Aruba urged to police its channel

Aruba Networks has received fresh calls to “clean up” its UK channel, despite claiming that partners are already seeing the fruits of its recent Initial Public Offering (IPO).

Roger Hockaday, marketing director EMEA at Aruba, told CRN: “We have invested in Europe. We now have a bigger footprint for lead generation and branding activities.”

Aruba has also pumped some of the funds into a new interoperability lab for technology partners, which Hockaday argued would boost confidence in its products.

“Wireless LAN is a new technology so it will give a lot more confidence to end-users and resellers that we are working together with the IP PBX and phone vendors,” he said.

However, Jess Thompson-Hughes, managing director at Aruba reseller React Technologies, claimed that authorised partners were still being regularly undercut for sales by unaccredited rivals.

“There are hundreds of UK VARs that have access to good margins and Aruba really needs to sort that out,” he claimed.

Manny Pinon, sales director at Aruba distributor Manilma, agreed that Aruba needs to ensure authorised resellers are protected through proper and vigilant policing.

Hockaday responded: “We want to ensure our certified partners get their investment back and will continue to manage the situation.”

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