Photo gallery: ShoreTel partners lift off for NASA space experience

ShoreTel partners headed to Orlando last week for an 'out of this world' experience with an Astronaut Training Experience, and the vendor's 2016 partner conference.

The partners included the 12 APAC winners of ShoreTel's Great Rewards 2016 incentive program, including Australia's Viatek - winner of highest year on year growth for an existing partner in Australia - and Connect NZ, which took out the same category for New Zealand.

The winning partners were treated to a private tour of the Kennedy Space Center with former NASA astronaut Jon McBride, as well as te Astronaut Training Experience on mission simulators including the Multi-Axis Trainer and the Micro-Gravity Wall, and a real space shuttle mission simulation within a full-scale, realistically outfitted mission control mock-up.

The Kennedy Space Center tour was followed the next day by the kick off of the ShoreTelOne Partner Conference.

Steve Haesler, Viatek technical consultant, says meeting McBride and exploring the Kennedy Space Center was an 'honour'.

"It was an unforgettable opportunity to ride on the space shuttle mission simulator and be part of this once-in-a-lifetime experience with all the major prize winners," Haesler says.

"Being acknowledged for our performance throughout the year by a bendor motivates us to continue to achieve strong results and ShoreTel has certainly rewarded our efforts in a meteoric way.

LinkTech took out the Great Rewards highest total revenue for new partner, Australia, with PTS Communications winning the highest number of net new customer logos. Calibre One took most number of leads registered across ANZ, while PowerNet IT Solutions had the highest MRR bookings for Australia.

Singapore's First Tel Tech was the highest total revenue for a new partner winner for Asia, with Northgate Technologies winning highest year on year growth for existing partner in ASEAN and IT Apps taking out highest year on year growth for an existing partner in North Asia.

Both Northgate and IT Apps were unable to attend, so second place getters - Microbase and Shanghai Chenguan Info Tech, respectively, attended instead.

Xtelesis Datacom was the winner of the highest year on year growth for existing partners in India and S. Africa, with Intuate Group taking out the Asia category for most number of leads registered and First Technology Singapore winning highest number of net new customer logos by partner.