For those paying attention to the ongoing saga of Avaya, it's clear the company is going through a transition period as it refocuses on the 'Global 1500' (Avaya's top 1500 customers) and continues to axe elements of the business that don't support that vision. The market is full of speculation, and the company's lack of clear messaging has left partners and customers scrambling for answers. So, let's cut through the noise and set the record straight.
The 200-Agent Myth – Misunderstood?
One of the most significant misrepresentations floating around is that Avaya is "abandoning" customers with fewer than 200 agents on its platform AXP. According to partners, that is simply not true. As one industry insider put it, "It's a complete misnomer. They're not turning their back on that market. They're just shifting how they serve it." Instead of directly managing smaller contact centers, Avaya is leaning on channel partners to take ownership of deployment, onboarding, billing, and administration. It's a strategic shift, not a shutdown.
So, what does this mean for the customers that fall beneath 200 seats on AXP? Firstly, there aren't many customers that fall into this bracket worldwide. One insider with access to the senior team said, "When they looked at the impact of all customers, it affected about 20 customers globally, of which 10 had a roadmap to move into the minimum requirement anyway. So, really, the impact is minimal."
A Managing Director of an Avaya partner aired his frustration on the move, "Avaya has let the market create its own narrative, and they've been far too slow in responding. They should have seized control of the messaging before others filled the vacuum with speculation."
He also emphasized that the 200-seat threshold has been exaggerated in importance: "We have a customer just below the 200-seat mark, and we're working with Avaya to find a solution. There's more flexibility than people think, but that hasn't been communicated properly."
So, what could 'leaning on the channel' look like? It has been suggested that partners could buy smaller numbers of AXP seats through master agents or distributors. Some have even suggested partners may run their own instance, and they can split the 200-seat requirement across their whole base. However, details are emerging every week, and there seems to be confusion if one or all these pathways will be available.
There has been an increasingly cautious sentiment regarding customers between 200 seats and the fabled Global 1500. Is that going to become a strange no-man's land, or will Avaya empower partners there, too? It looks as though much of that will go through distribution channels and through partner networks too, allowing the vendor to concentrate on its technology innovation and its biggest customers.
AXP: A Future That's Already the Past
Then there's the case of the Avaya Experience Platform (AXP). After selling partners on the idea that AXP was the future, Avaya is now transitioning to an entirely different platform—the one acquired from Edify. For partners who heavily invested in AXP, it's a gut punch. "We spent time, money, and resources skilling up on AXP, only to be told we're moving to something else," said one frustrated exec. "If it was an evolution, fine. But this is a complete shift."
After selling customers on the idea of AXP and preparing their transition, it's a tough conversation to go back with a new platform that won't be ready for months. At the moment, the new AXP (or AXP25, as some have referred to it) is rumoured to be available this summer.
Why the change? Reading between the lines, it appears Avaya identified flaws in AXP that made Edify's platform the better bet. But, as another insider pointed out, "If that's the case, then why didn't they just run them in parallel until they had a clearer strategy?"
Some partners are more bullish on the move, "Edify is going to be the one pane of glass for everything, replacing the fragmented approach Avaya had for years." They believe the long-term vision is solid, but the lack of communication has made things unnecessarily messy.
Another partner added, "Avaya's old habit of trying to be everything to everyone is part of what got them into trouble. They're finally making hard decisions about their focus. It's painful in the short term, but it could ultimately be the right move."
