Meraki hunts wireless novices

Cloud Distribution looks to baptise integrators into the church of WLAN

Cloud-based wireless LAN (WLAN) vendor Meraki is hoping to ramp up UK reseller numbers by embarking on a recruitment drive with partner Cloud Distribution.

The two firms inked a partnership in May last year and, since then, 15 UK VARs have signed up. Cloud Distribution claims the vast majority of these joined the fold with little or no experience of selling wireless kit, and it is now looking for more of the same.

Adam Davison, EMEA sales director for Meraki, said: "We've found that the existing wireless channel is heavily focused on simply replacing a wired network with a legacy wireless controller-based technology from the likes of Cisco, Aruba, Meru and Ruckus. These resellers are all too focused on the network rather than the business requirements of the customer."

Theale-based Cloud Distribution is looking to recruit resellers that sell into mid-market market and enterprise end users. Channel firms with application monitoring, WAN and security technologies in their portfolio are top of the VAD's wish list.

Scott Dobson, managing director of Cloud Distribution, added: "Resellers who own a strong relationship with their clients in the security or network space are ideally placed to add Meraki as a solution as it does not stress their resources and gives them an additional revenue stream without the headache of gearing up. We came to the conclusion that we needed to attract a new breed of wireless partner to attack the established players."