Allied Telesis hooks in Northamber

Broadliner to push networking vendor's entire range to its reseller base

Shake on it: Allied Telesis already works through Bell Micro, Micro-Peripherals and VCW

Six months after parting company with 3Com, Northamber has been appointed as a distributor for rival networking vendor Allied Telesis.

Henry Matthews, Northamber's managing director, said the partnership followed a review of its suppliers “to focus on those that offer the best service and products”.

“Allied Telesis fits the bill perfectly,” he said.

The vendor already worked through broadliners Bell Micro and Micro-Peripherals, and last March added specialist VCW as a "stock agent".

It is unclear whether or not any will be axed to make way for Northamber, although four distributors is an uncommonly high number for a vendor of Allied Telesis’ relatively small stature.

Ed Callacher, divisional manager for networking and security at Bell, was unfazed by the move.

“Allied Telesis is a good company to work with," he said. "We have plans to grow with them and do not feel threatened by this.”

Northamber said it would actively promote Allied Telesis’ entire product range.

“We're very confident that our reseller base will be enthusiastic about sourcing professional networking solutions via Northamber,” said Matthews.

Northamber’s decision to review its vendor line-up and focus on “supportive” suppliers can be traced to a trading statement made last April.