Networking distributor Zycko and audiovisual (AV) counterpart Touchline Video, formerly Review Video, have formed a partnership to support the increasing number of resellers who need to supply IP-enabled AV systems.

The duo will pool their knowledge, expertise and resources and align technical and product management teams, to offer resellers and integrators services across both voice and video solutions.

“Zycko knows about voice over IP (VoIP) and we know about videoconferencing, so it is a perfect synergy,” explained Barry Cross, managing director of Touchline Video.

“We will continue to be separate entities, but we are going to be working together when necessary. It is the sort of sensible convergence partnership you would expect if people were rational in this market.”

Though Zycko has dabbled in voice and video solutions, the tie-up with Touchline means it can support its video customers better, explained David Galton-Fenzi, Zycko’s group sales director.
“We built a presence in the AV market, but it is hard yards. It is tough for an IP distributor,” he said

Galton-Fenzi would not reveal the legalities of the partnership, other than to say: “The foundation of the relationship is in goodwill, trust and our shared expertise. The rest is under non-disclosure.”

Videoconferencing was a $1.15bn (£580m) global market in 2005, but will reach $3.1bn by 2010 if the growth rate (at 22.1 per cent per year) continues, according to research house Frost & Sullivan.

The growth is attributable to Youtube, argued Cross. The millions of videos viewed on Youtube have persuaded enterprises to post their corporate videos on the site as a means of tracking comment and generating greater user familiarity.

Last week the distributor formerly Review Video announced its name change to Touchline Video. “Review Video in the US was taken over by Westcon, but we have remained independent,” said Cross. “We don’t want to be associated with it in any way, shape or form.