Juniper flicks college switch

Juniper is rumoured to be closing in on its first big UK switching deal, five months after announcing its entry into the market.

The router manufacturer ­ which threw down the gauntlet to Cisco in January when it unveiled its EX series of enterprise switches ­ is believed to be on the verge of securing a $3m (£1.5m) switching contract with Exeter University.

Jonathan Lassman, managing director of reseller Network Technology Solutions, said the installation could have a domino effect in the education sector.

“There are a lot of universities with Extreme [Networks] switches and it might be time for them to look at something else,” he said.

Paul Spencer, non-executive director at Juniper partner Axial Systems, said: “Juniper’s switching story is a strong one.”

VAR Data Integration is believed to be Juniper’s supplier for the contract, although both firms declined to comment as CRN went to press.