Resellers hold back Proteon on Net connectivity

Proteon is facing an uphill struggle to win channel support in Europe because resellers are slow to embrace internet connectivity technology.

Tim Greer, Proteon vice president of worldwide sales, said the firm was undertaking considerable marketing with its partners to convince them to welcome the technology.

?Mentally, UK resellers are prepared but there is still a lot of education required before they are ready to sell internet products like routers to small businesses partners,? he said.

Proteon is rebranding its Openroute software as Openroute Networks as the company name was too closely associated with Token Ring and IBM to be effective, said Greer.

It has launched six products in its Globe Trotter router family suited for small businesses and branch offices that do not have in-house technical experts.

?We want it to be like buying a phone ? you take it out of the box, plug it into the wall and get a dial tone straight away,? said Greer.

?Ultimately we?d like to see a $300 intelligent internet connectivity box sold at retail.?

According to IDC research, the market for shared internet connectivity in small businesses and branch offices is set to grow 50 to 60 per cent over the next three years.