a good deal for Dell. It could be the making of Fonality.
Again, look at the math:
An IDC analysis pegs Dell at more than 28% market share in the United States SMB market, or roughly seven million of the US’ 25 million SMBs. This deal immediately helps to put Fonality in front of Dell’s SMB customer base, as well as new accounts into which it’s selling.
That’s huge.
Dell didn’t choose Fonality because it’s built on open source, however, as Chris Lyman, Fonality’s CEO, notes on his blog. Rather, Dell was looking for three things. The product:
- Must be high in value
- Must be super easy to use
- Must run on Dell
The other big reason Chris cites for Dell’s choice of Fonality is its hybrid-hosted model. Regardless of the reason, it’s a huge coup for Fonality. Kudos!
