Avaya Appoints Mohammed Areff as New Managing Director for Gulf Region; Areff Takes Over From Roger El Tawil, to Continue Growing Avaya’s Enterprise Business in the Region

DUBAI, UAE – Avaya, a global leader in enterprise communications systems, software and

services, today announced that Mohammed Areff has been appointed as Managing Director-

Gulf region for Avaya. In his new role, Areff will work with Avaya’s customers in the region’s

telecoms, financial services, tourism, and government sectors among others to fully leverage

their networks for collaboration, unified communication, contact centres, data networking and

other business needs.

Areff takes over from Roger El Tawil, a seven-year Avaya veteran, who previously led the

company’s regional channel and business campaigns, and who is now moving on to join

his family’s businesses. Areff will report to Nidal Abu-Ltaif, Area Vice President – Emerging

Markets, Avaya, under whose leadership Avaya has become the leading IP telephony, unified

communications, and contact centre solution provider in the Middle East.

“Mohammed Areff is ideally positioned to capitalize on the momentum created by Roger, and

will help us drive and deliver more customer value and respond to the current evolution in real-

time business communications and customer service. His expertise and understanding of the

Middle East’s business needs will enable Avaya to further benefit customers from a strategic

and cost perspective as we solidify our regional enterprise communications business,” said

Nidal Abou-Ltaif, Area Vice President – Emerging Markets, Avaya.

achievements of Roger El-Tawil, who has been instrumental in driving Avaya’s go-to-market

strategy in the region – his focus and hard work at Avaya over the last several years have

benefited our customers and channel partners tremendously.”

Mohammed Areff joins Avaya after 12 years with NCR Corporation where he held several

leadership roles in sales, operations and services in the Gulf and across the Middle East Africa

Emerging Markets. His most recent leadership assignment was in services operations across

the Middle East and Africa. Prior to NCR, Areff held several sales management positions in

various companies in the Gulf region.

About Avaya

Avaya is a global leader in enterprise communications systems. The company provides unified

communications, contact centers, data solutions, and related services directly and through

its channel partners to leading businesses and organizations around the world. Enterprises

of all sizes depend on Avaya for state-of-the-art communications that improve efficiency,

collaboration, customer service and competitiveness. For more information please visit

www.avaya.com.

Avaya Enables Channel Partners to Deliver Innovative Real-time

Dubai UAE – Avaya, a global leader in business communications systems, software and



services, today announced new skills, certifications and support systems to help Avaya Connect



Channel Partners in the Emerging Markets region provide innovative, real-time business



communications and collaboration solutions to their customers. Avaya Connect Channel



Partners will have access to new technology certifications, business management, increased



marketing funds and a global Partner HelpDesk to help evolve both their customers business as



well as their own. Partners serving the SME sector will particularly benefit from this increased



support structure and will now be able to gain their SME certification with greater ease.



The announcement was made as more than 400 Avaya channel partners from the across



Avaya’s Emerging Markets region gathered in Dubai, UAE, for its 2011 Partner Conference that



runs from November 30 to December 1.



“The innovations Avaya is now bringing to market allow our Avaya Connect Channel Partners in



the Emerging Markets to change the conversation,” said Jeremy Butt, vice-president, Worldwide



Channels, Avaya. “Our partners can have a strategic impact helping enterprises reinvigorate



their business by using open, standards-based real-time communications and collaboration



applications. Avaya is equipping channel partners with the technology, skills, certifications and



support to enable their success in this industry.”



The announcement follows a series of technology innovations announced by Avaya through



2010 that included advancements in unified communications and collaboration, contact



centre and data networking for businesses from small to very large. Most recently, Avaya



announced a new portfolio of video-enabled collaboration solutions highlighted by the Avaya



FlareTM Experience, the industry’s first next-generation user experience that delivers unique



collaboration capabilities across video, voice and text.



The recently launched Avaya Connect Partner HelpDesk provides a single point of contact for



channel partners who have questions about Avaya’s partner programmes, tools and services.



Available in 10 languages, this new resource offers truly global assistance to channel partners



to make it easier for partners to do business with Avaya, regardless of their level, geography,



or portfolio sold. The new training and certifications will be available over the next two quarters.



The Avaya Connect Partner HelpDesk is available now.



Avaya is offering access to courses leading to a Professional Diploma in Marketing Business



Services and Solutions provided by ITSMA and the Chartered Institute of Marketing to help



channel partners build business skills. The curriculum will help channel partners understand



what they need to do within their own business to create and deliver business services and



solutions and how to win, grow and defend key customer accounts.



The new and expanded technology training, designations and skills reflect Avaya’s expanded



portfolio into Data and Video Solutions and include Video or Data Authorisations, Video or Data



Expert, Avaya Certified Solutions Architect , and Avaya Connect Video Solutions certification.



“Vendors with clear and strong certification programmes enable partners to develop



comprehensive skill-sets and build and grow their business,” states Chris Ilg, director,



Infrastructure Channels and Alliances, IDC. “As enterprises look for innovative collaboration



solutions to fuel innovation in their business, partners with the latest capabilities are best



positioned to meet the needs of customers today.”



About Avaya



Avaya is a global leader in enterprise communications systems. The company provides unified



communications, contact centers, data solutions, and related services directly and through



its channel partners to leading businesses and organisations around the world. Enterprises



of all sizes depend on Avaya for state-of-the-art communications that improve efficiency,



collaboration, customer service and competitiveness. For more information please visit



www.avaya.com.