Avnet to boost Aruba presence

Dave Park: Expects some VARs to migrate to Avnet and plans to expand channel base

After signing up to distribute Aruba’s wireless LAN (WLAN) technology, Avnet has claimed it can give the vendor a more muscular presence in the UK channel.

Avnet is the wireless specialist’s third UK distributor, alongside Mayflex and React Distribution. The latter has cancelled its distribution contract and is now six weeks into its 12-month notice period.

Dave Park, director of Avnet’s EMEA Security and Networking Product Business Group, claimed that some VARs would migrate to Avnet, but added: “I would expect there to be some drift in customers but, ultimately, we want to deliver above and beyond that and hope to expand Aruba’s channel base.”

Park claimed that Aruba’s ability to manage voice over wireless had been a key selling point. “Initially, we will look at existing partners that do not have a wireless strategy, as well as those that do ­ but not through Aruba,” he said.

“If they are already in networking or security, there is not a huge leap moving from hardwired to wireless.”

Avnet would also offer VARs extensive pre-sales and technical support, as well as marketing funds, Park indicated.

The distributor’s marketing director, Linda Patterson, said: “A lot of partners do not have much in the way of marketing resource, but we have dedicated resources and will take responsibility for helping to drive campaigns to end users.

“Aruba will become very much a part of our overall message to our partners.”

Aruba’s EMEA marketing director, Roger Hockaday, claimed that HP’s acquisition of WLAN specialist Colubris last year had put some of its partners’ noses out of joint.
“Avnet works with a lot of ex-Colubris VARs,” he said. “There are also opportunities for us to recruit from the Juniper channel.”