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Hungry Azlan pursues value-add success

Distributor eyes up services move after sealing Avaya deal in the UK

Ian French: The role of a VAD is becoming even more critical

After bagging an Avaya distribution contract, Azlan is eyeing services success as it continues to move “way beyond supply chain capability” to become a true VAD.

The Computer 2000-owned distributor’s UK management team has been revamped in recent months, including the appointment of channel veteran Ian French as strategic development director.

French told ChannelWeb his firm has taken on 20 staff in the last six months, with three more heads joining its unified communications team this week. Azlan will sign up a selection of niche vendors this year, he said, and will also make a big push into services next month.

“All distributors are working out how to play in the managed services space,” he said. “The role of a VAD becomes even more critical going forward. We are moving way beyond a supply chain capability.”

Azlan is also announcing today a full UK distribution deal with Avaya. The distributor has long worked with Nortel, and since April 2009 has also distributed Avaya in various European countries.

French claimed having access to the 7,000 resellers with which Azlan trades each month would allow Avaya to expand its UK footprint. He added that the distributor could be more effective than incumbents at bringing the Avaya and Nortel channels together.

“Westcon is by far the biggest [Avaya distributor] because it has tended to focus very heavily on Avaya,” he said. “But the channels and skills it has created have been quite siloed.”

Avaya has now extended its portfolio to two of Nortel’s largest distributors, after agreeing a deal with Avnet last week.

Keith Humphreys, managing consultant at analyst euroLAN, said: “Avaya took itself private to become a software company outside of the glare of Wall Street, but [the Nortel acquisition] is getting it back into the hardware side. I am not sure it was the best move, but they seem to be making a good fist of it.”