Thomson spin-off seeks partners for ATM sales

The corporate networking arm of the French electronics and communications giant Thomson is seeking UK partners to capture a share of ATM technology sales.

Thomson CSF Enterprise Networks was spun off from its parent, which has a $14 billion turnover and sells ATM technology to army and defence units, 18 months ago. The opening of its office in Basingstoke at the beginning of this year came after offices had already been set up in the US and Germany.

Thomson has previously signed up Osprey and Tplc to sell its ATM switching technology but is seeking about 10 systems integrators to sell to intranet-using corporates, the government and universities, telecoms operators and into the image market of TV stations, video production companies and museums.

Andy Jolliffe, Thomson?s UK area manager, was confident that ATM technology will take off this year and that all national phone companies throughout Europe will offer ATM services. He claimed that integrators could retain a margin of up to 45 per cent.

?There?s still a misconception in the market that ATM is an expensive technology. Resellers are often put off, but we see it not as desktop but as a backbone technology,? he said.

Although demand is not strong enough for a two-tier distribution strategy, Jolliffe said by next year the product will become commoditised.