Strix Launches Channel/One Partner Program

"We know as a manufacturer that the lowest-cost way for us to reach the largest number of customers is to do it through the channel," said Bob Jordan, co-founder and vice president of marketing at Strix.

Strix's new channel program includes demo-kit discounts, on-site and in-field training, software tools for customizing installation and coverage maps, a product support program and a new informational Web page for partners.

The Westlake Village, Calif.-based company recently introduced a stackable WLAN system geared toward midsize companies and enterprises. Unlike traditional WLAN solutions, which require wired Ethernet at every access point, the Strix Access/One Network uses a wireless Ethernet backhaul for wire-free connections.

"If we provide the right products and the right incentives, there's certainly a way for our partners to make money and improve their own practices," Jordan said.

The Strix product, for example, is designed to fit in the middle of a typical Microsoft and/or Cisco Systems environment so solution providers don't have to make changes to a customer's existing infrastructure to deploy a wireless network, Jordan said.

"The wireless backhaul is a really cool feature," said Tom Mooreland, a partner with Genesis Data Networks, a solution provider in Westlake Village. "And it really plugs and plays right away so you can literally turn a customer's network into a wireless network while you're on the sales call."

The partnership with Strix allows Genesis Data to leverage its expertise as a Cisco Silver Partner and gain traction with its wireless practice, Mooreland said. While Genesis doesn't offer exclusive resale partnerships, the company is working hard not to oversaturate any one area, he said.

"We're also kind of buying into the fact that there's profit in hardware again," Mooreland said. "I was looking for areas where we could deploy solid wireless solutions and make a profit, and I think Strix might fit the bill."

Jordan said he's pleased with the interest Strix is receiving from qualified wireless solution providers. "You'll see us double the number of partners by year's end, but very carefully, because this is a specialty practice," Jordan said. "And we'll continue to manage the program by geography so we don't do anything foolish."