Damovo may tie the knot with Nortel

Formal reseller agreement with Nortel could put stress on Damovo's relationship with Cisco

Systems integrator Damovo is on the verge of signing a formal reseller agreement with Nortel, a move which could put stress on its relationship with Cisco.

Damovo works with Nortel on an informal deal-by-deal basis, but sources have indicated that a formal deal representing a reseller agreement between the companies will be agreed in the near future.

There has been speculation about a formal deal since Paul Renucci, Nortel's former president enterprise EMEA, was appointed UK managing director of Damovo in January.

One source speculated that Damovo, a Cisco Gold partner, wants to reduce its dependence on Cisco because of the networking giant's demands for increasing commitment.

A Damovo representative would not confirm the talks but said the company was always looking to work closely with multiple vendors.

"Damovo has pursued a course of vendor independence to achieve its objective. This ensures that it can offer [a wide range of products] to its client base," he said.

Although Damovo already sells Nortel products, Adrian Marsh, director of EMEA channels at Nortel, confirmed there is no formal reseller agreement at present. But he would not comment on the speculation.

Nick Watson, head of unified channels UK at Cisco, said he was not worried by the news. "Damovo is a highly respected partner and is already a multi-vendor. This does not represent a change in strategy," he explained.

Andy Rolf, analyst at Gartner, said it always helps for resellers to broaden their portfolios. But he did not think a deal would affect the company's agreement with Cisco.

"I would guess this is to do with voice products because it probably wants an alternative vendor," he said.