8x8, a provider of voice, video, collaboration and contact centre solutions, has announced the appointment of Steve Shaw as senior manager channel and alliances for Australia and New Zealand.

Based in Sydney, Shaw will be responsible for continuing to build and manage a team of 8x8 channel partners within the region and assisting them to grow their unified communications and cloud contact centre business.

Shaw joins 8x8 with more than 20 years' experience in the IT industry and was previously senior sales manager for ERP and applications at Oracle where he was responsible for new business development in New South Wales.

Prior, he was sales director for enterprise and government ANZ at Avaya where he was responsible for partner accreditation and supporting the company's focus among banking, insurance and airline companies.

He also worked as enterprise sales manager at Optus where he managed a team of business development managers with a whole of business focus, including carriage, infrastructure and IT solutions.

“Steve brings considerable industry experience and skills leadership in the channel which will help bolster our ongoing commitment to working with partners to help Australian and New Zealand businesses operate at the new speed of business with a cloud-based communications technology platform that is comprehensive, scalable, and easy-to-use,” says 8x8 Asia Pacific vice president Brendan Maree.

“We look forward to the positive impact he will have in enabling our channel partners to realise end-user customer value in using one cloud technology platform for both employee and customer communications.

“I am looking forward to using my knowledge and understanding of how to propel channel enablement to support and differentiate our channel partners while adding significant value to our customers, and simultaneously maintaining partner profitability and rewarding performance,” adds Shaw.

Shaw has also previously worked in sales positions at GTECH, Telstra and LexisNexis.