Voice over IP (VoIP) distributor Vcomm has extended its relationship with vendor Polycom in a deal that will enable it to sell into Microsoft’s 7,000-strong VAR community.

Vcomm will now distribute Polycom’s CX range of handsets, which were developed in partnership with Microsoft.

The handset is compatible with Office communication server (OCS) and is designed to integrate with Microsoft’s unified communications platform. The relationship previously focused on Polycom’s SoundPoint handsets.

Scott Dobson, managing director of Vcomm, indicated that Microsoft has 7,000 partners in the UK and that this was a major factor in his company’s deal with Polycom.

“Vcomm is an existing Polycom distributor because it wanted someone focused on the VoIP space. Together we have made some great inroads in the VoIP space,” he said.

“The thing that attracted Vcomm to this deal is the ability to address the Microsoft reseller community, which is probably the largest individual vendor community in the UK, so having access to them really is a fantastic opportunity.”

Glynn Jones, vice president of Polycom voice sales, said: “Extending our relationship with Vcomm makes perfect sense, given Vcomm’s expertise in the VoIP market as well as the range of compatible OCS products it supplies and supports.”

Vcomm was acquired by VoIP services company Coms last year and indicated at the time that the deal would help it increase market share and secure larger contracts.

Simon Welch, marketing director of distributor Horizon, said: “It appears that Vcomm is becoming more of a competitor to Horizon.

“The importance of accessing the Microsoft reseller community is not to sell the OCS handsets, but being able to articulate why a reseller should want to work with a unified communications partner. It is key to understand what makes an upgrade proposition compelling,” he said.