Synnex To Distribute Brocade Ruckus Campus Switch For Public Sector, Hospitality Partners

Synnex has upped their network edge game for education and hospitality partners by adding a Brocade Ruckus entry-level stackable campus switch to its product line card.

Fremont, Calif.-based Synnex said the Brocade Ruckus ICX campus switches would complement the distributor's existing capabilities around Ruckus' switching and wireless infrastructure. The ICX switch is the first joint product launch since Brocade acquired Ruckus Wireless for $1.2 billion in May 2016.

"Adding Brocade to our line card enhances the Ruckus portfolio by adding a pure-play network edge portfolio, allowing Synnex to better service reseller partners who are looking for a fully-integrated edge portfolio," Reyna Thompson, Synnex's vice president of integrated communications, told CRN via email.

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The ICX campus switch fits particularly well across the education, hospitality, state government and local government markets, Thompson said. Synnex is Ruckus's top distributor for the education sector thanks in part to robust E-rate support offerings, Thompson said.

ICX will help Synnex channel partners looking to scale to enterprise-class environments, Thompson said. She said Synnex will provide nationwide on-site installation and deployment services around the Brocade products for partners who need a little help with scaling their business geographically.

Although other distributors also carry the ICX campus switches, Thompson said Synnex will differentiate itself through a strong relationship with Ruckus and its education-specific capabilities. Synnex leads the channel in the number of complementary predictive wireless surveys it conducts for Ruckus, Thompson said, and was the vendor's Distributor of the Year in 2014 and 2015.

"Vendors do marketing better than partners, and partners close better than vendors," said Andrew Lindzon, president of Toronto-based Ashlin Technology Solutions, who sources his Ruckus purchases through Synnex.

Synnex's Thompson said Ruckus has been pivotal in Synnex's efforts to drive the adoption of next-generation technologies in the mobile, security, Internet of Things, software-defined networking and network function virtualization.

ICX campus switches are currently purchased on a one-time basis without any opportunity for recurring revenue, and Thompson declined to disclose the margins partners can expect around the offering.

Telecom equipment maker Arris International agreed last month to buy Brocade's network-edge portfolio, including the ICX switch product family, for $800 million once Broadcom closes its deal to acquire Brocade later this year.

Brocade said the ICX 7150's Power over Ethernet and Power over Ethernet Plus capabilities make powering of access points and other devices easy. The switch also offers software-defined networking enablement with OpenFlow support, auto configuration, and plug-and-play operations for powered devices, according to Brocade.

The ICX 7150 is available in 12-, 24- and 48-port 10/100/1000 Mbps models with 1-GbE to 10-GbE dual-purpose stacking ports, Brocade said.