8×8, Inc., provider of innovative cloud communications and computing solutions, recently appointed Vance Raeside as its Washington DC-based Director of Federal Sales.

In his new role, Raeside will be responsible for overseeing all direct and indirect sales activity with federal, state and local government agencies.

“I'm thrilled to be joining a company as nimble and highly regarded as 8×8, especially in light of the Federal Government CIO's statement earlier this year that an estimated $20 billion of its $80 billion in IT spending is a potential for migration to cloud computing solutions,” said Raeside, in a press release.

Raeside holds more than two decades of telecommunications sales experience, including 13 years selling into the public sector as Manager, Federal Sales at Shoretel, Inc. and Manager, Business/Systems Integrator Partners at Nortel (News - Alert) Government Solutions.

Working at Shoretel, Raeside developed and launched the company's go to market strategy for sales to US Federal government agencies.

While at Nortel Government Solutions, he managed relationships with strategic partners and systems integrator partners including General Dynamics (News - Alert), SAIC and Ronco, meeting sales quotas in excess of $36 million.

“Vance's deep knowledge of the IP communications industry coupled with his outstanding track record in federal government sales is a tremendous asset for 8×8 as we expand our presence in the public sector,” said Kim Niederman (News - Alert), senior vice president of worldwide sales at 8×8.

“With government agencies at federal, state and local levels adopting cloud technologies at unprecedented rates, 8×8 is well positioned to meet this growing demand with a wide range of cloud-based SaaS and IaaS solutions.”

In related news, 8x8 (News - Alert), Inc. is set to join the U.S. broad-market Russell 3000 Index when Russell Investments reconstitutes its comprehensive set of U.S. and global equity indexes on June 24, according to a preliminary list of additions posted June 10.

8x8 is a Platinum sponsor of ITEXPO West 2011. To be held Sept. 13-15 in Austin, TX, ITEXPO (News - Alert) is the world’s premier IP communications event. Visit 8x8 in booth #501. Kim Niederman is speaking during “How Channel Partners Can Benefit from the Paradigm Shift to Cloud-Based Services”, and Huw Reesvice president of Business and Channel Development at 8x8 is speaking during “Hosted Communications for the SMB”, and “Selling Cloud to the Enterprise”.

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