Orbital Data launches into UK WAN space
Firm posed to sign first distributor to help it build a presence in the market
WAN optimisation vendor Orbital Data is on the verge of signing its first-UK distributor to help it establish a UK presence.
The US-based firm plans to sign a UK distributor next month before turning its attention to reseller recruitment.
Orbital Data has appointed Rob Krol as managing director EMEA. Krol previously worked as a regional director at WAN optimisation rival Packeteer. Krol told CRN: “We are hiring two people to work on the UK market. We want a two-tier model, starting with just one distributor.
“We are currently talking to a couple of UK distributors, but we want to appoint a UK director first, then sign the distributor next month.”
Krol added that Orbital Data intends to recruit traditional networking, storage and applications VARs.
“We want to keep the number of partners limited and want no more than 10 to 15 resellers in the UK,” he said.
“We are putting a good package together for those resellers, and we want a close working relationship with the channel.”
Benefits of the programme include discounts and sales training, he added.
Matthias Machowinski, directing analyst of enterprise voice and data at market watcher Infonetics Research, said Orbital Data is a small player in the overall WAN optimisation market. However, he added that it was the first player to provide WAN optimisation for remote workers.
“Optimising remote workers had been a missing ingredient in the WAN optimisation story, but other companies are now jumping on this space. This will be the next focus for all players,” Machowinski said.
He added that the WAN optimisation market, much like the rest of the industry, is consolidating, and pointed to vendor Packeteer acquiring Tacit Networks, which was completed last month.
“There are about 10 to 15 WAN optimisation vendors at the moment, which is probably a few too many,” Machowinski said.
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