3Com Helps Extend Westcon Units To SMBs

Comstor, a Cisco Systems-focused division, and Voda One, an Avaya-focused group, will distribute 3Com's NBX networked and LAN telephony solutions. Voda One will distribute 3Com's wireless LAN solutions.

The distributors added 3Com to penetrate SMB markets, said Westcon executives. Neither Avaya nor Cisco offer IP telephony products for that space, so 3Com complements the distributors' current lines.

"Avaya plays in the enterprise PBX and IP telephony markets. This rounded out our offerings to go after all enterprises," said Eva Fujan, vice president of sales and marketing at Voda One.

3Com's solution is ideal for 50 to 250 seats, said Bill McFadden, vice president of product management and marketing at Comstor.

"We weren't addressing the low end with Cisco. We wanted to be more of a full-line distributor from a value perspective because IP telephony is not an easy thing to do," McFadden said. "We want to be the right support structure for our customers. Solution providers are looking to develop in the marketplace. We don't want to limit what they get from us."

The deal should enhance Westcon's already growing convergence business. The distributor's IP telephony sales increased 176 percent in the second quarter, year over year, executives said.

The early signs of an economic recovery have end users looking to replace or upgrade networks, Fujan said. IP telephony-based systems are now being considered by smaller businesses.

Likewise, the 3Com wireless products help Voda One reach smaller customers, Fujan said.

"You can combine voice traffic over an IP network and save costs," she said. "There's a big return on investment when you don't need to buy two systems and support them with separate technical people."

A new wave of start-up companies, particularly in the medical hardware and network management fields, are looking for IP telephony systems, said Dan Ferguson, vice president at AdvanTel, a San Jose, Calif.-based solution provider.

"They're more IP-savvy. These companies usually start with 10 to 30 employees, and because there's no infrastructure established and they move a lot, they can take advantage of putting in a system to grow on. They're not held back by any legacy systems," Ferguson said.

3Com NBX Networked Telephony systems combine an enterprise's voice and data services on one IP-based network. Comstor and Voda One will each provide system design, configuration and installation along with the 3Com IP telephony products, executives said.

Solution providers must pass an online training class, then spend two days in lab training to become certified to sell 3Com's IP telephony products, McFadden said. Voda One and 3Com will sponsor training seminars. Solution providers also have to invest about $25,000 in demo equipment, executives said.

Comstor solution providers can outsource IP telephony projects to the distributor's The Pro Shop, said Joe Heinzen, vice president of engineering and professional services at Comstor.

"We've been installing IP tele-phony for over two years. We can save you a lot of time and money. Whether the solution provider does it or we do it, the end result is to get the customer happy and ready to buy more," Heinzen said. "We're going to let VARs participate in higher margins without [making them take a lot of time to step up. Regardless of vendor or platform, they've got a partner with which they can participate."