Avaya extends 0% finance offer

Avaya has introduced a 0% financing offer on its IP-communications products in a move that it hopes will encourage end-users to lease Avaya kit with no interest charges or upfront costs.

The promotion, which is to be made available by Avaya Financial Services through Avaya's Business Partner reseller community, extends a previously existing 0% finance offer aimed at SMBs into the enterprise sector, and Avaya hoped would enable its customers to remove some of the economic pain they have felt over the past year.

Although the channel has been presenting unified communications and IP telephony as a recession beating technology set since the end of 2007, Martyn Lambert, Avaya vice president of EMEA marketing, was certain the scheme was still needed.

"In times of market turbulence, companies sometimes put off investments in technology even if, paradoxically, those very investments are what can help them ride out any potential economic downturn," he said.

The offer will be applied to all Avaya kit based on Communication Manager 5.0, and will allow end-users to spread their payments over a three year period, after which they can return the equipment, buy it outright, or continue to lease it.