Avaya and Polycom are expanding their existing relationship in a joint initiative to develop and market integrated video, voice and collaboration solutions.

The companies plan to deliver fully integrated, end-to-end unified communications (UC) solutions that use the Avaya Aura Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)-based platform and the Polycom Open Collaboration Network strategy.

Failure to offer bespoke inbound call solutions could lead to failure in the market, claims Kcom (part of the KCOM Group), which also claims that the ability to develop tailored solutions is now a key differentiator.

Energy and climate change consultancy AEA has won a contract from O2 to help it prepare for the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC), which begins this April.

Three Unicom graduates raised over £5k for Children in Need by jumping, baking, waxing and quizzing. They were set an Apprentice style challenge to raise as much money as they could, in as creative way as possible. Unicom matched every pound they raised.

Spitfire has completed interoperability testing and accreditation for its SIP Trunk service with the Sark UCS Asterisk-based PBX range, produced in the UK and marketed by ProVu Communications.

Billing specialist Union Street Technologies has recruited four new support staff to assist comms provider customers with the transition from Openreach WLR2 to WLR3 access. All have previous WLR experience with communication providers.

Orange distributor Mainline Digital Communications reports that BlackBerry sales have nearly doubled due to its latest ‘Love Tuscany' incentive.

Colt has announced the five winners of the UK heat of its annual European Partner of the Year awards. This year's UK winners will now go forward to the European competition, which culminates in an awards ceremony later this year.

The winners of this year's awards are:

Sales & Marketing Agent of the Year: Progressive Consulting Limited (PCL).

Convergence Group (Networks) has opted for BT Wholesale as a preferred supplier of data services in a deal worth £10m over five years.

Convergence Group says the agreement enables it to improve the level of service it offers existing customers and deliver an enhanced IP-based product portfolio, expanding its reach to small and media sized businesses.

Distributor ICON is aiming to stimulate demand in the small business IP-PBX market with the launch of a time-limited end user promotion on its range of new TalkSwitch IP phones.