Channel players have claimed financial and environmental concerns are overcoming vendors’ and end users’ misgivings to drive the repairs market towards sturdy growth.

Repairs specialist Comtek today launches its Nortel Customer Rescue Programme. The scheme offers a repair service to customers concerned their legacy Nortel kit may face a withdrawal of technical support.

Comtek chief executive Askar Sheibani claimed his firm had about 90 staff, including more than 40 engineers. He added that the company continued to recruit engineering talent from BT and other telcos.

“Previously, we have mostly concentrated on networking,” he said. “But, since January, we have aggressively pushed towards telecoms.”

Comtek works through large systems integrators and a handful of smaller resellers, and Sheibani said the firm could now service four-fifths of Nortel’s entire portfolio. He claimed the vendor’s break-up could be bad news for end users wanting continued support for legacy equipment.

“Some manufacturers practically bully the integrators to sell new products,” he said. “These companies are interested in new technology, not support and maintenance, and customers get a raw deal.”

But Sheibani claimed shrinking IT budgets and an increased focus on green issues would fuel “substantial growth” in the European repairs market over the next five years.

He added: “The culture of replace and upgrade, rather than maintain or repair, is no longer economically or environmentally sustainable.”

Support services specialist Comms-care launched a dedicated repairs division two years ago and marketing manager Richard Eglon claimed it had been a valuable niche.

“Offering that type of service as part of a wider offering has proved advantageous for us,” he said.

“In the current climate, supporting legacy equipment is important.”