3Com brings lines together

Networking vendor signs strategic agreements to bulk up its products range

Networking vendor 3Com has signed strategic agreements with AudioCodes and Easyrun to bulk up its enterprise softswitch and SME IP telephony office range.

The signings are part of a move by 3Com to bring VCX, its enterprise voice system, and its NBX small-business voice over IP products closer together.

Mike Valiant, international market development manager at 3Com, said the firm wanted to make VCX as easy to use as the NBX.

"The long-term aim with VCX and NBX is to combine characteristics of the products. NBX has ease of use, whereas VCX comes from the carrier space and is designed to offer a vast range of features," he said.

"Easyrun will give NBX a call centre capability. Call centres is an area that is changing quite rapidly. There is an opportunity to do technology refreshes as we move to IP.

"It's traditionally been difficult and proprietary, but as we move to converged solutions, it all moves to the same network and integration is easier."

3Com recently announced it would recruit 300 resellers across Europe as it re-entered the enterprise market.

Valiant said: "About 200 to 300 resellers will get access to our enterprise portfolio, including the Huawei products and VCX. Existing Gold Partners will be included, but we will also target new partners."

Steve Norman, sales and marketing director at distributor Rocom, said his company was coming to the end of a 3Com reseller recruitment period. Rocom signed with 3Com in June and has been recruiting ever since.

Norman said: "Primarily, it's been voice resellers coming to us and 3Com, and most think it's easier to install NBX than some competing products."

However, Norman warned that resellers were criticising the vendor's lack of end-user marketing to help generate demand.