Xylan aims to calm Var fears

Xylan is persisting with plans to increase its reseller base following the $2 billion acquisition by Alcatel last month, and has committed to defend its channel from conflict with the parent company's reseller arm.

Andy Zollo, UK channels manager for Xylan, last week said the companies were still working on a post-acquisition channel strategy, which will be announced in the summer, but moved to assure the vendor's existing partners that Alcatel's, service, distribution and delivery (SDD) division did not pose a threat to their business.

'Alcatel SDD follows the same processes and has the same rights as Xylan's and Alcatel's other resellers,' he said.

'It has always been a Xylan equipment reseller and also has relationships with other vendors, so there will be no added conflict for our other partners.'

He added: 'There will be a chance for voice resellers to be involved with data products and vice versa, but training and certification will only occur as post-acquisition products come to market.'

Zollo hinted that the merged entity could deal direct with Fortune 500 companies, but claimed existing reseller relationships in those organisations would be preserved.

Meanwhile, Nortel Networks unveiled two shrink-wrapped maintenance packages for the channel - the distributors' pack, available to the vendor's pan-European distributors, Azlan, Anixter, Ilion, Landis and Westcon; and the assurance pack, for its Networking Solutions Partners targeting the SME market.

According to David Parker, director of channels at Nortel, both packages offered services which will be sold on to other partners and customers.