Product certification : How valid is this as a requirement and what real benefits ensue for the user.

Mark Shane, Sales Director at ICON is a fervent believer and supporter of certification. 

“It opens up the market for third party vendors, guarantees the performance of the solution, and delivers choice for the end user”

ICON distributes Microsoft Lync certified SpectraLink Wi-Fi and DECT handset solutions and, says Mark,

“We see certification is a positive thing.  It benefits the end user and the VAR, as much as it does Microsoft.”  

“Certification is not a barrier to supply erected by Microsoft but a quality control measure.  By requiring certification, Microsoft is doing no more than every traditional IP-PBX vendor does - ensuring that the quality of experience of the end user is consistent.” 

Microsoft Lync qualified

Traditional IP-PBX vendor have full control over their solutions and the endpoints.  They can tweak, modify and change their solution at the design stage so that with their recommended endpoint it delivers a known and controlled experience for the end user.   

It is for this reason, most traditional IP-PBX vendors do not support un-branded endpoints on their solutions – they cannot guarantee a consistent end user experience.  This is good for the vendor but for the end user it limits the choice of endpoint to the few provided by the vendor.

“Certification is a win-win for everyone,” says Mark “It opens up the market for third party vendors and increases choice for the end user.  Users get a choice of endpoint and a solution that delivers to a defined functionality." 

"The VAR gets the confidence that comes from the knowledge that the solution will perform to a known level and is supported.   Microsoft gets to ensure that the user experience is consistent no matter what endpoint is used.”