Expand offers data compressor

Vendor unveils bandwidth optimisation product, and is offering discounts to encourage new resellers

Expand Networks has unveiled a new bandwidth optimisation product, and is offering discounts to encourage new resellers to enter the market.

The Accelerator 1810 can compress data to take up one-fifth of its usual bandwidth. The technique, called packet fragmentation, allows voice calls to be squeezed onto narrow bandwidth alongside data traffic.

VARs will be given a 35 per cent discount on the product which will be sold at list price. The firm claimed the market has 100,000 potential installations.

"The levels of data compression have reached such a point that even sub-128k lines can run combined voice and data," said Scott Dobson, Expand's UK country manager.

According to research from Gartner, 70 per cent of the UK's leased lines run at less than 128k. Dobson claimed this creates a massive opportunity for resellers.

Sean Frohlich, executive chairman of Hampshire-based Expand reseller Teksys, said the firm offers VARs good support.

"Our Expand sales are very buoyant at the moment. In this market it must be very tempting for manufacturers to protect their own interests, but Expand and its distributor have done the opposite," said Frohlich.

"We closed a very profitable deal recently, and it would have been very difficult without the sort of support we got from them."

Expand is now trying to recruit more resellers to cope with the expected demand.

"It's an easy proposition to explain and the sales cycle is even simpler," Dobson said. He added that resellers will get marketing and technical support.

Many sub-128k leased lines will not be upgraded until 2004, according to Gartner. Dobson said there is an 18-month window for VARs to exploit the market.

"We'd welcome anyone who understands applications such as SAP and Citrix going over the wide area, or voice over IP experts," he said.