Altigen in staff cull

Vendor lays off a number of staff, including its chief marketing officer

IP telephony vendor Altigen has laid off a number of staff, including its chief marketing officer, Richard de Soto.

The firm is represented in the UK by an agency called Products to Europe, managed by Peter Cameron and Bill Butt.

Altigen started out in the UK this year (CRN, 2 June) and is aiming to recruit three distributors. Currently it has one: Now Distribution.

Cameron said he had talked to Altigen's chief financial offer and sales director in the US following the lay-offs.

"Everything is as normal as can be," he said. "We develop our customers by focusing on the resellers, rather than distribution."

Altigen's net loss narrowed to $629,000 for its third quarter ended 30 June, up from a loss of $1.55m in 2002. But the firm still holds $7.7m in cash from its flotation in 1999.

"I've no idea who the other distributors will be. We're not really worried," said Brian Jackson, managing director of Now Distribution. "It seems that Altigen had a bit of a cull and relations are still good."

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