Networking, IT distribution

ScanSource CEO Offers Avaya Vote of Confidence

ScanSource CEO Mike Baur
Mike Baur

Amid the Avaya Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, ScanSource CEO Mike Baur offered some brief but reassuring words about Avaya's business during a ScanSource earnings call today.

"In January Avaya filed voluntary petitions under Chapter 11 of the U.S. bankruptcy code restructures balance sheet to better position the company for the future," Baur said. "We are committed to supporting Avaya and our partners in this business as usual. We have seen no disruption in our support and resources from Avaya."

That brief, reassuring statement comes at a critical time for Avaya partners and customers. Some media sites have dramatically (and perhaps wrongfully) compared Avaya's bankruptcy filing to Nortel's dramatic implosion in 2009. (No Jitter was far more diplomatic in its analysis.)

Also, ShoreTel CEO Don Joos says his company will capitalize on Avaya's "death spiral" --  a dramatic claim, considering ShoreTel itself has essentially been up for sale since August 2016.

Meanwhile, Avaya executives are working hard to address customer questions. For instance, Avaya Corporate Treasurer John Sullivan recently explained Avaya’s recent chapter 11 filing while insisting that the company's business is healthy and performing well.

Joe Panettieri

Joe Panettieri is co-founder & editorial director of MSSP Alert and ChannelE2E, the two leading news & analysis sites for managed service providers in the cybersecurity market.